Smith v. Commonwealth
Smith v. Commonwealth
Opinion of the Court
In an indictment under KRS 435.170(2) Alton Lee Smith, an inmate of the state penitentiary, was charged with maliciously cutting or stabbing a fellow convict, with a knife, with intent to kill. He was found guilty of that offense and sentenced to a four-year term of imprisonment. On this appeal from the judgment of conviction his primary contention is that the trial court erred in not giving an instruction on common law assault and battery, which he maintains is a lesser degree of the offense charged.
In support of his argument Smith cites Helton v. Commonwealth, Ky., 244 S.W.2d 762, and Hall v. Commonwealth, Ky., 276 S.W.2d 441, as claimed authority for the unrestricted proposition that assault and battery is a lesser degree of the offense defined in KRS 435.170(2). (He also might have cited Reed v. Commonwealth, Ky., 248 S.W.2d 911; Delph v. Commonwealth, 300 Ky. 722, 190 S.W.2d 340; Williams v. Commonwealth, Ky., 464 S.W.2d 806; and a number of other similar decisions.) What those cases actually hold is that assault and battery is a lesser degree of the offense defined in KRS 435.170(2) where the indictment charges a striking with a deadly weapon and there is evidence
In the instant case there was no dispute as to the fact that the appellant cut or stabbed the victim with a knife. The only question was the extent of the wounds inflicted — whether there were stab wounds or simply superficial scratches or cuts. In any event there was a cutting with a knife, so under the holding in Lewis the appellant was not entitled to an instruction on assault and battery.
The appellant’s second contention is that he should have been granted a new trial on the ground stated in his motion for a new trial that during the selection of the jury one of the prosecuting attorneys displayed in view of the jurors a long homemade knife which was never introduced in evidence or otherwise shown to have relevance to the case. The record shows that immediately after the jury was sworn, defense counsel approached the bench and stated the desire to voice an “objection” with regard to the displaying of the knife. However, counsel did not indicate what kind of relief was sought by the “objection” and did not insist on a ruling. That being the case, the appellant did not properly raise or preserve error. See RCr 9.22; Bell v. Commonwealth, Ky., 473 S.W.2d 820; Arnold v. Commonwealth, Ky., 433 S.W.2d 355.
The judgment is affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.