Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1817

Commonwealth v. Murphy

Commonwealth v. Murphy
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · Decided October 15, 1817
14 Mass. 387

Commonwealth v. Murphy

Opinion of the Court

But the Court

overruled the objection, observing that a common prostitute must necessarily have greatly corrupted, if not totally lost, the moral principle, and of course her respect for truth and her regard to the sacredness of an oath. The credibility of a witness may therefore be properly impeached, by proving her to be of such a character.

Ex relatione Mri. Fuller, (a)

[This decision has no authority to sustain it. — Bathews vs. Galindo, 6 L. J 133, C. P. — When a witness is called to impeach the character of a former witness as to veracity,"the proper inquiry is, whether the witness called knows the character of the former witness in this regard, and whether the witness called would believe the witness whose veracity is questioned when testifying upon oath. — 1 Starkie, 2 Lond. ed. 182. — 2 Phil. & Am. 925. — Ed.]

Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.