Commonwealth v. Sutton
Commonwealth v. Sutton
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The defendant was tried upon an indictment containing three counts; the first charging assault and battery; the second assault and battery and the malicious infliction of grievous bodily harm; and the third felonious assault and battery, with intent to kill and murder. The trial resulted in a verdict of guilty upon the first and second counts of the indictment, and not guilty upon the third. The court imposed sentence under the conviction upon the first two counts of the indictment, and the defendant appeals.
The first four specifications of error relate to the admission of evidence, and the twelfth and thirteenth to certain remarks of the district attorney made at the trial. None of these assignments of error is sustained by an exception taken in the court below and they must, for that reason, be dismissed. The fourteenth specification alleges error “in not allowing the defendant reasonable time to file reasons for a new trial;” and the fifteenth specification avers that the court “erred in not allowing the defendant a reasonable time in which to prepare for argument on the motion for a new trial.” The record as printed does not disclose that counsel for defendant asked for time to file reasons or to prepare for the argument on the motion for a new trial; nor does it disclose that the defendant even made a motion for a new trial, or asked for leave to do so. The court below ought not to be convicted of error for failing to do what the law did not expressly require, in the absence of any request on the part of the defendant, that the thing should be done, and these specifications must also be dismissed.
The appellant admitted that during the occurrence out of which this prosecution arose he had struck the prosecutor with a hammer, but asserted that in doing so he was merely exercising his right of self-defense, against an
The defendant contended that certain testimony of the
The judgment is affirmed and it is ordered that the defendant appear in the court below at such time as he may be there called, and that he be by said court committed until he has complied with so much of the sentence as had not been performed at the time the appeal in this case was made a supersedeas.
Reference
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- Appeals — Assignments of error — Evidence—Remarles of counsel— Exceptions — Criminal law — New trial. 1. Assignments of error to admission of evidence and alleged objectionable remarks of the district attorney in a criminal trial mil not be considered by the appellate court where the record fails to disclose any exceptions taken to the rulings or the remarks of the district attorney. 2. Assignments of error to the effect that the court below erred in not allowing defendant a reasonable time to file reasons for a new trial or to prepare argument in support of the same, will not be considered, where the record does not show any request for such time, or that a motion or request for a new trial had ever been made. Criminal law — Assault and battery — Self-defense. 3. One who is assaulted in such a way as to induce in him a reasonable and well-grounded belief that he is actually in danger of losing his life or of receiving great bodily harm, under the influence of such apprehension will be justified in defending himself. Where the danger was real or apparent, and though he be mistaken in his reasonable conviction, he will not be held criminally liable; but the right of self-defense does not include the right to indefinitely beat and wound the original assailant after he has been reduced to a helpless condition. Evidence — False testimony — False in one. 4. If a witness willfully and corruptly swear falsely to any material fact in a case, the jury are at liberty to disregard the whole of his testimony, but the correct principle goes no further than to say that the jury may disregard the testimony, not that they must disregard it.