Commonwealth v. Cressnger
Commonwealth v. Cressnger
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The assignments of error to the refusal of the court to quash the venire and the array of jurors are without substantial bear
The objections to the special venire áre equally untenable. The regular panel having been exhausted without obtaining a jury, a special venire was ordered, and drawn in accordance with law. “ There is no ground therefore to support a distinction .... that, -under an order of talesmen, the venire must issue generally and not specially to summon the bystanders only, or specially for persons from the body of the county only. Under the Criminal Procedure Act the sheriff may summon the tales-man from either or both. The expression tales de circumstantibus was evidently intended to include both: ” Brown v. Com., 76 Pa. 319, 337.
The evidence of the confession made to Grimm was properly admitted. The fact that it was obtained by a trick is no ob
The assignments on the subject of insanity may be grouped under three heads, first, the admission of the testimony of witnesses not experts. These testified to their acquaintance and opportunities of observation of the prisoner, and were then asked whether from such acquaintance they had observed any indications of unsound mind. It is sufficient to refer to Com. v. Wireback, 190 Pa. 138, on this class of testimony. Secondly, one of the witnesses so testifying was a physician, and it is objected that the jury would be impressed with that fact in weighing his testimony. It would be quite proper that they should be. He was not called as an expert, nor did he testify as such, but as a neighbor who had employed and observed the prisoner. He was competent, and admitted on the same ground as the other class already considered, and his education and practice as a physician merely made it probable that his opinion was more valuable than that of ordinary observers. Thirdly, it is objected that the judge did not instruct the jury fully on the value of the expert testimony as to the insanity of the prisoner. There was nothing in the testimony that called upon him to do so. Only two experts were put on the stand, and while their testimony reads like a lecture on moral philosophy, it is wholly destitute of value in a court of justice. They agreed in calling the prisoner a “ degenerate ” and a “sexual pervert,” though the whole evidence in the case showed that sexual impulse had nothing to do with the killing, and sexual perversion was in no way relevant to the question at issue. Dr. Gear-
The alleged separation of the jury was one of those incidents that afe always guarded against, but cannot always be prevented. At the dismissal of the court, the jury in charge of two tipstaves, one in front and one in rear, passed out of the room by the same door and at the same time as the sheriff with some prisoners, and perhaps some other persons, spectators or members of the bar, and for a few moments all of them were somewhat intermingled while descending the stairs. The court on' the motion for a new trial carefully investigated the facts and found affirmatively that nothing was said to. or by any of the jurors during the occurrence. The assignment of it here as error is without merit.
The assignments to the charge upon the subject of premeditation and the refusal of the court to direct the jury that they could not find a verdict in the first degree do not require discussion.
Judgment affirmed and record remitted for purpose of execution according to law.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Edward Cressinger
- Cited By
- 16 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Criminal law—Murder—Pleading—Jury. Tlie plea of not guilty is within the Act of March 31, 1860, section 53, P. L. 439, which makes pleading the general issue “ a waiver of all errors and defects in or relevant or appertaining to the precept, venire, drawing, summoning and returning of jurors.” Where the identity of jurors whose names were put in the wheel with those who were drawn and summoned is not disputed, mere mistakes in the initials, the Christian names and the spellings of the surnames of the jurors do not furnish grounds for quashing the venire after a plea of not guilty has been entered. After the regular panel has been exhausted without obtaining a jury in a murder trial, a special venire may issue to summon jurors either from the bystanders or from the body of the county or from both. Criminal law—Murder— Confession. The fact that a confession of murder was obtained by a trick is no objection to its competency unless the circumstances are such as to suggest an inference that through fear or hope a false confession has been made. Criminal law—Murder—Evidence—Insanity—Competency of witness— Physician. On the trial of an indictment for murder, the testimony of a physician who is called, not as an expert but as a neighbor of the prisoner, to testify as to the prisoner’s sanity, is entitled to weight because of his education and practice as a physician. Where two physicians testify that the prisoner is mentally dull and morally weak, but refuse to say affirmatively that he is insane or irresponsible, the trial judge is justified in omitting to instruct the jury as to the value of the expert testimony as to the insanity of the prisoner. Criminal law—Murder—Separation of jury. , The fact that a jury in a murder trial in leaving the court room in charge of the tipstaves are, for a minute or so, intermingled with other persons is no ground for setting aside a verdict of guilty of murder, where it appears that nothing was said to or by any of the jurors during the occurrence.