Commonwealth v. Harrold
Commonwealth v. Harrold
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
It was held in In re Weaver, 116 Pa. 225, that there is no provision for bringing the evidence taken upon an inquisition of lunacy upon the record, by bill of exception or otherwise,
The first and second assignments of error, to the jurisdiction of the court below, on the ground that the lunatic was not a resident of Westmoreland county, and that the evidence was not sufficient to make out a case of lunacy, fall within the ruling in the Weaver case. The evidence is not before us. But even if it were, the finding having been traversed, the issue went before the traverso jury de novo and the present judgment rests upon their verdict. The evidence upon which it was founded has not been brought up.
The third assignment of error is to the admission of the inquisition and finding of the sheriff’s jury on the trial of the traverse. It was admitted as prima facie evidence only to make a formal completion of the commonwealth’s case, and was competent for that purpose : McGinnis v. Com., 74 Pa. 245.
The last assignment of error is to the refusal of the court to grant a new trial for alleged misconduct of the jury. It was charged that the jury after being out a day and night, and after taking many ballots in most of which they were nearly equally divided, came to an agreement that if ten voted either way on the next ballot, the other two would join and thus reach a unanimous verdict, and that this was accordingly done. The charge was made in an ex parte affidavit by one of the traversers, upon information and belief, without disclosing the source of his knowledge.
The court below took the matter into consideration, and after several weeks’ deliberation, infused a new trial. We must assume that it found the affidavit unsupported by the evidence, or the facts exaggerated. How far jurymen may change their
Judgment affirmed at the costs of the traversers.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Commonwealth ex rel. v. Harrold
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- 1 case
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- Syllabus
- Lunacy—Appeals—Oertiorari. There is no provision for bringing the evidence taken upon an inquisition of lunacy upon the record, by bill of exception or otherwise, and therefore no power of review on the merits either in the common pleas or in the appellate court. The party aggrieved by the finding of the inquisition must pursue his remedy in the statutory way, by traverse. While proceedings on the inquisition may be reviewed as upon certiorari, the appellate court will not after traverse and trial upon the merits, look further into the inquisition than is necessary to see that it is clear of substantial irregularities, or defect of jurisdiction. The question of the lunatic’s residence cannot be considered by the appellate court, where it appears that this question has been passed upon both by the inquisition and by the traverse jury. Lunacy—Inquisition—Traverse—Evidence. On a trial of the traverse of an inquisition in lunacy, the inquisition and finding of the sheriff’s jury is competent as prima facie evidence to make a formal completion of the plaintiff’s case. Jury—Misconduct—New trial—Lunacy. The Supreme Court will not reverse a judgment on a verdict on the ground of misconduct of the jury, where it appears that in the court below on a motion for a new trial the charge of misconduct was made in an ex parte affidavit made by one of the parties in interest, upon information and belief, and without disclosing the source of knowledge, and that the court below had taken the matter into consideration, and after several weeks’ deliberation refused a new trial.