Commonwealth v. Razmus
Commonwealth v. Razmus
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The prisoner being on trial for murder, and the killing not being really denied, the principal question at issue was the degree of the crime. The commonwealth pressed for a verdict of first degree partly on the theory that the killing was done in the perpetration of a robbery. Evidence tending to this conclusion was admitted, but before the final argument
The second and thirteenth assignments are to matters which were for the jury. Whether a blind woman could tell accurately the amount of money her husband had when he left home, and whether a woman in bed in the house could recognize a voice outside in the adjoining alley were questions of fact. The latter witness in answering a question added a few words of her husband’s conversation, not admissible separately, and the appellant moved to have “her testimony stricken out.” As most of it was clearly competent, the motion was properly overruled. If the incompetent part was material, which is by no means clear, the motion should have been directed explicitly to that part.
A similar remark will dispose of the eighth assignment. If the judge in referring to the testimony of a witness misquoted it in a material point, his attention should have been called to the error at once, before the jury retired. A party may not sit silent and take his chances of a verdict, and then if it is adverse complain of a matter which if an error would have been immediately rectified and made harmless.
The judgment is affirmed and the record ordered to be remitted to the court of oyer and terminer of Luzerne county for the purpose of execution.
Reference
- Cited By
- 67 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Criminal law—Murder—Instruction. Where on the trial of an indictment for murder the trial judge charges that the evidence is not sufficient to establish murder in the perpetration of a robbery and that a verdict should not be rendered on that basis, the charge is a distinct and peremptory ruling in the prisoner’s favor, to which no assignment of error will lie by the prisoner; and it is immaterial that the instruction was not given until the prisoner’s counsel had argued the case. Evidence—Exclusion of evidence—Admissible and inadmissible evidence. Where most of the testimony of a witness is competent, a motion to strike out all of the testimony is improper. If the incompetent part is material, the motion should be directed explicitly to that part. Practice, O. & T.—Trial—Charge—Misquotation of witness. If a trial judge in referring to the testimony of a witness misquotes it in a material point, his attention should be called to the error at once, before the jury retires. A party may not sit silent and take his chances of a verdict, and then if it is adverse, complain of a matter which if an error would have been immediately rectified and made harmless.