Commonwealth v. Croson

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Commonwealth v. Croson, 246 Pa. 536 (Pa. 1914)
92 A. 754; 1914 Pa. LEXIS 550
Brown, Elkin, Fell, Mestrezat, Potter, Stewart

Commonwealth v. Croson

Opinion of the Court

Opinion by

Mr. Justice Potter,

This appellant was here upon a former appeal, as reported in Com. v. Croson, 243 Pa. 19. In the first assignment of error presented in this appeal, it is alleged that the trial court erred in overruling defendant’s challenge for cause, of one of the jurors, who admitted that he held an opinion as to the guilt or innocence of the defendant, formed from the previous reading of an account of the case. Upon examination, however, the juror stated that he would be able to render such a verdict as would be warranted by the evidence, unaffected by the *541opinion which he held. This brought him within the limits of the established test, and the exercise of the discretion of the lower court which had the juror before it, will not be disturbed. Com. v. Minney, 216 Pa. 149; Com. v. Spahr, 211 Pa. 542.

In the second assignment of error, complaint is made by counsel, that the trial court erred in refusing a motion to withdraw a juror and continue the case, for the alleged reason that one of the jurors had slept during a portion of the time, at the trial. Opportunity was given to counsel to take testimony in support of this allegation, but no proof was produced. The investigation of the matter, by the trial judge satisfied him that there was no merit in the suggestion that the juror in question was asleep, during any portion of the trial, or that he failed to take in anything of importance. That the discretion of the trial court was properly exercised in this matter, we have no reason to doubt.

In the third assignment of error, counsel for appellant complain that in the cross-examination of the witness Mormon, the district attorney went beyond the scope of the direct-examination. We do not see that it went farther than was required to bring out the whole truth with reference to the subject of the inquiry. Nor does it appear that the trial judge in commenting upon this testimony made it any stronger than he was warranted in doing. He cautioned the jury that they were to take their own recollection of the testimony, and not that of counsel, or of the court. The criticism of the trial judge, for his definition of voluntary manslaughter, which appears in the fifth and sixth specifications of error, is without justification. The definition which he gave was an ample one. Nor does the suggestion in the seventh assignment, that the court unduly minimized the testimony as to the shots which were fired outside the house, before the shooting occurred inside, seem to us to merit any serious consideration. Upon the former appeal, we expressed the opinion that the interests of *542justice required fuller instructions to the jury upon the rights of a householder to defend himself against a violent intruder. Upon the last trial the court met this suggestion by dwelling fully upon this phase of the case, and the result is, that counsel for appellant now complain of the extent of. the instruction, and of the detailed illustrations 'that were given. It would seem that in this particular it is difficult to satisfy the requirements of counsel. Their complaint is in this respect, somewhat captious, and is not well founded.

In the ninth assignment, an extract from the charge is presented which is alleged to have been erroneous. Wherein it was incorrect does not appear. . It was merely a recital of the substance of the testimony of two of the witnesses. This evidence was properly a subject of argument for the jury, but it presents no question of law which properly calls for consideration upon our part.

Upon the case as a whole, we find that the evidence presented by the Commonwealth, contained the ingredients necessary to constitute murder of the first degree. Beyond this inquiry it is not our duty, or our province to go. We are not to review the facts in order to determine the question of guilt or innocence. That was for the jury. Appellant has had the benefit of a second trial, very carefully conducted, and has been afforded full opportunity to present the facts upon which he relied, as a defense. His counsel have been untiring in his behalf, and have exerted themselves with a zeal that has gone to the extreme. limit, in invoking the aid of. every possible legal position which they deemed might be of advantage to the defendant. The microscopic scrutiny of the record by counsel for appellant has not resulted in presenting to us anything which we feel can fairly be regarded as erroneous in the trial of the case.

It remains therefore but to say, that the judgment is affirmed, and to direct that the record be remitted to the court below, for the purpose of. execution,-

Reference

Cited By
3 cases
Status
Published
Syllabus
Criminal law — Criminal procedure — Jurors—Challenge for cause —Misconduct of jurors — Continuance—Judicial discretion. 1. At the empanelling of jurors for the trial of an indictment for murder, the trial judge did not improperly exercise his discretion in overruling defendant’s challenge for cause of a juror who admitted that he held an opinion as to the guilt or innocence of the defendant, formed from reading an account of the case, where such juror stated that he would he able to render such a. verdict as would be warranted by the evidence, unaffected by the opinion which he held. 2. In such case the court acted within its discretion in refusing to withdraw a juror and continue the case, although it was alleged that one of the jurors had slept during a part of the trial, where no proof in support of the allegation was produced and where the investigation of the matter by the trial judge satisfied him that the juror was not asleep during any portion of the trial. Evidence — Cross-examination—Proper questions. 3. Where in such case a witness for. the defendant had been questioned in his examination in chief as to occurrences preceding the killing and as to the whereabouts of himself and deceased, and in reply to a question “as he (deceased) went in the house (where the killing took place,) where did you go,” the witness replied, “I stopped in the kitchen for about one second and then went in the front room,” the trial judge made no error in permitting the Commonwealth to cross-examine the witness as to what he said and heard and what was done in the kitchen and front room, although as to such matters the witness had not been interrogated in chief. Manslaughter — Charge to jury — Definition of manslaughter— Proper charge. 4. In such case, after explaining to the jury the difference between murder and manslaughter, the court made no error in defining voluntary manslaughter as a “homicide or killing intentionally committed under the influence of passion. The term passion as here used includes both anger and terror, provided they reach a degree of intensity sufficient to obscure temporarily the reason of the person affected......Passion which will reduce homicide to manslaughter consists either of anger or terror......” Murder — Murder of the first degree — .Evidence—Proper conviction. 5. Where on the trial of an indictment for murder, there was evidence that defendant had been entertaining a party of friends, among whom was deceased, at his house; that deceased and one of the guests became engaged in an altercation, that defendant with a shotgun in his hand walked into the room where deceased was standing at the corner of the fireplace, passed behind deceased to the other side of the fireplace and shot deceased who was standing with his hands in his pockets, the evidence contained the ingredients necessary to constitute murder of the first degree and a conviction thereof was affirmed.