Williams v. State
Williams v. State
Opinion of the Court
The appellant was convicted of an assault with intent to kill and murder one Matt. Howard.
The errors assigned are substantially set forth as the grounds for a new trial on defendant’s motion in the court below. They relate to the errors in the charge of the court to the jury in the failure to charge the jury on the law of
The assignment of errors brings the charge of the court before us for examination. An inspection of it shows that it is open to the objections raised.
The charge of the judge informed the jury that, “If an assault be committed under circumstances which would have been murder, had death resulted therefrom, the party making the assault is presumed to have done so with that intent.” This portion of the charge is defective in omitting to inform the jury what was murder and what facts constituted murder, or, in this case, would have amounted to manslaughter, had Howard died from the wounds charged to have been inflicted on him by defendant. Every unlawful killing is not murder, and it required the giving to the jury in this case the exact definitions of the crimes of murder and manslaughter to enable them to pass understandingly on the questions of the guilt or innocence of the accused, and, if guilty, then the degree of guilt. This failure of the court to charge the law applicable to the case is evident when the charge of the court is taken in connection with the evidence. The statement of facts shows that a quarrel arose at a dance as to who had at that time the right to the floor; that a row, a riot, or affray, it is difficult to determine its true character, suddenly sprung up; that Matt. Howard rushing in to aid his brothers was encountered by defendant; two witnesses state he drew or opened his knife; defendant was cut on the back of the neck and on th e hands; Howard was cut in the face and stabbed in the shoulder, and admitted, “I may have cut defendant on the back of the neck, as I was striking around gene
Reversed and remanded.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Frank Williams v. State
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Charge of court—Assault with intent to murder.—On the trial of one charged with making an assault with intent to kill and murder, when the evidence shows a sudden conflict in which several were engaged, growing out of a quarrel suddenly begun at the time, it is the duty of the court to instruct the jury on the distinction between murder and manslaughter, and a failure to do so will constitute error for which a judgment of conviction will be reversed.