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174 Mich. 361

People v. Singer

Michigan Supreme Court

Decided March 20, 1913

Michigan Supreme Court · decided 1913-03-20

<p>1. Criminal Law — Appeal and Error — Saving Questions for Review — Trial.</p> <p>Unless a ruling is asked or made, exceptions to argument of the prosecuting attorney in an assault case are not reviewable.</p> <p>2. Same — 1Trial—Instructions.</p> <p>Where respondent’s counsel discussed the term of imprisonment that might be imposed on the respondent, it was not erroneous for the prosecutor to reply to the argument or for the court to advise the jury that the matter of punishment should not concern them.</p>

Affirmed · Decided 1913-03-20

Ostrander, J.

¶1(after stating the facts). We have read the record and are impressed that respondent had a fair trial. We do not commend the prosecuting attorney for the statements used by him indicated in the first, second, and third paragraphs of the foregoing statement of facts. But we are not satisfied that any prejudice to respondent resulted.

¶2As to the other exceptions to the argument of the prosecuting attorney, they are based upon no rulings requested, or made, and need not be considered.

¶3In so far as the prosecuting attorney talked to the jury about the possible sentence if there was a conviction, what he said appears to have been in reply to the argument of respondent’s counsel.

¶4The court seems to have been of opinion that the discussion of the matter by counsel warranted, if it did not require, some statement from the court. We find in the statement which was made no evidence of solicitation or invitation to the jury, but an accurate statement of the law and of the duty of the court; the whole statement being in support of the general proposition that the jury should not be concerned with the matter of punishment at all. The charge, read as a whole, is a correct and a fair statement of applicable law. »

¶5The conviction is affirmed.

Steers, C. J., and McAlvay, Brooke, Stone, and Bird, JJ., concurred. Moore and Kuhn, JJ., did not sit.
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