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32 Ga. 496

Irby v. State

Supreme Court of Georgia

Decided March 15, 1861

Supreme Court of Georgia · decided 1861-03-15

Indictment for murder, in Fnlton Superior Court. Tried before Judge Bull, at the October Term, 1861. This was an indictment against George Yf. Irby, for the murder of Henry Norton, in the county of Fulton, on the 25th of December, 1856. The principal facts and circumstances attending the homicide are as follows: On the 25th of December, 1856, quite a crowd of persons were assembled at a place called Buckhead,'in the county of Fulton.

Cited by 2 later decisions — most recently September 1943

2 state decisions

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1861-03-15

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¶1By the Court.

Lyon, J.,

¶2delivering the opinion.

¶3Our compassion and sympathy have been greatly excited in favor of the accused. He is, although of sufficient age to be legally responsible for violations of the law, yet but a mere child, and the homicide committed by him was done in defence of his father. These facts, together with the earnest and eloquent appeal of his able and zealous counsel, induced us to look closely into the record, with the hope that we Might find something that would justify us in sending the case back, so that he might have another chance before the country. But with all our prepossessions and anxiety in his favor we have been unable to do so.- His father and the deceased were engaged in a common fist fight, no. weapons were being.used or threatened on either side, and while so engaged, a brother-in-law of the prisoner actually having hold of his father, trying to separate them, the bystanders not otherwise interfering or attempting to do so, the prisoner ran up and shot down his father’s antagonist, without a note of warning and without the slightest necessity for so doing. The verdict was as mild as the jury could conscientiously have made it.

¶4Let the judgment be affirmed.

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