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43 Ala. 33

Sims v. State

Supreme Court of Alabama

Decided January 15, 1869

Supreme Court of Alabama · decided 1869-01-15

Tried before the Hon. B. L. Whelan. James Sims was indicted, at the fall term, 1868, of Perry circuit court, for larceny of two mules, the property of Robert Foster. On the 12th of November, the defendant went to trial, on issue joined, on the plea of “ not guilty,” was convicted, and sentenced to five years imprisonment in the penitentiary.

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1869-01-15

How this case has been cited

Cited by 3 later decisions — most recently June 1916

1 district · 2 state decisions

10186918701880189019001910decided

Later decisions citing this case, by decade. The current decade is in progress, and our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so the latest bars are undercounted — not a real decline.

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PEOK, G. J.

¶1The evidence in this case is altogether circumstantial in its character, and by no means warranted the charge given to the jury, to-wit: “ If you believe the evidence, you will find the defendant guilty.” The evidence should have been left the jury to determine, whether it satisfied them beyond a reasonable doubt, that the prisoner was guilty of the crime charged in the indictment. The charge clearly invades the province of the jury, and is erroneous for that reason.

¶2The remark made to the jury, after the charge was given, was, to say the least of it, a great violation of judicial propriety, and, no doubt, had an influence with the jury that did, or might well have prejudiced the prisoner. Such a remark to the jury, in connection with the charge, ought, of itself, to reverse the conviction.

¶3Eor the error in the charge, the conviction and the sentence of the court is reversed, and the cause is remanded for another trial.

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