Public-domain · open source
OpenJurist

82 Ark. 595

Burton v. State

Supreme Court of Arkansas

Decided May 6, 1907

Supreme Court of Arkansas · decided 1907-05-06

Carter, Judge; STATEMENT BY THE COURT. At the August term, 1906, of the Clark Circuit 'Court the grand jury returned an indictment against one Tom Burton for the crime of murder in the second degree. At the January-term, 1907, he went to trial under a plea of not guilty, was convicted and sentenced tó six years’ imprisonment in the penitentiary. The appellant admitted that he killed one L,. D. Crews.

Cited by 4 later decisions — most recently December 1976

4 state decisions

Relies on Brown v. State · Palmore v. State · Bell v. State

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

reversed · Decided 1907-05-06

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

Wood, J.,

¶1(after stating the facts.) The confession ,of error must be sustained.

¶2In Palmore v. State, 29 Ark. 248, this court said: “Threats are admissible when they tend to explain or palliate the conduct oc the accused. They are circumstantial facts which are -a part of the res gestae whenever they are sufficiently connected with the acts and conduct of the parties as to cast light -on that darkest of all subjects, the motives of the human heart.” This doctrine has been often announced by this court. Harper v. State, 79 Ark. 594; Long v. State, 76 Ark. 495; Long v. State, 72 Ark. 427; Bell v. State, 69 Ark. 149; King v. State, 55 Ark. 604; Brown v. State, 55 Ark. 593. The learned .trial judge recognized the doctrine, but seems to have excluded the offered testimony upon the idea that the testimony showed that appellant was the aggressor. The testimony of appellant and the testimony of what appellant said soon after the shooting, tending .to contradict what appellant said on .the witness stand in some -particulars, in our opinion, made it a jury question as to who brought on the fatal rencounter.

¶3We meed not consider other grounds of the motion for new trial. The questions raised have been often decided by this court, and the law of such cases is found in many cases in our reports.

¶4For the errors indicated the judgment is reversed, and cause is remanded for new trial.

/82/ark/595 · .json · Public domain