Chance Medley
A New Law Dictionary and Glossary · Alexander M. Burrill · 1850
A New Law Dictionary and Glossary
[irom'Pr. chance, accident, and mder, to mingle. A casual meeting or affray.] In criminal law. The accidental killing a man in self defence in a sudden rencounter; a species of excusable homicide. 4 BL dm. 184. 8 Inst. 56, 67. Foster's Croum Law, 276, 276.
— Manslaughter on a sudden quarrel. 4 Steph. Com. 103, note (t). Chance medley is distinguished by Blackstone from homicide per infortunium, or by misadventure, (4 Bl. Com. 182;) tliouffh the terms seem to be confounded in the (nd books, {Staundf PL Cor. lib. 1, c. 8. Termes de la ley. West's Symho Uog. par. 2, tit. Indictments, sec. 6, cited in Blount; ) and by so late a writer as Whishaw. It is also sometimes confounded with chaudmedley, (q. v.) Sir Michael Foster, however, considers the di£^rence between chance medley, and chaud^medley, in point of sense, as very small. Fost. Cr. Law, 296, note.