Fletcher v. State

The appellants, John Francis Fletcher, Benjamin Ignatius Nichols and George Arthur Hamilton, were convicted of grand larceny in a joint trial by a jury in the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County.

It is contended, inter alia, that the presiding judge abused his discretion by “giving, sua sponte, the ‘Allen charge’ after only fifty-five minutes of jury deliberation.” *

From the record before us, it would appear that upon completion of the testimony, the judge gave his advisory instructions on the law to the jury and .respective counsel then presented oral arguments. The jury, thereafter,…