Glenn v. State
Mississippi Supreme Court
Appeal from the Circuit Court of Lowndes County. HoN. W. M. Rogers, Judge. Sam Glenn was indicted for murder and was tried and convicted. The State introduced a number of witnesses. Glenn, the defendant, was the only witness in his behalf, and claimed to have committed the act in self-defense.
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Appeal from the Circuit Court of Lowndes County. HoN. W. M. Rogers, Judge. Sam Glenn was indicted for murder and was tried and convicted. The State introduced a number of witnesses. Glenn, the defendant, was the only witness in his behalf, and claimed to have committed the act in self-defense. The State obtained fifteen instructions, the eleventh of which was as follows: “ 11. In determining the credibility of any witness the jury are authorized to take into consideration the interest of the witness in the cause, if any is in proof, his situation and motives to commit perjury, if any is…
1Opinion of the CourtArnold, J.
“ Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return to plague the inventor.” The giving of numerous instructions, drawn and passed on as they usually are, hastily, in the progress of a trial, is not of itself error, but it is very apt to lead to error. The dangerous practice of multiplying instructions for the State, in a simple case like the one before us, until fifteen were given resulted, as might have been expected, in fatal error.
*726The eleventh instruction given for the State, intended, no doubt, to apply to appellant, who was a witness, and the only witness, in his behalf, informed the…
2Cases cited5 opinions
- Wesley v. StateMississippi Supreme Court · 1872
- Buckley v. StateMississippi Supreme Court · 1885
- George v. StateMississippi Supreme Court · 1872
- Thomas v. StateMississippi Supreme Court · 1883
- Snowden v. StateMississippi Supreme Court · 1884
3Cited by2 opinions
- Vails v. StateMississippi Supreme Court · 1908
- Phillips v. StateMississippi Supreme Court · 1967