United States v. Lawrence
U.S. Circuit Court for the District of District of Columbia
On Monday, the 30th of March, 1835, the grand jury handed to the Court the following paper, namely : “The grand jury beg leave to represent to the honorable Court, that Doctors Causine, Bchrer, Sewall, and Clark, were directed to be summoned to testify in the case of Richard Lawrence, (who attempted to shoot the President of the United States,) to prove the sanity or insanity of the accused.
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On Monday, the 30th of March, 1835, the grand jury handed to the Court the following paper, namely : “The grand jury beg leave to represent to the honorable Court, that Doctors Causine, Bchrer, Sewall, and Clark, were directed to be summoned to testify in the case of Richard Lawrence, (who attempted to shoot the President of the United States,) to prove the sanity or insanity of the accused. The District Attorney has told the jury that the examination of these witnesses, for that purpose, is improper. “The jury, therefore, ask the opinion and instruction of the Court upon this point. Thomas…
1Opinion of the CourtCeanch, C. J.
The grand jury having represented to the Court that several witnesses were'directed to be summoned to testify in the case of Richard Lawrence, to prove the sanity or insanity of the accused, and that the District Attorney had informed the grand jury that the examination of those witnesses, for that purpose, was improper ; wherefore they asked the opinion and instruction of the Court upon that point.
The Court is of opinion, that every person is presumed, in law, to be of sound mind until the contrary is proved; and therefore it is unnecessary to summon witnesses on the part of the prosecution…
2Cited by3 opinions
- Hallett v. NovionNew York Supreme Court · 1817
- Commonwealth v. McLaughlinMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 2000
- People v. MontgomeryCourt Of Oyer And Terminer New York · 1872