Arthur v. State

WOODLEY, Judge.

The offense is murder; the punishment, 5 years.

Appellant, a Negro woman 70 years of age, shot and killed her daughter-in-law, about 40 years of age. The killing occurred at appellant’s home, and appellant’s testimony raised the issue of self-defense.

Appellant filed motion for suspended sentence and offered a number of witnesses who testified to her good reputation as peaceable and law abiding.

Over appellant’s objection, the state was permitted to introduce evidence from several witnesses that the reputation of the deceased for being a peaceable and inoffensive person was good.

Th…