Commonwealth v. Caraffa
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Appeal, No. 159, Oct. T., 1908, by defendant, from judgment of O. & T. Cambria Co., June T., 1907, No. 3, on verdict of guilty of murder of the first degree in case of Commonwealth v. John Caraffa. Indictment for murder. Before O’Connor, P. J. The opinion of the Supreme Court states the case. Error assigned was the omission on the part of the trial judge to refer in his charge to the evidence as to the prisoner’s good character.
1Opinion of the Court
Per Curiam,
The fact of the killing of the deceased by the prisoner was not denied, and the only assignment of error is to the omission of the judge in his charge to the jury to refer to the evidence of good character. He was not bound to do so. How detailed a judge’s reference to the evidence shall be, is largely in his discretion, even in criminal cases. Though he may not omit all mention of the crucial or controlling facts yet he is under no obligation to discuss every item of the evidence even upon such facts. To do so would many times tend to confuse rather than to assist the jury.
While…
2Cases cited3 opinions
- McMeen v. CommonwealthSupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1887
- Meyers v. CommonwealthSupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1877
- Commonwealth v. BeingoSupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1907
3Cited by12 opinions
- Commonwealth v. BeckerSupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1937
- Commonwealth v. DarcySupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1949
- Commonwealth v. RussoguloSupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1919
- Commonwealth v. PayneSupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1913
- Commonwealth v. HolgateSuperior Court of Pennsylvania · 1916
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