Jones v. People

Walter Jones and Monrad J. Nelson were charged with murder of the first degree in killing Hartford Johnson. The jury found them both guilty of first-degree murder. Jones was sentenced to death; Nelson, to life imprisonment. Jones alone seeks a reversal of the sentence.

The defendant tendered an instruction on second-degree murder and requested the court to give it. The court refused the request, and instructed on first-degree murder only. In one instruction the court told the jury that they might find the defendant guilty of murder of the- first degree, or not guilty. It is said that this was…