Jordan v. Commonwealth

On an indictment for malicious wounding, Howard Eugene Jordan was tried by a jury and was found guilty of the unlawful wounding of John H. Barrett, Jr. In accordance with the verdict the trial court sentenced Jordan to the state penitentiary for five years. We granted a writ of error limited solely to a consideration of the trial court’s refusal to admit certain testimony concerning Barrett’s reputation for violence.

On August 6, 1977, Barrett and a number of other persons were gambling in a residence located in Richmond. The defendant Jordan arrived on the scene around 1 a. m. Barrett…