Commonwealth v. Nott
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Indictment charging the defendant with the larceny, on June 22, 1882, at Boston, of five pounds of bacon, in a building of one Aaron Kimball.
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Indictment charging the defendant with the larceny, on June 22, 1882, at Boston, of five pounds of bacon, in a building of one Aaron Kimball. Trial in the Superior Court, before Mason, J., who allowed a bill of exceptions, in substance as follows: Thomas Lowell, a police officer, was called as a witness for the government, and testified that the defendant, at the time alleged in the indictment, was a police officer, whose route included the building named in the indictment; that, in consequence of orders from his superior officer, the witness, on the night in question, by means of a key,…
1Opinion of the CourtC. Allen, J.
The words, “You had better tell the truth,” have sometimes been held or said to render a subsequent confession inadmissible, because they would probably be understood to mean that it would be better to say something, and that “ the truth ” in the mind of the speaker implied a confession of guilt. The Queen v. Jarvis, L. R. 1 C. C. 96, 99. Regina v. Fennell, 14 Cox C. C. 607. Regina v. Doherty, 13 Cox C. C. 23. But similar words, when not implying that the speaker expected a confession, but only the truth, have been held or said not to render a subsequent confession inadmissible. The Queen v.…
2Cases cited1 opinion
- Commonwealth v. LesterMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1880
3Cited by17 opinions
- Bram v. United StatesSupreme Court of the United States · 1897
- Commonwealth v. FordeMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1984
- State v. CrankUtah Supreme Court · 1943
- Commonwealth v. PreeceMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1885
- Commonwealth v. RonchettiMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1955
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