Smith v. State

The appellant, Frances Ester Smith, was convicted in the Criminal Court of Baltimore by a jury, presided over by Judge Charles D. Harris, of murder in the second degree. Upon this appeal, she raises three contentions:(1) That the trial court erred in refusing to permit testimony aimed at impeaching a key State’s witness;(2) That the trial court erred in refusing to allow the introduction of evidence concerning the violent character of the victim; and(3) That the Maryland law presuming all unlawful homicide to be murder in the second degree is unconstitutional.

On October 7, 1972, at…