Turner v. State

The general rule is well settled that “mental status is not the subject of direct testimony by the witness, but can only be shown as a matter of inference to be determined from the circumstances, and other relevant facts in the case. Gibbs v. State, 156 Ala. 70, 47 So. 65; Reeder v. Huffman, 148 Ala. 472, 41 So. 177; Montgomery v. State, 2 Ala. App. 25, 33, 56 So. 92; Seams v. State, 84 Ala. 410, 4 So. 521.” Moton v. State, 13 Ala. App. 43, 69 So. 235, 236.

This general rule would ordinarily render incompetent the statement of a witness giving his uncommunicated motive or reason for leaving a…