Commonwealth v. Wilson
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
The defendant was indicted for the murder of William Adams on the 19th of July 1853. Trial before the chief justice and Justices Metcalf and Bigelow, on the 24th of May 1854. The evidence was full and uncontradicted that the defendant, at the time alleged in the indictment, was a prisoner in the state prison at Charlestown, and then and there killed Adams, one of the other prisoners, by stabbing him in the neck with a knife.
Read the full summary
The defendant was indicted for the murder of William Adams on the 19th of July 1853. Trial before the chief justice and Justices Metcalf and Bigelow, on the 24th of May 1854. The evidence was full and uncontradicted that the defendant, at the time alleged in the indictment, was a prisoner in the state prison at Charlestown, and then and there killed Adams, one of the other prisoners, by stabbing him in the neck with a knife. The sole ground on which the defendant’s counsel placed his defence was, that he committed the homicide under an insane delusion that Adams and others of the prisoners…
1Opinion of the CourtShaw, C. J.
Facts or opinions on the subject of insanity, as on any other subject, cannot be laid before the jury except by the testimony under oath of persons skilled in such matters. Whether stated in the language of the court or of the counsel in a former case, or cited from the works of legal or medical writers, they are still statements of fact, and must be proved on oath. The opinion of a lawyer on such a question of fact is entitled to no more weight than that of any other person, not an expert. The principles governing the admissibility of such evidence have been fully considered by this court…
2Cases cited2 opinions
- Poole v. RichardsonMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1807
- De Witt v. BarleyNew York Supreme Court · 1852
3Cited by2 opinions
- Cincinnati Traction Co. v. StephensHamilton Circuit Court · 1906
- In re the Probate of the Last Will & Testament of StollNew York Surrogate's Court · 1915