State v. Dewitt

The defendant relies for a new trial on two assignments of error. Both relate to the court’s charge to the jury. The defendant, now represented by counsel, urgently contends the court gave such undue stress and emphasis to the contentions and evidence for the State as to constitute the charge a powerful summing up for the prosecution.

The somewhat more tangible assignment is addressed to the court’s failure properly to define the crime charged in the bill of indictment. Aside from one or two casual references in giving the State's contentions, the following is the sum total of the court’s…