People v. Johnston
Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
Appeal by the defendant, John J. Johnston, from a judgment of the Court of General Sessions of the Peace in and for the County of New York, rendered against him on the 28th day of February, 1917, convicting him of the crime of forgery in the second degree.
1Opinion of the Court
Page, J.:
In my opinion the admission of the letter of Leo Stein, over the objection and exception of the defendant, constitutes reversible error which was aggravated by the comments of the trial judge at the time of the admission, and accentuated by his charge. When the defendant takes the .stand in his own behalf he thereby subjects himself to cross-examination to the same extent as any other witness. The rule in this State is that a witness may be specially interrogated upon cross-examination in regard to any vicious or criminal act of his life, and may be compelled to answer unless he…
2Cases cited9 opinions
- People v. . MolineuxNew York Court of Appeals · 1901
- People v. . KatzNew York Court of Appeals · 1913
- People v. . HinksmanNew York Court of Appeals · 1908
- People v. . RichardsonNew York Court of Appeals · 1917
- People v. . De GarmoNew York Court of Appeals · 1904
4 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.
3Cited by3 opinions
- Schmidt ex rel. Schmidt v. StoneNorth Dakota Supreme Court · 1923
- People v. . JohnstonNew York Court of Appeals · 1920
- People v. MignanoAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York · 1922