Commonwealth v. Lynes
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Indictment for incest. At the trial in the Superior Court, before Knowlton, J., the jury returned a verdict of guilty; and the defendant alleged exceptions, which appear in the opinion.
1Opinion of the CourtGardner, J.
1. The defendant’s daughter, with whom the offence was alleged in the indictment to have been committed, was thirteen years old at the time of the trial of the case; and, when the government called its witnesses to be sworn, the defendant objected to the administration of the oath to her, on the ground that she was ignorant of the nature and obligation of an oath. The presiding judge asked her some questions, to which she replied that she understood that the oath was to tell the truth, and that she would be punished if she did not tell the truth after taking it, but that she did not know how…
2Cases cited1 opinion
- Commonwealth v. PiperMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1876
3Cited by16 opinions
- Commonwealth v. SinclairMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1907
- State v. KingSupreme Court of Iowa · 1902
- Commonwealth v. SmithMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 2000
- Commonwealth v. TatisosMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1921
- Commonwealth v. RobinsonMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1896
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