Barlow v. Commonwealth

Warren Edward Barlow, a 19-year-old restaurant employee, was indicted for the murder of his 57-year-old father. Entering a plea of not guilty, Barlow admitted the shooting, but claimed self-defense. A jury found him guilty of murder in the second degree and sentenced him to 20 years in the penitentiary. There was a simultaneous conviction for the use of a firearm in the commission of murder, and Barlow was sentenced to one year in prison. This opinion will dispose of both convictions.

The sole issue before us is whether the lower court erred in excluding evidence of good character proffered by…