People v. Chavez

The defendant was charged with the murder of her newborn baby. A jury found her guilty of manslaughter and she has appealed from the judgment.

The defendant was an unmarried woman about 21 years of age. She had previously had an illegitimate child, and at about 12:30 a. m. on March 31, 1945, she gave birth to the child here in question. She lived with her mother and sisters in a small house having two bedrooms, with a bathroom off the kitchen porch. On this night the mother slept in the back bedroom, and the defendant occupied the front bedroom with her two sisters.' She had attempted to…