Billings v. United States
District of Columbia Court of Appeals
Hearing on an appeal by the defendant from a judgment of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia convicting him of robbery. The Court in the opinion stated the facts as follows: The defendant, Janies C. Billings, appellant here, was convicted in the supreme court of the District under an indictment charging him with robbery. While the evidence before the jury tended strongly to establish guilt, it was largely circumstantial.
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Hearing on an appeal by the defendant from a judgment of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia convicting him of robbery. The Court in the opinion stated the facts as follows: The defendant, Janies C. Billings, appellant here, was convicted in the supreme court of the District under an indictment charging him with robbery. While the evidence before the jury tended strongly to establish guilt, it was largely circumstantial. In the opening statement the assistant district attorney, over the objection of the defendant, told the jury that when the defendant-was arrested he gave the name…
1Opinion of the CourtJustice Robb
The identity of the accused was not in issue at the trial, and it was not competent for the government to prove that, under another name, he had committed another and independent crime. And yet such was the trend and substantial effect of the evidence of this detective. While, generally speaking, it is competent to show that at or about the time of the crime the accused told falsehoods about himself,—for instance by giving false reasons for his presence in the town where the crime was perpetrated (State v. Lambert, 104 Me. 394, 71 Atl. 1092, 15 Ann. Cas. 1055; State v. Jennings, 48 Or. 483,…
2Cases cited5 opinions
- Portland Iron Works v. WillettOregon Supreme Court · 1907
- State v. JenningsOregon Supreme Court · 1906
- State v. . ShufordSupreme Court of North Carolina · 1873
- State v. LambertSupreme Judicial Court of Maine · 1908
- State v. ChaseSupreme Court of Vermont · 1896
3Cited by6 opinions
- Bracey v. United StatesCourt of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit · 1944
- George P. Bradley v. United StatesCourt of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit · 1969
- Roulston v. StateCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma · 1957
- United States v. John R. James, Jr.Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit · 1977
- Smith v. United StatesCourt of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit · 1937
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