Nero v. State

The defendant was convicted of burglar}'. The only-assignment of error in his motion for a new trial which we deem of sufficient importance to specially notice is that relating to the right of the defendant to read to the jury as a part of his statement a letter which he stated had been received by him. Under our sys-tern of criminal procedure, the defendant is given the right to make a statement. This privilege is accorded the defendant so that he may acquaint the jury with his version of the matter under investigation, and may make reply to the charge against him by way of denial,…