People v. Finley

Respondent was convicted of an assault with, intent to murder his wife. The defense on which the questions before us are raised was temporary insanity. It is claimed the court below deprived him of the benefit of a reasonable doubt.

*483The charge given was in substance that the element of malice was the important element in the case, and must be made out not merely by a preponderance of evidence, but beyond a reasonable doubt. The instruction given as to what was meant by a reasonable doubt* was one of the clearest and most sensible definitions we have ever seen, and such as to be intelligible to…