People v. Lapsley

On November 19, 1966, Deborah Williams, a 14-year-old patient at the Plymouth State Home and Training School, was severely beaten. Defendant, an employee at the training school, was charged with the crime of torturing a child. MCLA § 750.136a (Stat Ann 1962 Rev § 28-.331 [1]). Defendant waived a jury trial and was convicted by the trial court on September 28, 1967.

The first issue to be determined is whether there is sufficient evidence to sustain the conviction. Two female patients, Martha Little and Helen Olivia, testified that they saw defendant strike Deborah with a hairbrush. Another…