United States v. George E. Pickett

Appellant Pickett was indicted for second degree murder (D.C.Code § 22-2403) in the slaying of his wife and found guil ty of that charge after a jury trial on July 16, 1969. At trial Pickett asserted an insanity defense. After recovery from a period of post-trial mental incompetency, Pickett was sentenced May 28, 1971 to a term of imprisonment of four to twenty years. In this appeal Pickett argues that it was reversible error for the court to have excluded the testimony of his brother and sister to the effect that in their opinion he was insane at the time the offense was committed. We agree…