Chester L. Robertson v. United States

Appellant was charged with robbery1 in the form of purse snatching. Although he was shown to be in possession of the billfold from the alleged victim’s purse, the evidence as to the snatching was entirely circumstantial. Appellant testified that he had found the billfold under a seat on the bus on which both he and the complaining witness were passengers.

The trial judge charged the jury in part as follows:

“But if it raises a doubt in your mind, because you are not required to find without a reasonable doubt on his part how the property came into his possession, he is required only that he…