Baker v. State

The defendant was tried on an indictment charging murder and was convicted of voluntary manslaughter. The court, in charging the jury, among other things, added in the last and closing part of his charge, to wit: “In connection with this case I charge you that under the court’s opinion of this case, you can not return a verdict of acquittal, one of two verdicts only can be returned in this case, namely, either a verdict convicting the defendant for murder, or a verdict finding the defendant guilty of voluntary manslaughter.” He then explained to the jury the offense of murder and that of…