Hobbs v. Commonwealth

VANCE, Commissioner.

The appellant, Albert Clayton Hobbs, was convicted of the offense of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to confinement in the penitentiary for a period of fifteen years. As grounds for reversal of the judgment he asserts: (1) the trial court erred in admitting evidence of his past criminal record, (2) the Commonwealth’s Attorney committed prejudicial error in his closing argument to the jury and (3) the instructions were erroneous.

The appellant stabbed and killed William Thomas Kelly in the course of a fight between them and was subsequently indicted for murder. His only…