Commonwealth v. Jones

Citations

• 280 Pa. 368
• 124 A. 486
• 1924 Pa. LEXIS 522

Syllabus

<p>Criminal law — Murder—Evidence of good character — Reputation — Rebuttal of testimony as to other crime.</p> <p>1. Character can be impeached only by evidence of general reputation, and not by evidence of particular acts of misconduct.</p> <p>2. In a murder case it is reversible error for the trial judge to permit proof of a specific offense on a previous occasion to rebut evidence of good character.</p> <p>3. The fact that previous criminal acts were part of an admission or declaration made by the defendant does not change the rule that specific offenses cannot be offered as rebuttal of evidence of good character.</p> <p>4. It is error to permit the Commonwealth to ask on cross-examination of a witness called to testify as to defendant’s good character, whether the witness did not know defendant was a married woman living in adultery with an unmarried man.</p> <p>Appeals — Evidence—Offer—Reason—Another reason on appeal.</p> <p>5. Where evidence is offered for one purpose on trial it cannot be justified for another reason on appeal.</p>