Commonwealth v. Payne

Citations

• 205 Pa. 101
• 54 A. 489
• 1903 Pa. LEXIS 522

Syllabus

<p>Criminal law — Murder—Excusing jurors from service — Jury.</p> <p>On the trial of an indictment for murder, it is not error for the court to excuse five of the panel of jurors drawn, in advance of the call of the ease for trial, without the knowledge or consent of the prisoner, though it is not good practice to do so except in cases of clear necessity.</p> <p>Criminal law — Murder—Jury—•Tales de circumstantibus.</p> <p>At a murder trial it is not error for the court to call one at a time jurors summoned as tales de circumstantibus. There is no right in a prisoner to have any particular man or men on the jury, or any particular set of men from whom to select. His right is only to have the proper number of jurors, “ good men and true,” to sit upon his case.</p> <p>Criminal law — Murder—Evidence—General reputation of witness.</p> <p>On the trial of an indictment for murder it is not error for the court to refuse to permit the prisoner’s counsel to prove the general reputation of a witness for the commonwealth, even when coupled with an offer to follow it with proof as to his reputation for truth and veracity.</p>