People v. Tiley

Citations

• 84 Cal. 651
• 24 P. 290
• 1890 Cal. LEXIS 859

Syllabus

<p>Criminal Law — Burning Insured Property — Evidence — Discrediting Witness by Particular Acts op Immorality. — Upon the trial o£ a defendant accused of burning insured property, if the keeper of a house of ill-fame has testified to certain damaging statements made by defendant at her house both before and after the fire, and the defendant, when called as a witness in his own behalf, denied the statements, while admitting that he may have been at such house at the dates testified to, he cannot he asked on cross-examination, for the purpose of discrediting him and degrading his character, whether he did not remain all night at that house upon a certain date, some six months after the fire.</p> <p>Evidence — Impeachment op Witness — Cross-examination upon Irrelevant or Collateral Matters. — A party cannot cross-examine his adversary’s witness upon irrelevant or collateral matters for the purpose of eliciting something to contradict or impeach him; and the court should stop the inquiry there, if such matters are drawn out, and not allow contradictory evidence to he introduced in rebuttal.</p>