Thompson v. Commonwealth

Citations

• 88 Va. 45
• 13 S.E. 304
• 1891 Va. LEXIS 7

Syllabus

<p>1. Criminal Proceedings—City officers—Jurors.—Being treasurer or councilman of a city:</p> <p>Held :</p> <p>Not. to disqualify a juror in a criminal case in the hustings court.</p> <p>2. Idem—Irrelevant testimony—Case at bar.—At trial for robbery occurring at 10:30 p. m., half mile from depot, evidence offered on behalf of accused that a negro was seen at 3 a. m. next thereafter in the railroad yard was excluded as irrelevant;</p> <p>Held :</p> <p>No error.</p> <p>3. Idem—Instructions—Burden of proof.—Where instruction was given on behalf of accused that burden of proving every essential to the charge was on commonwealth;</p> <p>Held :</p> <p>Not error to add: “but the burden of proving an alibi is on the accused.”</p> <p>4. Idem—Continuance—Case at. bar.—Here, under the circumstances, the court’s refusing to adjourn trial of case on account of absence from sickness of a material, summoned witness; ■ .</p> <p>Held :</p> <p>No error.</p> <p>5. Idem—Indictment—-Prosecutor.—Code, 1887, § 3991, does not require name of prosecutor to be written at foot of indictment for felony, but only for misdemeanor.</p> <p>6. Idem—Argument—Case, at bar.—In this case,</p> <p>Held :</p> <p>Not improper for the court to limit argument before the jury to two hours on each side.</p>