Case Name: The People vs. Schweitzer
Court: Michigan Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Michigan
Decision Date: 1871-07
Citations: 2 Mich. N.P. R. 109
Docket Number: 
Parties: The People vs. Schweitzer.
Judges: 
Reporter: The Michigan Nisi Prius Reports
Volume: 2
Pages: 109–109

Head Matter:
The People vs. Schweitzer.
Kvidonce as to the commission of other offences than' the one with which respondentia acoused, held inadmissible,
Tiie weight of legitimate evidence is to bo left entirely to the jury.
Error to the Becorder’s Court of the City of Detroit.

Opinion:
Opinion by
(Jhristiancy, J.
There was no legal ground upon which the witness, Dumpby, could have been allowed to testify to the commission by the defendant of another larceny from that for which he was on trial. The general rule is unquestionable. The admission of such evidence, upon whatever ground it might have been let in, would tend directly to prejudice the defendant. He could not anticipate such evidence, and would probably be unprepared to meet it, though he might have a perfect defence to the charge.— The intimacy between Schweitser and Stewart might probably have been shown in another way; if it could not, it does not make this sort of evidence admissible. The evidence was, therefore, improperly admitted.
There was no error in the refusal of the Court to charge that it is not safe to convict a defendant on the uncorroborated testimony of an accomplice, or any number of accomplices. This was exclusively a, question for the jury.
Judgment reversed and a new trial ordered.