Case Name: Jessie Wilson, Plaintiff in Error, v. The State of Florida, Defendant in Error
Court: Florida Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1923-07-18
Citations: 86 Fla. 183
Docket Number: 
Parties: Jessie Wilson, Plaintiff in Error, v. The State of Florida, Defendant in Error.
Judges: Taylor, C. J., and Browne, West and Terrell, J. J., concur.
Reporter: Florida Reports
Volume: 86
Pages: 183–186

Head Matter:
Jessie Wilson, Plaintiff in Error, v. The State of Florida, Defendant in Error.
Opinion Filed July 18, 1923.
A charge that .“premeditation is defined as meaning intent before the act, but not necessarily an intent existing any extended time before the act. Premeditated design to kill means an intent to kill; design means intent, and both words imply premeditation,” is error, and is grpund for reversal of a judgment of conviction even though a correct definition- of premeditated design be also given, where the Court charges the jury that it is their duty .“to consider all of the charges given” including the erroneous, and the verdict is murder in the first degree with a recommendation to mercy.
A Writ of Error to the Circuit Court for Hernando County; W. S. Bullock, Judge.
Beversed.
Martin &'Martin, for Plaintiff in Err or; _
Rimers Buford, Attorney General, and M. C. McIntosh, Assistant, for the State.

Opinion:
Whitfield, J.
In a prosecution for murder alleged to have been committed from a premeditated design to effect -the death of the person killed, the court gave the statutory- definition of murder in the first degree "when perpetrated from a premeditated design to effect the death of the person killed," and charged the jury that "premeditation is defined as meaning intent before -the act, but not necessarily an intent existing any extended time before the act.. Premeditated design .to kill means an intent to kill; design means intent, and both words imply premedi tation. ' ' This definition of premeditated design as used 'in the statute defining murder in the first degree is erroneous, and other charges given do not appear on the record in this ease to have rendered the erroneous charge harmless, in view of the charge requiring the jury "to consider all of the charges given," including the erroneous charge, and in view of the conviction of murder in the first degree with a recommendation to mercy. See Stokes v. State, 54 Fla. 109, 44 South. Rep. 759.
Reversed for a new trial.
Taylor, C. J., and Browne, West and Terrell, J. J., concur.
Ellis, J., dissents.