Opinion ID: 1968621
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Proof Of Specific Instances Relating To The Commission Of Other Crimes Of Violence Committed By Deceased

Text: Appellant attempted to justify the shooting of deceased on the ground of self-defense. In support of her testimony in that respect, she was permitted to show that deceased was a violent man, that he had attempted to hang his wife. She was also allowed to introduce in evidence the criminal record of deceased, with which she was familiar. The purpose of this testimony was to show the violent nature of deceased; it was not otherwise connected in any manner with the crime of which appellant was charged. Appellant, however, was not permitted to introduce in evidence the details of the specific offenses referred to. Unquestionably, appellant had a right to show the reputation of deceased, known to her, for violence, because of its effect on the mind of appellant at the time of the shooting, in order to determine whether or not she was in reasonable fear of harm at the hands of deceased. State v. Wiggins, 7 Penn. 127, 76 A. 632. In the case of State v. Gordon, 7 W.W.Harr. 219, 37 Del. 219, 181 A. 361, 362, former Chief Justice Layton, in permitting defendant to introduce specific instances showing the reputation of deceased for violence, said:    and there seems to be no substantial reason why the belief of the prisoner should not be evidenced by knowledge of specific acts of violence, as well as by knowledge of general reputation for violence, subject, of course, to exclusion in a proper case for remoteness. See State v. Short, 2 Boyce 491, 82 A. 239. But there must be a limit to the admission of such testimony. To allow a defendant to put into evidence the details of numerous acts of violence in order to show a deceased's reputation for violence would permit the introduction into the trial of collateral issues and would in some cases undoubtedly delay the trial of the case for an interminable length of time. We think that appellant was not entitled to prove the details of the specific instances to which she was permitted to refer in her testimony. As for the record of the conviction of the deceased for violating the age of consent law, it is clear that the crime charged did not constitute an act of violence of the nature referred to here and would not have been helpful in showing the reputation of deceased for acts of violence.