Court Opinion

ID: 9764194
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 03:14:23.699708+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:29:54.661456
License: Public Domain

Dissenting Opinion by
Justice Mandarino:
I join in the dissenting opinion of Mr. Justice Roberts, but I should like to comment further about the majority’s conclusion that the evidence of murder was overwhelming. I disagree completely with that conclusion. The evidence of murder is not overwhelming—there is almost no evidence of murder.
The majority focuses on the prior inconsistent statement of Suzy Hayes. Even if we accept the Hayes statement as substantive affirmative proof, her statement does not establish murder. According to the majority, Suzy Hayes said “At this time, everything happened so fast but I saw [the victim] and [the appellant] come together and then I saw [the appellant] pull his knife out of [the victim’s] chest and I saw blood on the knife.” That statement in the context of the other uncontradicted testimony still leaves a very serious doubt as to whether murder occurred. The other uncontradicted testimony is that the victim entered the home of Suzy Hayes with the announced purpose of killing the aunt of Suzy Hayes. The victim, according to the majority, evidenced some degree of intoxication searched about briefly for the aunt and when asked to leave, swung at Suzy Hayes with Ms knife. At this point, the appellant, who had been making repairs to a room of the house, armed himself with a knife and intervened, scuffling briefly with the victim. According to the facts of the majority, which were not contradicted, the appellant intervened to stop a man who was *230brandishing a knife and swung it at another human being in the home of that other human being, Suzy Hayes. A more classic example of justifiable homicide by reason of defense of person could not be found. The alleged prior inconsistent statement of Suzy Hayes only corroborates the other evidence that the appellant stabbed the victim in defense of a human being. The appellant was working in the home of Suzy Hayes when the victim showed up intoxicated with an announced intention to kill and swinging a knife. Six children were asleep in the home at the time the aggressor arrived. The appellant came to the aid of Suzy Hayes which can only be described as an heroic act in the face of the knife being brandished and swung by the victim. In the ensuing scuffle which “happened so fast”, according to the relied-on prior inconsistent statement, the appellant stabbed the victim. What evidence is there that the appellant did not act as a completely reasonable man? If anything, the appellant acted with a heroism in defense of another human being. It was the Mnd of heroism that we don’t expect from everybody, but for which the appellant should be given a medal and not sent to jail for murder.
Can it be said that the ignoring of the uncontradicted facts by the jury did not happen because Suzy Hayes was caught in an alleged inconsistency? I cannot so conclude. The error pointed out by the majority was not harmless.