Court Opinion

ID: 9686108
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 15:30:12.300299+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:33:35.547704
License: Public Domain

Williams, C.J. Justices Cavanagh and Boyle
reach different conclusions on the two issues before us. We concur with Justice Cavanagh’s conclusion that the defendant’s convictions for second-degree murder and felony-firearm should be reversed. We do so for the reason that under any standard of construction, broad or strict, a cause of action cannot "grow[] out of a personal wrong or injury done by one to the other” that did not occúr at the time of the "cause of action” (murder). Something cannot "grow[ ] out of ” something that did not exist. We would therefore reverse defendant’s convictions for murder and felony-firearm. However, we agree with Justice Boyle that a spouse may be compelled to testify, and we would therefore affirm defendant’s conviction for kidnapping.
Brickley, J., concurred with Williams, C.J.