Court Opinion

ID: 9445341
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-03 21:25:36.951896+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:30:12.949184
License: Public Domain

FAHY, Circuit Judge
(dissenting).
Counsel for the defendant, appellant, submitted to the trial judge a requested instruction to guide the jury in weigh*584ing the evidence of witnesses.1 The court refused the instruction upon the erroneous ground that it was not appropriate where all the testimony was that of the prosecution. The court limited its charge on credibility as set forth in the majority opinion. This charge, while quite correct insofar as it went, did not give the jury any such guidance as to the factors proper to be considered in evaluating the credibility of witnesses as the defendant had requested. She was entitled to have the jury instructed in accordance with well-established law when an appropriate request was made, as was done. The refusal, therefore, was error. It was also prejudicial.2 The prejudicial character of the error is emphasized by the fact that the principal witness for the prosecution was an admitted accomplice and the evidence of guilt was neither conclusive nor necessarily credible. There was a fair question for the jury, properly instructed. The latter not having been done, though requested, I would grant a new trial.

. See People v. Krauser, 315 Ill. 485, 146 N.E. 593; Kindt v. Reading Co., 352 Pa. 419, 43 A.2d 145, 150, 162 A.L.R. 1.