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Articles 1 - 13 of 13

Full-Text Articles in Criminal Law

Descent And Distribution - Joint Ownership - Imposition Of Constructive Trust On Murderer Of Co-Tenant, John B. Schwemm S.Ed. May 1958

Descent And Distribution - Joint Ownership - Imposition Of Constructive Trust On Murderer Of Co-Tenant, John B. Schwemm S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

A husband, owning land with his wife as tenants by the entireties, killed her and immediately thereafter committed suicide. In an action to determine ownership of the realty, both the probate and appellate courts declared that since a relevant disinheritance statute was inapplicable, full title vested in the husband and, upon his death, descended to his heirs. On appeal, held, reversed. Despite the common law nature of such tenancies, equity will impose on the husband a constructive trust in one-half the property for the benefit of the victim's estate. National City Bank of Evansville v. Bledsoe, (Ind. 1957) …


Evidence-Admissibility Of Confessions In Federal Courts Under The Mcnabb Rule, Harry T. Baumann S.Ed. Mar 1952

Evidence-Admissibility Of Confessions In Federal Courts Under The Mcnabb Rule, Harry T. Baumann S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

Defendant, after proper arraignment on a charge of as· sault, was questioned intermittently about and confessed to a murder. This confession, introduced at the trial in the District Court of Alaska, was instrumental in convicting the defendant of the graver charge. The court of appeals reversed because of a failure to file the murder complaint within a reasonable time. On certiorari, held, the confession, made after proper detention on a lesser charge, was legal and admissible if given freely; but case affirmed as modified on other grounds. United States v. Carignan, 342 U.S. 36, 72 S.Ct. 97 (1951).


Evidence-Admissibility Of Uncommunicated Threats, Thomas Hartwell S. Ed. Jun 1951

Evidence-Admissibility Of Uncommunicated Threats, Thomas Hartwell S. Ed.

Michigan Law Review

The defendant was convicted of murder in the first degree, following his killing of one Hunter as the outcome of a quarrel. The defendant had pleaded self-defense, contending that Hunter had appeared to threaten him. The defendant was the only witness to testify as to any aggression on the part of Hunter, while the four eyewitnesses to the killing all testified that the accused had attacked Hunter without warning and had fired upon Hunter's wife and child. Defendant's motion for new trial on the ground of newly discovered evidence showing that Hunter had in his pocket an open knife, which …


Criminal Law - ''Temporary Insanity" -Arguments And Proposals For Its Elimination As A Defense To Criminal Prosecution, Lewis R. Williams, Jr. S. Ed. Mar 1951

Criminal Law - ''Temporary Insanity" -Arguments And Proposals For Its Elimination As A Defense To Criminal Prosecution, Lewis R. Williams, Jr. S. Ed.

Michigan Law Review

ln view of the apparently increasing number of cases which have come before the courts in recent years in which the defense of "temporary insanity" has been made, an investigation into the status of that defense in the criminal law of today would seem desirable. The term "temporary insanity" is one of popular origin and finds no place in strict legal terminology. The defense of incapacity for the mens rea, legally speaking, is "insanity," not "temporary insanity." But because of the human desire for a mot convenable, we have come to apply the term "temporary insanity" to those …


Criminal Law-Proof Of The Corpus Delicti By The Use Of Extra-Judicial Confessions, Theodore Sachs Jun 1950

Criminal Law-Proof Of The Corpus Delicti By The Use Of Extra-Judicial Confessions, Theodore Sachs

Michigan Law Review

Defendant, a physician, was accused of the murder of his cancer-ridden patient by the injection of 40 c.c. of air into a vein of the patient's arm shortly before her death. The defendant had noted on the patient's medical chart the fact of the injection and that of her death, apparently a few minutes later. He subsequently dictated the same facts to his nurse, and later made similar admissions to local enforcement authorities and others making such statements on the day of his arrest and immediately thereafter. At the trial, a pathologist, called as an expert witness on behalf of …


Criminal Law-Confessions Obtained Prior To Commitment-What Constitutes Unreasonable Delay, B. J. George, Jr. May 1950

Criminal Law-Confessions Obtained Prior To Commitment-What Constitutes Unreasonable Delay, B. J. George, Jr.

Michigan Law Review

Defendants were arrested on suspicion of murder and questioned by police. Defendants confessed after being held incommunicado for some hours during the night, but were not arraigned until the following morning. The confessions were admitted in evidence and defendants found guilty. On appeal, held, affirmed. There had not been an unreasonable delay in producing defendants before a commissioner, because the length of time in hours was not unreasonable and because committing magistrates are not available late at night. Garner v. United States, (App. D.C., 1949) 174 F. (2d) 499.


Criminal Law-Evidence-Silence To Accusation While Under Arrest As Admission Of Guilt, Colvin A. Peterson, Jr. Mar 1949

Criminal Law-Evidence-Silence To Accusation While Under Arrest As Admission Of Guilt, Colvin A. Peterson, Jr.

Michigan Law Review

Defendant was convicted of murder. Before the victim died, defendant, handcuffed and in custody of police, had been taken to the hospital room where the victim lay. Eight witnesses were present at the time, and each testified that the victim pointed out the defendant as her assailant. At the trial the witnesses were permitted to testify that when accused of the crime, defendant stood by silently, saying and doing nothing, although it also appeared that he had been told by the police chief to ''keep your mouth shut." The prosecution capitalized upon defendant's silence as an admission of guilt. On …


Criminal Law And Procedure - Remedies Available To Convicted Defendant When New Facts Are Found, Smith Warder Apr 1941

Criminal Law And Procedure - Remedies Available To Convicted Defendant When New Facts Are Found, Smith Warder

Michigan Law Review

Due to its haphazard growth and evolution, the Anglo-American system of jurisprudence occasionally left gaping defects in its general contours. Many of these defects have been and are being filled, both by statute and by the continuing development of the common law. However, there is one case which re-occurs with distressing frequency where no satisfactory remedy has been developed and where this lack of remedy can have unjust or even barbaric results.


Criminal Law And Procedure - Extradition Of A Juvenile Delinquent, Felicia I. Hmiel Nov 1940

Criminal Law And Procedure - Extradition Of A Juvenile Delinquent, Felicia I. Hmiel

Michigan Law Review

The state of Georgia, by an acting justice of peace of a county, charged a thirteen-year-old boy with the crime of assault with intent to murder. Under the Georgia Criminal Code the offense was punishable by imprisonment in the penitentiary for a term of two to ten years. The boy was found in the state of New York, whereupon the governor of Georgia sent a requisition for extradition to the governor of New York. The boy defendant brought a habeas corpus proceeding in a New York court to obtain release from custody under the extradition warrant. Held, the defendant …


Criminal Law And Procedure - Admissibility Of Confessions - Exhortations To Tell The Truth, Dan K. Cook Dec 1938

Criminal Law And Procedure - Admissibility Of Confessions - Exhortations To Tell The Truth, Dan K. Cook

Michigan Law Review

Defendant, while in the custody of police officers, confessed to the crime of murder. It was shown that the police officers during the course of defendant's examination, stated to the defendant that "it was better for him to tell the whole truth," and ''You are not telling the truth, give us the truth on this," "You might as well tell the truth; to me now," "I advise you to tell the truth in this case." In the subsequent prosecution of the defendant for murder, it was held that the confession was properly admissible notwithstanding these statements by the officers. Commonwealth …


Succession By Murderer-Applicability Of Constructive Trust Apr 1931

Succession By Murderer-Applicability Of Constructive Trust

Michigan Law Review

There do not seem to have been any decided cases in the early common law on the question whether a murderer could succeed to the title to property left by his victim, or derive any benefit from his crime. By the civil law the legal title passed to the criminal, and was afterwards confiscated by the state. What may be said to be the modem rule is not so definitely determined, The numerical majority of cases, beginning with the first case to be decided on the exact question in 1888, have held that he could not succeed. But the decisions …


A Monument To The American Sense Of Justice, Wade Millis Dec 1926

A Monument To The American Sense Of Justice, Wade Millis

Michigan Law Review

In this national anniversary year of profound memories we meet in a garden spot of Michigan within the boundaries of a county that possesses high distinction in being the theatre of important historical events and the home of many who have been notable for their achievements in the profession of the law and in the broad fields of statesmanship.


Crimes-Defense Of Property Nov 1926

Crimes-Defense Of Property

Michigan Law Review

May one under any circumstances kill in order to prevent the loss or destruction of his property? By this question is meant killing solely to prevent loss or destruction of property; necessary homicide in self-defense is unquestionably justifiable. Much of the confusion on the question whether one may take life if necessary in defense of property is due, it seems, to a persistent tendency to treat the two questions as the same. It hardly needs statement that the body of law pertinent to self-defense is totally distinct fundamentally from that pertaining to one's powers in defense of his chattels. Practically, …