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Chapman v. State

Supreme Court of Mississippi
Oct 27, 1969
227 So. 2d 476 (Miss. 1969)

Opinion

No. 45566.

October 27, 1969.

Appeal from the Circuit Court, Grenada County, Marshall Perry, J.

Reversed and remanded.

Robert J. Kelly, Batesville, Jon P. Thames, Meridian, for appellant.

A.F. Summer, Atty. Gen., by G. Garland Lyell, Jr., Asst. Atty. Gen., Jackson, for appellee.


We reverse the conviction of appellant on a charge of driving while under the influence of intoxicating liquors for the single reason that the state's instruction did not require the jury to believe that the defendant was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt "from the evidence." The instructions in a criminal case must require the jury to believe the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt "from the evidence," and the omission of the words "from the evidence" is fatal error. Walters v. State, 176 Miss. 790, 170 So. 539 (1936).

We are not able to say that the error was harmless. Since no instruction in the case required the jury to confine its consideration of guilt to the evidence, the omission of the words "from the evidence" was not cured. The case is therefore reversed and remanded for another trial.

Reversed and remanded.

JONES, PATTERSON, INZER and ROBERTSON, JJ., concur.


Summaries of

Chapman v. State

Supreme Court of Mississippi
Oct 27, 1969
227 So. 2d 476 (Miss. 1969)
Case details for

Chapman v. State

Case Details

Full title:Ralph CHAPMAN v. STATE of Mississippi

Court:Supreme Court of Mississippi

Date published: Oct 27, 1969

Citations

227 So. 2d 476 (Miss. 1969)

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