Stilson v. United States, 250 U.S. 583 (1919)

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Stilson v. United States


Nos. 264

, 265


Argued October 20. 21, 1919
Decided November 10, 1919
250 U.S. 583

ERROR TO THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA

Syllabus

The denial of a severance in a criminal case is within the discretion of the judge. P. 585.

The Constitution does not require Congress to grant peremptory challenges to defendants in criminal cases, and the longstanding provision of law (now in Jud.Code, § 287) that all of several defendants shall be treated as one for the purposes of such challenges does not infringe the right to an impartial jury guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment. Id.

In a prosecution for conspiracy to violate the Espionage and Selective Service Acts, where the jury were in substance instructed to consider certain publications uttered by the defendants and determine from them, considered with all the other evidence, whether they amounted to violations, held that related portion of the charge, on their right to call upon their general knowledge and information, were not objectionable. P. 587.

The district judge is not required to analyze and discuss the details of the evidence, particularly when not requested to comment upon any special phase of it. P. 588.

The evidence in this case was ample to justify the district court in submitting the question of the defendants’ guilt to the jury. Id.

254 F. 120 affirmed.

The case is stated in the opinion.