State v. Murphy
Washington Supreme Court
355 P.2d 323 (1960)
- Written by Sean Carroll, JD
Facts
James Murphy (defendant) was charged with murder. Murphy was a nervous, frenetic person with a tense demeanor. He had difficulty controlling his emotions even in normal circumstances. On the morning Murphy was scheduled to testify at his trial, he told a fellow prisoner, who was a so-called medical trusty for the prison’s doctor, that he had a severe cold. The fellow prisoner gave Murphy tranquilizer drugs to help with the cold. Murphy had not taken these drugs previously and did not know how they would affect him. Under the influence of the drugs on the witness stand, Murphy was abnormally calm, for him, in his demeanor, appearance, and speech. He was uncharacteristically casual and laid back, almost lackadaisical. The jury convicted Murphy and sentenced him to the death penalty. Murphy appealed on the ground that his uncharacteristic demeanor on the witness stand may have influenced the jury to impose the death penalty.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Finley, J.)
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