State v Fiore

Decision Date14 June 1920
Docket NumberNo. 45.,45.
Citation110 A. 909
PartiesSTATE v. FIORE et al.
CourtNew Jersey Supreme Court

(Syllabus by the Court.)

Error to Supreme Court.

Louis Fiore and Ciro Matarazzo were convicted of murder in the second degree. The conviction was affirmed by the Supreme Court on error (108 Atl. 363), and they bring error. Affirmed.

J. Victor D'Aloia and Carl Abruzzese, both of Newark, for plaintiffs in error.

Pierre P. Garven, Prosecutor of the Pleas, of Jersey City, for the State.

PARKER, J. The defendants below, together with one Devlin, were convicted of murder in the second degree. The general circumstances of the crime are stated in the opinion of the Supreme Court and need not be here repeated.

The points pressed here are the same dealt with by the Supreme Court, viz. the admission of a photograph of the body of the deceased, and alleged error in excluding manslaughter from the consideration of the jury.

With respect to the photograph, we agree with counsel for plaintiffs in error that its admission cannot be justified for the first reason given by the Supreme Court, which was that the defense in effect utilized or treated it as evidence and could not then be beard in objection to it. This reasoning is not supported by the testimony before us. But the photograph was competent evidence. It was admitted only after the county physician, who had made an autopsy on the body, had testified that he recognized the picture as a photograph of the body examined by him, and which was concededly that of the slain man. Dr. Joyce, who had attended him after the injury and until he died, also testified to the correctness of the picture, especially as showing the injuries to the head which caused death. This was a full compliance with the rule declared in the Supreme Court case of Goldsboro v. Central R. R. Co., 60 N. J. Law, 49, 37 Atl. 433. See Wigm. Ev. §§ 793, 794. In fact, the only objection made was that the photograph and the conditions under which it was taken were too remote from the day of the alleged occurrence, being after the autopsy. That question was mainly, if not entirely, one of discretion of the trial court, and, as the attempt was to show the character of the injuries, there cannot be any doubt that such discretion was properly exercised.

On the other point, the elimination of manslaughter from the consideration of the jury, we agree substantially with the views of the Supreme Court. Upon the evidence there could be no room for a verdict of...

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6 cases
  • State v. Wise
    • United States
    • New Jersey Supreme Court
    • 20 Junio 1955
    ...the trial court, and its decision will not ordinarily be disturbed unless there is a marked abuse of discretion. State v. Fiore, 94 N.J.L. 477, 479, 110 A. 909 (E. & A.1920); State v. Fine, 110 N.J.L. 67, 69, 164 A. 433 (E. & The mere fact the photographs were cumulative does not of itself ......
  • State v. Smith, A--140
    • United States
    • New Jersey Supreme Court
    • 25 Junio 1958
    ...v. Fine, 110 N.J.L. 67, 164 A. 433 (E. & A.1932); State v. Aeschbach, 107 N.J.L. 433, 153 A. 505 (E. & A.1931); State v. Fiore, 94 N.J.L. 477, 110 A. 909 (E. & A.1920). The probative force, however, is not always completely determinative of the admissibility of the exhibits. There are cases......
  • State v. Murphy
    • United States
    • New Jersey Superior Court — Appellate Division
    • 16 Noviembre 1964
    ...directed the pictures to be taken. This constituted a sufficient foundation for the admission of the pictures. See State v. Fiore, 94 N.J.L. 477, 110 A. 909 (E. & A. 1920). Further, upon cross-examination, McLaughlin who was testifying for defendant, admitted that the items were stolen from......
  • State v. Bucanis
    • United States
    • New Jersey Supreme Court
    • 3 Febrero 1958
    ...v. Fine, 110 N.J.L. 67, 164 A. 433 (E. & A.1932); State v. Aeschbach, 107 N.J.L. 433, 153 A. 505 (E. & A.1931); and State v. Fiore, 94 N.J.L. 477, 110 A. 909 (E. & A.1920). Appellant urges, however, that S--26 had little or no evidential significance and that none of the cases enumerated ab......
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