{
  "id": 8549998,
  "name": "STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA v. MATHIAS BOLLING WINFREY, JR.",
  "name_abbreviation": "State v. Winfrey",
  "decision_date": "1979-03-06",
  "docket_number": "No. 7819SC986",
  "first_page": "274",
  "last_page": "276",
  "citations": [
    {
      "type": "official",
      "cite": "40 N.C. App. 274"
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  "court": {
    "name_abbreviation": "N.C. Ct. App.",
    "id": 14983,
    "name": "North Carolina Court of Appeals"
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  "jurisdiction": {
    "id": 5,
    "name_long": "North Carolina",
    "name": "N.C."
  },
  "cites_to": [
    {
      "cite": "217 S.E. 2d 734",
      "category": "reporters:state_regional",
      "reporter": "S.E.2d",
      "year": 1975,
      "pin_cites": [
        {
          "page": "736"
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    {
      "cite": "27 N.C. App. 29",
      "category": "reporters:state",
      "reporter": "N.C. App.",
      "case_ids": [
        8549775
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      "year": 1975,
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    {
      "cite": "78 S.E. 316",
      "category": "reporters:state_regional",
      "reporter": "S.E.",
      "year": 1913,
      "opinion_index": 0
    },
    {
      "cite": "162 N.C. 672",
      "category": "reporters:state",
      "reporter": "N.C.",
      "case_ids": [
        11272346
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      "year": 1913,
      "opinion_index": 0,
      "case_paths": [
        "/nc/162/0672-01"
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    {
      "cite": "243 S.E. 2d 380",
      "category": "reporters:state_regional",
      "reporter": "S.E.2d",
      "year": 1978,
      "pin_cites": [
        {
          "page": "384"
        }
      ],
      "opinion_index": 0
    },
    {
      "cite": "295 N.C. 66",
      "category": "reporters:state",
      "reporter": "N.C.",
      "case_ids": [
        8560988
      ],
      "year": 1978,
      "pin_cites": [
        {
          "page": "73"
        }
      ],
      "opinion_index": 0,
      "case_paths": [
        "/nc/295/0066-01"
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  ],
  "analysis": {
    "cardinality": 330,
    "char_count": 4558,
    "ocr_confidence": 0.834,
    "pagerank": {
      "raw": 6.380125665320789e-08,
      "percentile": 0.3945092937850817
    },
    "sha256": "6b5ceac8709d66fdca8c93c81a6115d6e57da7b8564b161e2c1ecc1653e51078",
    "simhash": "1:24613269935788f6",
    "word_count": 765
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  "last_updated": "2023-07-14T20:01:10.825727+00:00",
  "provenance": {
    "date_added": "2019-08-29",
    "source": "Harvard",
    "batch": "2018"
  },
  "casebody": {
    "judges": [
      "Judge Martin (Robert M.) concurs.",
      "Judge Mitchell dissents."
    ],
    "parties": [
      "STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA v. MATHIAS BOLLING WINFREY, JR."
    ],
    "opinions": [
      {
        "text": "ERWIN, Judge.\nDefendant presents the following question for our determination:\n\u201cWhether the Trial Court erred in refusing to admit testimony by the former wife of the victim tending to show that the victim was a dangerous man, and that she had told the Defendant of his reputation and her experiences with him before the victim was killed, which testimony would have corroborated the Defendant\u2019s testimony and was relevant to the material issue of the Defendant\u2019s purpose in carrying a weapon when going to talk with the victim?\u201d\nWe answer, \u201cNo.\u201d\nDefendant strongly contends that:\n\u201c[T]he inability of the jury to consider this evidence, showing that the Defendant did have good reason to fear the victim during a meeting to talk and that the Defendant was of a character that he would reach for the Defendant deprived them of the opportunity adequately to consider the credibility of the Defendant\u2019s description of the events and to consider circumstances that might affect their verdict.\u201d\nThe record reveals that the issue of self-defense or of aggression was not raised by the evidence or submitted to the jury. Defendant proceeded upon the theory of accident. \u201cHe [defendant] wanted to talk to Janieri about Janieri\u2019s accusations that Winfrey had set fire to his studio. He had little knowledge of firearms. He did not intend to kill Mr. Janieri; it was an accident.\u201d Our Supreme Court held in State v. Barbour, 295 N.C. 66, 73, 243 S.E. 2d 380, 384 (1978):\n\u201cEvidence of the deceased\u2019s violent character, whether known to the defendant or not, is admissible in a homicide case where self-defense is in issue and the State\u2019s evidence is wholly circumstantial or the nature of the transaction is in doubt in order to shed light on the question of which party was the first aggressor. State v. Blackwell, 162 N.C. 672, 78 S.E. 316 (1913); Stansbury\u2019s N. C. Evidence (Brandis Rev., 1973), \u00a7 106; McCormick, Handbook of the Law of Evidence (2d ed., 1972), \u00a7 193.\u201d\nThis Court held in State v. Allmond, 27 N.C. App. 29, 31, 217 S.E. 2d 734, 736 (1975), \u201cas a condition precedent to the admissibility of such evidence, the defendant must first present viable evidence of the necessity of self-defense.\u201d\nDefendant urges that the above rule be extended by adding a new exception to permit character and reputation evidence of third parties in a homicide case wherein defendant relies on the defense of an accident or misadventure to excuse him from the homicide. The questions complained of and the answers excluded by the trial court were not material or relevant on the issue of death by reason of an accident. We find no merit in this assignment of error and refuse to extend the rule.\nIn the trial below, we find no prejudicial error.\nJudge Martin (Robert M.) concurs.\nJudge Mitchell dissents.",
        "type": "majority",
        "author": "ERWIN, Judge."
      },
      {
        "text": "Judge MITCHELL\ndissenting:\nI respectfully dissent from the holding of the majority. Given the somewhat unique facts of this case, I would find evidence of the violent character of the deceased and the defendant\u2019s knowledge of that character admissible as tending to shed light upon the defendant\u2019s reasons for taking a gun with him to the scene of the crime alleged. The excluded evidence would also tend to shed some light however feeble upon the defendant\u2019s state of fright, if any, and the likelihood that an accident resulted which was induced by his reactions arising from fear. Any evidence which tends to shed light upon such matters in a criminal case should, in my view, be admitted for consideration by the jury. I would grant the defendant a new trial.",
        "type": "dissent",
        "author": "Judge MITCHELL"
      }
    ],
    "attorneys": [
      "Attorney General Edmisten, by Assistant Attorney General Donald W. Stephens, for the State.",
      "Van Camp, Gill & Crumpler, by James R. Van Camp and Douglas R. Gill, for defendant appellant."
    ],
    "corrections": "",
    "head_matter": "STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA v. MATHIAS BOLLING WINFREY, JR.\nNo. 7819SC986\n(Filed 6 March 1979)\nHomicide \u00a7 19.1\u2014 self-defense not raised \u2014 character evidence inadmissible\nEvidence of character or reputation is admissible in a homicide prosecution only when defendant relies on self-defense, not accident or misadventure, as his defense.\nJudge Mitchell dissenting.\nAPPEAL by defendant from Baley, Judge. Judgment entered 26 May 1978 in Superior Court, MONTGOMERY County. Heard in the Court of Appeals 2 February 1979.\nDefendant was charged in a bill of indictment, proper in form, for the offense of murder in the first degree, and was found guilty by a jury of murder in the second degree of one Bill Janieri. Defendant was sentenced to a term of 60 years in the custody of the State Department of Correction and appeals.\nAttorney General Edmisten, by Assistant Attorney General Donald W. Stephens, for the State.\nVan Camp, Gill & Crumpler, by James R. Van Camp and Douglas R. Gill, for defendant appellant."
  },
  "file_name": "0274-01",
  "first_page_order": 302,
  "last_page_order": 304
}
