Browne v. State
Annotate this Case
The Court of Chancery reversed the judgment of the circuit court convicting Defendant of murder and child abuse, holding that the circuit court erred in admitting evidence of Defendant's prior conviction for child abuse resulting in the death of his infant son, and a new trial was required.
Defendant was convicted of second-degree murder, first-degree child abuse resulting in death, and other crimes related to the death of a seventeen-month-old. The appellate division affirmed, holding that the evidence of the death of Defendant's son was admissible under the doctrine of chances. The Supreme Court reversed, holding that the State "stretched the doctrine of chances beyond its limits," and therefore, the circuit court abused its discretion in admitting evidence about the death of Defendant's son. The Court remanded the case for a new trial.
Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.