John Real, Plaintiff in Error v. the People of the State of New York, Defendants in Error

Summary

The New York Court of Appeals affirmed the murder conviction, holding that the amended judiciary article did not take effect until January 1, 1870, that the trial court had proper jurisdiction, that the jury need not be instructed on which wound caused death, and that the trial court did not err in its evidentiary rulings on habit evidence, cross‑examination about imprisonment, and non‑expert testimony on mental state.