William Ryan, Plaintiff in Error v. the People of the State of New York, Defendant in Error

Summary

The Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction, holding that the 1879 act did not strip the Court of Sessions of jurisdiction over pending indictments for assault and battery, that questions about a witness's indictment were admissible to show bias, and that speculative testimony about the complainant striking a stone was properly excluded. Justice Folger and Earl concurred, emphasizing that trial courts may, in their discretion, permit such impeachment questions.