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Criminal Law keyed to Dripps
Commonwealth v. Donahue
Facts
Donahue (Defendant) purchased $21.55 worth of clothes from Mitchelman. However, when Mitchelman went to Defendant’s house to collect the money, an argument arose about the bill. Defendant collected the clothes and placed them in a chair and put $20 on a table and then told Mitchelman that he could either have the clothes or the $20. Mitchelman took the money and told Defendant that he owed him $1.55. Defendant demanded his money back and Mitchelman refused. Defendant attacked Mitchelman, threw him to the ground, and began choking him until Mitchelman gave him his wallet containing $29. Defendant was charged with robbery and assault. At trial, Defendant’s counsel denied that Defendant received the wallet and instead, claimed that Defendant had the right to use force to recover his own money from Mitchelman. The trial court instructed the jury that if Defendant choked or otherwise assaulted Mitchelman, then Defendant was guilty of assault, even if he used force to retrieve money from Mitchelman that Defendant believed was his own. Defendant was found guilty of assault and he appealed.
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