Sanity Hearing

Extracted from Perry County WPA Records

STATE OF MISSISSIPPI v. JAMES COPELAND - MURDER

On Monday the first day of the court it was thought that the said James Copeland was insane, so a jury was summoned to meet back on Tuesday morning for insanity.

TUESDAY MORNING:

The following jury of good and lawful standing were:

	PORTER J. MYERS
	MALACHI ODOM, SR.
	J. M. BRADLEY
	J. M. BRADLEY, SR.
	DARLING LOTT,
	MALCOLM MCCALLUM,
	ANGUS MCSWAIN,
	Q. A. BRADLEY,
	WM. H. NICHOLS,
	W. C. GRIFFIN
	D.S. SAPP and
	JAMES EDWARDS

Who were summoned and sworn, to see whether or not the prison be of sound mind and whether he possesses sufficient intellect to comprehend the cause of the proceedings on the trial, so as to be able to make a proper defense; or whether the appearance of insanity if any such to be proven, is feigned or not; and the evidence having been submitted to them in the presence of the prisoner, they retired to consider of their verdict, and in his presence returned the following to wit:

"We the jury, on our oaths find the prisoner sane; that he possessed sufficient intellect to comprehend the cause of the prosecution on the trial, so as to be able to make a proper defense, and that the appearance of insanity which he has exhibited, is feigned."

And thereupon the prisoner is arraigned on the charge of murder.