US vs Ah Chong, 15 Phil 488
Criminal Case Digest:
Digested Cases
Facts: Because of
robberies happening at Fort McKinley, Ah Chong, a Chinaman, slept with a knife under
his pillow. One night, he was awakened by someone trying to force open the door
of his room. He thought that it was a robber so he stabbed the person who
entered the room, who turned out to be his roommate.
Issue: Was Ah
Chong liable for the death of his roommate?
Ruling: Ah Chong
was not held liable for the death of his roommate. The Supreme Court reversed the lower court’s conviction of homicide, saying that Ah Chong
committed a mistake of fact. He would not have stabbed his roommate had he
known the identity of the person who entered the room. If the person who opened
the door had really been a robber instead of his roommate, he would not be
criminally liable if he had stabbed that person in self-defense.
