People v. Beardsley
Michigan Supreme Court
113 N.W. 1128 (1907)
Relevant factsFree
Beardsley and Burns spent a weekend drinking together at his apartment while his wife was away, and after Burns secretly obtained and consumed morphine tablets, becoming unconscious, Beardsley moved her to a neighbor's care rather than seeking immediate medical attention himself, and she was later found dead; he was convicted of manslaughter on the theory that his failure to adequately care for her caused her death.
IssueFree
Whether one is under a legal duty to care for a houseguest such that the failure to do so makes one criminally punishable for any resulting harm.