Carper v. State

27 Ohio St. (N.S.) 572
CourtOhio Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 15, 1875
StatusPublished

This text of 27 Ohio St. (N.S.) 572 (Carper v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Carper v. State, 27 Ohio St. (N.S.) 572 (Ohio 1875).

Opinion

• Johnson, J.

1. Is this indictment, after a plea-of guilty, sufficient in law to warrant the sentence of the court ? By the code, sec. 90, “No indictment shall be deemed invalid, nor shall the trial, judgment or other proceedings be stayed, •arrested, or in any. manner affected, . . . for any . . . defect or imperfection which does not tend to the prejudice of the substantial rights of the defendant upon the merits.”

By section 107, “ A motion to quash may be made in all cases where there is a defect apparent on the face of the record, including defects in the form of the indictment, or -the manner in which the offense is charged

By section 108, “A plea in abatement may be made when there is a defect in the record, which is shown by facts extrinsic thereto.”

And by sec. Ill, “ The accused shall be deemed to have waived all defects, which may be excepted to by. motion to -quash, or plea in abatement, by demurring to the indictment, or pleading in bar, or the general issue. A demurrer to the indictment (sec. 109) lies when it does not state facts that constitute an offense punishable by the laws of this ■.state, or when the intent is not alleged where proof of it is mecessary to make out the offense charged. It follows, [575]*575-therefore, that as to all matters relating to the form of the indictment, the manner in which the offense is charged, or ■any other defect apparent on the face of the record, as well as defects shown by extrinsic facts, are waived by pleading -to the general issue, as this defendant has done.”

By section 195, he may plead in arrest of judgment— 1. “ That the grand jury which found the indictment had not legal authority to inquire into the offense charged, by ■reason of it not being within the jurisdiction of the court. 2. That the facts stated in the indictment do not constitute •an offenseand “ no judgment shall be arrested for defect of form ” (sec. 196); nor “ for any other defect or imperfection which does not tend to the prejudice of the substantial rights of the defendant on the merits” (sec. 90).

We suppose, notwithstanding the plea of guilty, the defendant may object to the jurisdiction of the court, or the grand jury, over the subject-matter, or that no offense was •charged against him;, but no't for any defect of-form or manner of stating the facts, if there was a substantial •charge of an offense.

It is claimed there is such a defect, in this, that the names of the persons with whom he played are not stated.

The statute makes it an offense for any |>erson or persons to play at any game whatsoever, for money or property. Each individual engaged in the game may be separately, or •all jointly indicted, and on a joint indictment there may be ■several verdicts.

The indictment is in the usual form. The words used convey, in their common acceptation, a charge of gaming, that is, that the defendant was guilty of playing a game called draw poker, with a certain gaming device called a pack of cards, for the sum of six dollars. He could hardly misunderstand the charge — was satisfied with the manner of stating it, and said, “ I am guilty.” It is said these words do not imply a game of chance, and that he may have played for wages without regard to the result. This is a strained construction of the words .taken in their natural connection and ordinary meaning. The game was [576]*576played with a gaming device — a pack of cards — and for money. A game played for money in ordinary acceptation,, means exactly what the statute contemplates — that is, playing for money.

This indictment is in the same form that is in common, use. "Warren’s Crim. Law, 630.

An indictment should state the facts constituting the offense, so that the accused may know what he is to meet. The highest degree of certainty is not required; certainty to a common intent is sufficient. No rule should be applied which will only shield the guilty, instead of securing the ends of the law. Where the indictment clearly charges a crime, and fairly advises the defendant of the particular act of which complaint is made, the principal object of such iudictment is attained.

Davis v. The State, 7 Ohio, pt. 1, 201. is relied on. That was a charge of suffering certain evil-disposed persons to. play for gain with cards, in a house in defendant’s possession, and was founded on the 9th section of the same*act. It was then held that the names of the persons should be stated, or that they were unknown to the grand jurors, for-the reason that, to constitute the offense, persons must be-suffered to play games contrary to law in his house. This, was an essential fact, and it should be stated to constitute the offense.

To the same effect was Buck v. The State, 1 Ohio St. 61, where the indictment was for permitting gambling in defendant’s room, under the act of 1846.

To describe the offense in either of these cases, requires-a statement of the facts constituting a suffering or permitting games forbidden by law in his house.

The offense under the 7th section is the personal act of the party charged, and not for suffering or permitting others to commit an offense.

II. Did the court err in not complying with section 169-of the criminal code ?

It provides that, “ Before the sentence is pronounced, the-defendant must be informed by the court of the verdict of [577]*577the jury, and asked whether he had anything to say why judgment should not be pronounced against him.”

That this section relates to proceedings after trial and verdict, and not to cases where a plea of guilty is entered,, we are inclined to believe.

By section 119, “ If the accused plead guilty, the plea, shall be recorded on the indictment, and the accused shall be placed in the custody of the sheriff until sentence.”

Title VI of the code relates to the trial by jury and proceedings incident thereto, the evidence and mode of taking exceptions.

Title VII relates to the rendition of the verdict, sentence,, &e. Sections 164, 165, 166, 167, and 168 of this title prescribe the duty of the jury during trial and in rendering’ their verdict, and then comes section 169, providing for a sentence on the verdict, before which the defendant must, be “ informed by the court of the verdict of the jury, and asked if he has anything to say,” and by section 170, if he-has nothing to say, “ the court shall proceed to pronounce judgment.”

By section 171, if defendant be convicted “ by confession or otherwise,” he may move the court to hear testimony in-mitigation of the sentence.

So far as anything he may have to say in mitigation of the sentence is concerned, it must be on his own motion.

A defendant, after a trial and verdict of guilty, may move-the court for a new trial, for any of the causes specified in the code. One who has plead guilty has waived a trial, and can not make such a motion. It would be idle, therefore, to ask the question to one who by his plea has waived the right to avail himself of all matters that might arise on a motion for a new trial.

He may, however, move in arrest of judgment, for an^ of the causes allowed. This presents the question we have already considered, Do the facts constitute an offense? Have his substantial rights on the merits been prejudiced?

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People v. Taylor
3 Denio 91 (New York Supreme Court, 1846)
Son v. People
12 Wend. 344 (New York Supreme Court, 1834)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
27 Ohio St. (N.S.) 572, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/carper-v-state-ohio-1875.