Commonwealth v. Butler

40 Pa. D. & C. 358, 1940 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 56
CourtClinton County Court of Quarter Sessions
DecidedSeptember 19, 1940
Docketno. 44
StatusPublished

This text of 40 Pa. D. & C. 358 (Commonwealth v. Butler) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Clinton County Court of Quarter Sessions primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Commonwealth v. Butler, 40 Pa. D. & C. 358, 1940 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 56 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1940).

Opinion

Hipple, P. J.,

On January 5, 1940, defendant was convicted before a justice of the peace in a summary proceeding and there was imposed upon him a fine of $100, together with costs of prosecution, upon the charge of having violated article XII, sec. 1207, of The Game Law of June 3, 1937, P. L. 1225, 34 PS §1311.1207, in that on December 15, 1939, he wilfully and unlawfully resisted inspection or arrest and interfered with officers of the Commonwealth in the performance of their duties under the provisions of The Game Law.

The offense of resisting inspection or arrest and interfering with officers of the Commonwealth in the performance of their duties arose out of an attempt made by [359]*359a State motor policeman and two game protectors to search a ear in which defendant was riding on the last day of the deer season of 1939 and to examine and inspect the firearm or firearms which were in the car.

An appeal from the conviction was allowed because: (1) Defendant alleged that the game protectors were not in fact in uniform, nor did they advise defendant of the purpose of their search of the automobile or inspection of the firearms in question in violation of article II, sec. 214, paragraphs (h) and (i), of The Game Law; (2) that the evidence showed that defendant did reasonably comply with the provisions of The Game Law; (3) that the evidence did not show beyond a reasonable doubt that defendant was guilty; and (4) that The Game Law, supra, art. II, sec. 214, pars, (h) and (i), contravenes article I, sec. 8, of the Constitution of Pennsylvania, and the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States with relation to unreasonable searches and seizures.

Section 1207 of The Game Law provides:

“Any person who by force, menace, threat, or in any manner resists inspection or arrest for violation of any of the provisions of this act, or refuses to go with an officer after an arrest has been made, or interferes with any officer of the Commonwealth in the performance of his duty under the provisions of this act, shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine of one hundred dollars and costs of prosecution, and, in default of the payment of such fine and costs, shall be imprisoned one day for each dollar of fine and costs.”

Section 214, paragraphs (h) and (i), of The Game Law vests in the lawfully qualified representatives of the Game Commission the right

“(h) to stop and inspect or search at any time, without warrant, any vehicle or conveyance, and its occupants or contents, any time or place within this Commonwealth: Provided, however, Such officer shall be in uniform and display his badge or other insignia of identifica[360]*360tion and shall state to the person in charge of said vehicle or conveyance the purpose of the inspection or search;

“(i) To inspect or search at any time, without warrant, and examine any clothing worn by any person, or any boat, conveyance or vehicle of any type or kind, whether attached or detached to another conveyance or vehicle, or any game bag, game coat, or other receptacle for game, when such officer has made known his official identity and the cause for such inspection or search . .

Section 806 of The Game Law provides in part as follows (the omitted portion not being necessary in the consideration of this case) :

“Except as otherwise provided by law, it is unlawful for any person to have in his possession a loaded rifle or loaded shotgun, or a rifle or shotgun from the magazine of which all shells and cartridges have not been removed, in or on any vehicle or conveyance, or its attachments, while standing upon or along, or being driven upon or along, any public highway, or a highway open to use or used by the public, within this Commonwealth . .

The purpose of the search or inspection was to ascertain whether any loaded firearms were in the automobile in question, in violation of section 806 of The Game Law and also whether any illegally killed deer were being transported.

Prom the testimony taken at the hearing before the court, it appears that on the afternoon of December 15, 1939, J. W. Summerson, a member of the State Motor Police, together with Miles Reeder, District Game Protector of Clinton County, and Robert Farwell, a special game protector, were engaged in inspecting cars and firearms in Beech Creek Township, Clinton County, for the purpose of ascertaining whether The Game Law had been or was being violated. The motor patrolman, who was in uniform, stopped a Ford automobile in which defendant was riding, the automobile being operated by defendant’s brother, Dan Butler. After the car was stopped, the game [361]*361protectors, Farwell and Reeder, walked to the car and asked the occupants to exhibit their rifles or guns. The game protectors had no special uniform, were dressed in the ordinary type of hunting clothes but had attached to their clothes their official badges containing the words “Pennsylvania Game Commission.”

Defendant denied that he knew either of the game protectors, although on the preceding day, December 14, 1939, in the same section of Clinton County, which was a wooded section and deer hunting territory about four or five miles from Beech Creek Borough and on the same road, the two game protectors met defendant and his brother in the same automobile, which was either stopped by the game protectors or had been stopped on the road, identified themselves to defendant and his brother, talked to both of them, and at that time inspected and examined the firearms or rifles which defendant and his brother had in the car.

There is no doubt but that defendant knew that both Reeder and Farwell were game protectors, duly authorized to enforce The Game Law of Pennsylvania on December 15, 1939.

After some argument, the firearm of Dan Butler was inspected and an attempt was made to search the car and examine the firearm or rifle of defendant. He refused to permit the examination of the car or inspection of his firearm, although the motor patrolman was in uniform and defendant knew that Reeder and Farwell were authorized game protectors. In his effort to prevent such inspection and search, defendant kicked at the motor patrolman, at which time Reeder took hold of his foot, when defendant struck at Reeder three or four times, stating that the officers had no right to search the car without a search warrant.

Naturally, the refusal of defendant to permit such search and inspection, although he had not objected thereto the previous day, and his resisting the lawful attempt of the officers in that respect would arouse suspi[362]*362cion that defendant was attempting to conceal something which was illegal, and the officers were justified in using such force as was necessary, in view of the refusal and resistance of defendant, to enable them to proceed with the search and inspection. Defendant did in fact, by force and in other ways, resist inspection and obstruct the search of the automobile in violation of section 1207 of The Game Law, and was properly convicted of that offense.

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Bluebook (online)
40 Pa. D. & C. 358, 1940 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 56, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/commonwealth-v-butler-paqtrsessclinto-1940.