Covy v. State

4 Port. 186
CourtSupreme Court of Alabama
DecidedJune 15, 1836
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 4 Port. 186 (Covy v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Covy v. State, 4 Port. 186 (Ala. 1836).

Opinion

HÍTCHCOCK, C. J.

— This was an indictment in the Circuit Court of Tuskaloosa county, against Co-yy and Cabiness, under the gaming acts.

There are three counts in the indictment. The first charges them with “ knowingly permitting and suffering a Faro Bank for gaming, to be carried on and exhibited in a house occupied by them.”

The second count charges them with “ knowingly permitting and suffering to be carried on and exhibited in their house, a Faro Bank for gaming.”

The third count charges them with “knowingly permitting and suffering a Roulette Table, kept for gaming, to be carried on and exhibited in a building occupied by them.”

They are charged in all three counts jointly, and the offence is laid, “at--in the county of Tuskaloosa.”

There was a general demurrer to this indictment, which was overruled, and the point reserved for the consideration of this Court.

' The .defendants then pleaded separately, and asked leave to sever in their defence, which was refused. They were then tried, and Cabiness was found not guilty; Covy was found guilty on the two first counts, and not guilty on the third, and a fine of one hundred dollars was assessed by the jury.

The defendant then moved an arrest of judgment, which was overruled, and the point reserved for the consideration of this Court, as novel and difficult.

The defendant has made the following points upon the questions referred to this- Court—

1. That the act of eighteen hundred and twelve, under which this indictment was framed, was re[189]*189pealed by the act of eighteen hundred and twenty-six, on the same subject.

2. That the indictment is uncertain in not stating the place where the house, in which the offence is charged to have been committed, is situated.

3. That the indictment is double, the third count charging a separate and distinct offence from the first and second , and

4. That the defendants should have been charged separately, as well as jointly.

1. There can be no doubt, that notwithstanding the act which establishes the Digest of the statute laws, made by Mr. Aikin, if there are laws in that book, which come in conflict with each other, the latter law must repeal the former. The rules of construction in this particular, must apply; and if it be true, that the act of eighteen hundred and twelve is repealed by the act of eighteen hundred and twenty-six, and this indictment is founded upon the act of eighteen hundred and twelve, the demurrer should have been sustained.

By the act of eighteen hundred and twelve, the offences described in this indictment are prohibited from being carried on in any “ house, out house, or other building,” of any person, or persons. By the act of eighteen hundred and twenty-six, the same of-fences are prohibited from being carried on, “ on the premises'1 of any person, or persons. The penalty under the act of eighteen hundred and twelve, is to be not less than one hundred dollars, nor over two thousand dollars, and standing in the pillory one hour on three successive days. In the latter, it is to be not less than five hundred dollars, nor more than two [190]*190thousand dollars, and imprisonment not less than two, nor more than twelve months.

It is evident, from this state of the case, that if the indictment can be sustained under the act of eighteen hundred and twenty-six, the question of the conflict of these two acts, does not arise. In the latter act, the word premises is used, instead of the words, house, out house, or other building — a word more comprehensive in its meaning, and which includes all the other words ; for there can be no doubt that a man’s premises may include his house.

The difference in the penalty can have no bearing upon the question arising upon the demurrer. The inquiry then properly arises, under the second point raised, whether the allegation, that the offence was committed in the county of Tuskaloosa, “in the house occupied by the defendants,” as in the first and third counts, or “ in their house,” as in the second count, is a sufficient description of the premises, under the statute.

In the case of J. Anson vs Stewart

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99 So. 770 (Alabama Court of Appeals, 1924)
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Bluebook (online)
4 Port. 186, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/covy-v-state-ala-1836.