Crane v. State

79 So. 806, 76 Fla. 236
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedAugust 12, 1918
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 79 So. 806 (Crane v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Crane v. State, 79 So. 806, 76 Fla. 236 (Fla. 1918).

Opinion

Per Curiam.

This writ of error was taken to a judgment of conviction for embezzlement.

The information is as follows:

“BE IT REMEMBERED: That Wm. II. Jackson, Solicitor, for the County of Hillsborough, prosecuting for the State of Florida, being present in said Court on the 16th day of February, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and seventeen, gives the Court to be informed and understand that James E. Crane, late of the County of Hillsborough, aforesaid, in the State aforesaid, on the 15th day of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and sixteen, with force and arms at and in the County of Hillsborough aforesaid, being then and there an officer of the County of Hillsborough, a County of the State of Florida, under the laws of the State of Florida, to-wit: a Trustee of County Bonds, and while such officer, to-wit: a Trustee of County Bonds did receive and take into his possession certain moneys, the property of the County of Hillsborough, a County of the State of Florida under the laws of the State of Florida, to-wit: Three Thousand Three Hundred Thirty-nine Dollars and Thirty-one cents, for and in the name and on account of the County of Hillsborough, aforesaid; and said money so as aforesaid coming into his possession by virtue of his said office as a Trustee of County Bonds as aforesaid, he, the said James E. Crane, did then and there, to-wit: on the 15th day of June, A. [238]*238D. 1916, in the County and State aforesaid, did feloniously embezzle and feloniously and fraudulently convert into liis own use towit: Three Thousand Three Hundred Thiryt-nine Dollars and Thirty-one Cents in money current in the United States of America, of the value of Three thousand Three Hundred Thirty-nine Dollars and Thirty-one Cents in money current in the United States of America, a more particular description of which is to the Solicitor unknown, against the forms of the Statute in such cases made and provided and to the evil example of all others in the like case offending, and against the peace and dignity of the State of Florida.
“AND BE IT FURTHER REMEMBERED, That Wm. H. Jackson, Solicitor, as aforesaid, prosecuting as aforesaid, being present in said Court on the day and year first aforesaid, gives the Court to be further informed and understand that the said James E. Crane, late of the County of Hillsborough aforesaid, in the State aforesaid on the said 15th day of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and sixteen, with force and arms at and in the County of Hillsborough aforesaid, being then and there an officer of the County of Hillsborough, a County of the State of Florida under the laws of the State of Florida, to-wit: a Trustee of County Bonds of the bond issue of July 1st, A. D. 1903, and while such officer, to-wit: a Trustee of County .Bonds of the bond issue of July 1st, A. D. 1903, did receive and take into his possession certain moneys, the property of the County of Hillsborough, a County of the State of Florida, under the laws of the State of Florida, to-wit: Three Thousand Three Hundred Thirty-nine Dollars and Thirty-one Cents, for and in the name and on account of the County of Hillsorough aforesaid; and said money so ' as aforesaid coining into his possession by virtue of his said office as [239]*239a Trustee of County Bonds of tlie bond issue of July 1st, A. D. 1903, as aforesáid, he, the said James E. Crane, did then and there, to-wit: on the 15th day of June, A. D. 1916, in the County and State aforesaid, did feloniously embezzle and feloniously and fraudulently convert into his own use, to-wit: Three Thousand Three Hundred Thirty-nine Dollars and Thirty-one Cents in money current in the United States of America, of the value of Three Thousand Three Hundred Thirty-nine Dollars and Thirty-one Cents in money current in the United States of America, a more particular description of which is to the Solicitor unknown against the forms of the Statute in such cases made and provided, and to the evil example of all others in the like case offending, and against the peace and dignity of the State of Florida.”

To this information a demurrer was filed, the grounds being:

“1st: That the information in this cause charges this -lefendant, under the Statute of the State of Florida, with the embezzlement of certain funds entrusted to his care and custody as a County officer, to-wit, a Bond Trustee of Hillsborough County.
“2nd: The information in this case ,as a part of the allegations of the same, and in both counts thereof, alleges and charged this defendant with being a County officer of Hillsborough County, to-wit: a Bond Trustee of Hillsborough County, there being no such officer as Bond Trusteeship, and no such officer as Bond Trustee of Hillsborough County.
“3rd: A Bond Trustee, under the Statutes of Florida, is selected to the position of such Trustee by the County Commissioners of the County and not appointed by the Governor, or elected by the people, and for this reason, cannot, under the Constitution be a County officer.
[240]*240“4th. The allegation in this information showing that this defendant is a Bond Trustee of Hillsborough County, and that he is therefore an officer of the County of Hills-borough, does not show that he is legally and constitutionally appointed or elected an officer of Hillsborough County.
“5th. There cannot be, under the Constitution of the State of Florida, such an officer as County Bond Trustee of Hillsborough County.
“6th. The Statutes undertaking to create the position of County Bond Trustee is unconstitutional and void, both because such Trustee is not appointed by the Governor, or elected by the people,, as required by the Constitution, and, 2nd, because the term of office is indefinite and not limited within four years.”

An order overruling this demurrer is assigned as error, the contention being that the accused is not an officer within the purview of Section 2317, General Statutes of 1906, which is as follows:

“Any State, county or municipal officer who shall:
“1. Convert to his own use, or who shall
“2. Secret with the intent to convert to his own use, or who shall
“3. Withhold with the intent to convert to his own use,
(a) Any money, property or effects belonging to or in the possession of the State, county, city or town whose duty requires him to receive said public money, property or effects; or
(b) Any money, property or effects of another, the duty of which officer requires him to receive said money, property or effects, shall in every such act be deemed guilty of an embezzlement of the money property or effects so converted, secreted or withheld, and shall be pun[241]*241ished by imprisonment in the State prison not exceeding twenty years, and by .a, fine equal to the value of the money, property -or effect so converted, secreted or withheld.

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Related

Seaman v. State
225 So. 2d 418 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1969)
Wood v. State
19 So. 2d 872 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1944)
Commonwealth v. Conlin
24 Pa. D. & C. 241 (Delaware County Court of Quarter Sessions, 1935)
State Ex Rel. Landis v. Wheat
137 So. 277 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1931)
Young v. State
96 So. 381 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1923)
Black v. State
81 So. 411 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1919)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
79 So. 806, 76 Fla. 236, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/crane-v-state-fla-1918.