In re McCarthy

5 Haw. 573
CourtHawaii Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 1, 1886
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 5 Haw. 573 (In re McCarthy) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Hawaii Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re McCarthy, 5 Haw. 573 (haw 1886).

Opinion

Opinion op, the Court, by

Preston, J.

On the 25th day of January last, an information was laid by the Attorney-General before the Chief Justice, alleging that John W. McCarthy was guilty of the crime of embezzlement^ as [574]*574a public officer (Clerk of the Supreme Court of the State of California), and that the Grand Jury for the city and county of San Francisco had, on the 15th day of January, found a true bill of indictment in the Superior Court of said city and county against the said McCarthy for such crime, and that a warrant had been issued from the said Court for the apprehension of the said McCarthy, and that said McCarthy had left San Francisco, and was then residing in Honolulu, and that a requisition for the surrender of the said McCarthy, under the hand of the Governor of the State of California and the Great Seal of the State, had been sent to His Majesty’s Government, and praying for an order from the Chief Justice for the arrest of the said McCarthy, in order that he might be delivered to the officer sent to receive him.

The Chief Justice thereupon caused a warrant to be issued, under which McCarthy was arrested and brought before His Honor, on the 26th.

The Attorney-General appeared on behalf of the prosecution.

Mr. Whiting appeared for the prisoner and pleaded to the jurisdiction on the grounds:

1. That the warrant issued sets forth no crime or accusation of crime

2. That the crime for which extradition is sought is “embezzlement,” and that “embezzlement” committed in a foreign country, viz., the United States, is not an offense or crime for Which the person can be extradited.

3. That the demand for extradition is made through the Governor of the State of California, and that there is no authority in law for said Governor to make such demand.

4. That the affidavit and complaint are made by the Attorney-General of this Kingdom, and the Attorney-General cannot properly or legally make such complaint or be complainant herein.

The Chief Justice overruled the pleas, and on February 1st the case came up for hearing and evidence was introduced. It con-iisted of

1. A request by George Stoneman, Governor of the State of California, attested by the Secretary of State of California, under the Great Seal of the Siate, dated the 16th of January, 1886, to “His Royal Highness the King of the Hawaiian Islands,” for [575]*575the apprehension and delivery to one Joseph Bee, who is duly authorized to receive him, of one John W. McCarthy, who stands charged with the crime of embezzlement, committed within the county of San Francisco.

2. Copy of an Indictment in the Superior Court of the City and County of San Francisco, State of California, against the said John W. McCarthy, in which he is accused by the Grand Jury of the City and County of San Francisco, with the crime of embezzlement, in that he was, on or about the 28th day of February, 1885, the duly elected, qualified and acting Clerk of the Supreme Court of the State of California, and, by virtue of his trust as such officer, there came into his possession and control ($550) five hundred and fifty dollars of the property of the State of California, and which he, at the City and County of San Francisco, on the 28th of February, 1885, willfully, unlawfully, fraudulently and felonously did appropriate to his own use, contrary to the due and lawful execution of his said trust, and contrary to the form, etc., of the statute, etc. This is signed by J. N. E. Wilson, District Attorney, endorsed a “True Bill” by E. M. Burns, Foreman of the Grand Jury, and certified by Jas. J. Flynn, the Clerk of tiie Superior Court, as having been presented in open Court by the Foreman of the Grand Jury, and filed as a record of said Court on the 15th of January, 1886.

3. Copy of a bench warrant issued on the indictment by order of the Court and attested by Jas. J. Flynn, the Clerk, dated the 15th of January, 1886, for the arrest, forthwith, of the said John W. McCarthy.

4. Original affidavit or return of William Broughton, a police officer of the City and County of San Francisco, that he received the annexed warrant for the arrest of John W. McCarthy and that he made diligent search for him, etc., and avers upon information and belief that he has fled from justice in the State of California, and has taken refuge in the Kingdom of Hawaii. This is sworn to before a Deputy Clerk of the Superior Court.

These three last papers, co wit, ihe indictment, bench warrant and affidavit of William Broughton, are certified to by Jas. J. Flynn, Clerk of said Superior Court, under the said seal of the said Court, as a full and complete exemplification of the papers [576]*576and proceedings in the case of The People of the State of California vs. J. W. McCarthy. The genuineness of this certificate and signature is attested by M. A. Edmonds, Presiding Judge of the Superior Court of the City and County of San Francisco, and this is in turn certified to and authenticated by Jas. J. Flynn, Clerk as aforesaid. The genuineness of the seals and of the signatures of Judge Edmonds and Jas. J. Flynn, the Clerk, were proved to the satisfaction of the Chief Justice by competent evidence. The testimony of Joseph Bee, a police office of the City and County of San Francisco, was taken, that he knew the John W. McCarthy, then in Court, to be John W. McCarthy, who was in February, 1885, Clerk of the Supreme Court of the State of California, and who is charged in the indictment with embezzlement of public funds. Evidence of the statutes of California as to the constitution and j urisdiction of the .Superior Court of California, the functions of the Grand Jury, the nature of an indictment found by it, the nature of the crime of embezzlement, etc., was also given.

The Chief Justice rendered his decision (which is on file) on the 4th of February, and thereupon certified to His Majesty’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, that

“The Chief Justice now finds that the above named John W. McCarthy is charged with the crime of embezzlement committed by him as a public officer of the State of California, and entrusted with the custody of public funds belonging to said State while such officer:

“That said crime constitutes a felony by the laws of said State of California and is a crime within the meaning of section 449 of the Civil Code of the Hawaiian Islands :

.“That the evidence adduced on the hearing aforesaid is sufficient to sustain the charge made against the said John W. McCarthy., and that the said John W. McCarthy is a fugitive from justice,.”

■On the receipt of this certificate the Minister of Foreign Affairs issued his warrant for the arrest and surrender of the accused.

The accused having been arrested, he applied to Mr. Justice Preston, in Chambers on the 5 th inst., for a writ of habeas corpus, [577]*577which was granted, and on the same day the accused was produced before such Justice and his detention justified under the Minister’s warrant. At the request of the parties, the Judge discharged the writ pro forma in order that an immediate appeal might be taken, and the accused was remanded in custody.

The appeal came on for hearing on the 6th inst., and was argued by Mr. Whiting for the appellant and the Attorney-General contra.

The following points were taken by counsel for the appellant:

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Brown v. State
601 P.2d 221 (Alaska Supreme Court, 1979)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
5 Haw. 573, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-mccarthy-haw-1886.