McGill v. State

1919 OK CR 318, 185 P. 530, 16 Okla. Crim. 657, 1919 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 290
Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma·Decided December 6, 1919·No. A-3095·Published·Cited by 4 cases

Opinion

MATSON, J.

It is first contended that the information does not state facts sufficient to constitute an offense under the laws ¡of the state.

The charging part of the information is as follows:

“The said Jinks McGill did then and there unlawfully, willfully, knowingly, and intentionally convey certain spirituous liquor, to wit, 2% pints of whisky, in 'half-pint bottles, from one place within the state of Oklahoma to another place therein, to wit, from a place wiknown to affiant to 420 S. Second street, in the city of Guthrie, Logan county, Oklahoma, by then and there hauling said whisky in an Overland car,” etc.

Counsel for plaintiff in error contend that the information is deficient in that ¡it alleges the place from -which the liquor was conveyed to be absolutely unknown, and hence that' it ■ does not. with sufficient certainty charge whether the liquor was conveyed from a point within the state or from one without the state.

The statute requires the conveyance to be from some place within the state to another place therein, and this court has heretofore held that it is necessary to designate the particular places from which and to which the liquor was conveyed, if known to the informant oir the grand jury, or else, if the places are unknown to either the informant or the • grand jury, ■ that fact must be stated in the information or indictment; but, in either event, the allegations of the information or indictment must be certain and direct as to the fact that the conveyance was from some point within the state to another point therein, although the particular points may have been unknown at the time of *659 the filing of the information or the return of the indictment.

No demurrer' was interposed to' the foregoing information in the trial court. Counsel for defendant interposed an objection to the introduction of evidence on the ground that the information “did not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action against the defendant, and for the further reason that it did not charge that the defendant intended to violate the prohibitory law.”

The alleged insufficiency of the information was not set up as a ground for new trial in the lower court; neither is said alleged error incorporated in the petition in error filed in this court.

This court has repeatedly held thav, “errors to which no exceptions were taken below', and net fundamental in character, wall not be considered on appeal.” Stack et al. v. State, 4 Okla. Cr. 1, 109 Pac. 126; Looling et al. v. State, 3 Okla. Cr. 491, 106 Pac. 982.

Also that this court is only authorized to consider and decide such questions as are presented by the petition in error unless they are jurisdictional. Morrison v. State, 7 Okla. Cr. 243, 123 Pac. 169; Walker v. State, 6 Okla. Cr. 370, 118 Pac. 1105.

Further, it has been held by this court that where defendant “goes to trial, abd for the first time objects to the information or indictment When” the state attempts “to introduce testimony thereunder,” or upon appeal, or by habeas corpus, “the objection should be overruled, if by any intendment or presumption the” information or “indictment can be sustained.” Wilsford v. State, 8 Okla. Cr. 535, 129 Pac. 80; McDaniel et al. v. State, 8 Okla. Cr. *660 209, 127 Pac. 358; White v. State, 4 Okla. Cr. 143, 111 Pac. 1010; Edwards v. State, 5, Okla. Cr. 20, 113 Pac. 214.

Applying the rule last above quoted to the charging part of the information in this case, it clearly appears that by intendment of the pleader, from the words employed, that it charges a conveyance from a place unknown within the state to 420 6. Second street, in the city of Guthrie, Logan county, Okla., a place which the courts of this state judicially know to be within the state of Oklahoma.

This alleged assignment of error, therefore, is without merit for each and every one of the reasons above set forth: (1) Because the question was not properly reserved in the lower court; (2) because said- question is not presented by the petition in error filed in this court; (3) even if such question had been reserved and properly presented, the information is sufficient to charge the offense as against an objection merely against the introduction of evidence under it.

It is also contended that the lower ’ court erred in the admission of evidence tending to show the reputation of the defendant's home and premises as a place where liquor was generally sold. The particular part of the testimony complained of, as set out in the brief of counsel for the defendant, is as follows:

“Q. What kind of a place does Jinks run down there in the open? (Referring to defendant.)

“By B. F. Garrett: We object to that as incompetent, irrelevant, and immaterial.

“By the Court: He may answer if he knows.

“A. Well, I couldn’t testify.

*661 “Q. Was it a store? Did you see what kind of a business he was running openly? A. No business at all. It was just a dwelling house; 420 South Second is just a dwelling house.

“Q. Is that where he lives? (Referring to defendant.) A. Yes, sir.

“Q. Do you know whether the public generally resort there at that place?

“By B. F. Garrett: Objected to as incompetent, irrelevant and immaterial.

“By the- Court: Overruled.

“A. Yes, sir.

“Q. Do you know the general reputation of that place as to a place where liquor is sold.? A. Yes, sir.

“Q. Is it good or bad? A. Bad.”

No objection was taken to the court’s action in overruling the objection to the introduction of this evidence. Under the holding of the cases heretofore cited, this court will only consider fundamental errors where no exception to the trial court’s ruling was taken.

In the case of Watkins v. State, 13 Okla. Cr. 507, 165 Pac. 621, this court held:

“It is unlawful for any person to convey from place to place within this state intoxicating liquors which said person has previously purchased within this state, and it is immaterial whether the person so purchasing such liquor and conveying the same intended to use such liquor lawfully or unlawfully. Intent is not a material ingredient of the offense of conveying intoxicating liquors.”

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McGill v. State, 1919 OK CR 318, 185 P. 530, 16 Okla. Crim. 657, 1919 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 290 (Okla. Ct. App. 1919).

1919 OK CR 318 (McGill v. State) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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