Miller v. State

1920 OK CR 53, 187 P. 1098, 17 Okla. Crim. 284, 1920 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 53
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedMarch 15, 1920
DocketNo. A-3263.
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 1920 OK CR 53 (Miller v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Miller v. State, 1920 OK CR 53, 187 P. 1098, 17 Okla. Crim. 284, 1920 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 53 (Okla. Ct. App. 1920).

Opinion

MATSON, J.

This is an appeal from the county court of Noble county, wherein the plaintiff in error was convicted of violating section 1, c. 149, Session Laws of Oklahoma 1915, which provides:

“That every person who shall without good cause abandon his wife and neglect and refuse to maintain and provide for her, and who shall abandon his or her minor child or children under the age of twelve years, in desti *285 tute or necessitous circumstances, and willfully neglect or refuse to maintain or provide for such child or children, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars nor more than five hundred dollars, or by imprisonment in the county jail, or at hard labor on the public roads of the county "not less than one month nor more than twelve months, or by both such fine and imprisonment; and should a fine be imposed it may be directed by the court to be paid, in whole or in part, to the wife, or to the guardian or custodian of the minor child or children, provided that before the trial (with the consent of the defendant), or after conviction, instead of imposing the punishment hereinbefore provided, or in addition thereto, the court in its discretion having regard to the circumstances and financial ability of the defendant, shall have the power to pass an order, which shall be subject to change by it from time to time as the circumstances may require, directing the defendant to pay a certain sum weekly for one year to the wife, guardian or custodian of the minor child or children, and to release the defendant from the custody, on probation, for the space of one year upon his or her entering into a recognizance, with or without surety, in such sums as the court may direct. The conditions of the recognizance shall be such that if the defendant shall make his or her personal appearance in court whenever ordered to do so within a year, and shall further comply with the terms of the order, then the recognizance shall be void, otherwise in full force, and effect. If the court be satisfied by information and due proof, under oath, that at any time during the year the defendant has violated the terms of such order, it may forthwith proceed with the trial of the defendant under the original indictment, or sentence him or her under the original conviction, as the case may be. In a case of forfeiture of a recognizance and enforcement thereof by execution the sum recovered may, in the discretion of the court, be *286 paid in whole or in part to the wife, guardian or custodian of the minor child or children.”

After a trial in said court, the jury returned a Verdict of guilty, and assessed his punishment at a fine of $500. The trial court, in rendering judgment, ordered that the $500 fine, when paid by the plaintiff in error, be immediately paid to Mrs. Farrie Miller, wife of the plaintiff in error, for the use and benefit of her and her two minor children under the age of 12 years, and the trial court made a further order that the plaintiff in error pay to his said wife a weekly sum of $12.50 for a period of one year from the date of judgment for the support of his said wife and said minor children, and required that plaintiff in error enter into a recognizance with two or more good and sufficient sureties, conditioned that the said plaintiff in error make his personal appearance in court whenever ordered to do so within one year, and. further to comply with the terms of the judgment and order.

The plaintiff in error prayed and took an appeal from said judgment rendered against him in the county court of Noble county, and such appeal was lodged in this court on the 22d day of February, 1918. On the 4th day of August, 1919, the plaintiff in error, through his attorneys, filed the following motion for this court to abate and dismiss this cause with prejudice :

“In the Criminal Court of Appeals of the State of Oklahoma.
“John L. Miller, plaintiff in error, v. State of Oklahoma, Defendant in Error.
No. A-8263.
“Plea in Abatement.
“Comes now John L. Miller, plaintiff in error, and for plea in abatement in the above-styled cause gives the court *287 to know and be informed that since the trial of the above-styled cause in the lower court Farrie Miller, the wife of the plaintiff in error, filed her petition for divorce in the district court of Kay county, state of Oklahoma, to which petition the defendant duly answered, and issues were duly joined and a trial had on the 8th day of July, 1919, and all differences for the support of the minor children, support of said Farrie Miller, suit money, attorney’s fees, and costs were mutually settled by the parties, and paid in full, and by a judgment of the district court of Kay county said settlement so made between the two parties was duly confirmed and all costs were settled, as claimed. The said court finding that said settlement was fair, just, and equitable; a certified copy of the journal entry of judgment in said case being hereto attached and made a part of this plea, the same as if herein in full set out, and said Farrie Miller was granted a divorce from the said John L. Miller in said proceedings.
“Said plaintiff in error further alleges that said district court of Kay county had jurisdiction of the parties before it, and jurisdiction of the subject-matter, and the right and power to settle all rights and controversies, and that said court has by its judgment settled and satisfied all claims of the said Farrie Miller and the said minor children that are or might be involved in the case pending on appeal before this court, which said case was brought in Noble county, state of Oklahoma, and that for said reasons this case so pending in the Criminal Court of Appeals should be dismissed with prejudice.
“Wherefore said plaintiff in error prays that this court make an appropriate order dismissing said proceedings and case with prejudice, and for such other and further relief as may be just and equitable.”
“In the District Court of Kay County, State of Oklahoma.
“Farrie Miller, Plaintiff v. John L. Miller, Defendant
“Journal Entry.
*288 “And now on this 8th day of July, A. D'. 1919, the above cause came on to be heard, ,jand the plaintiff appears in person and by her attorneys, Johnston & Robinson, and the defendant, John L. Miller, appearing by his attorneys, Cress & St. Clair. Thereupon the plaintiff introduces her evidence and rests.
“The plaintiff and defendant exhibit to the court a property settlement and agreement, showing that they had mutually settled all property rights, all questions of alimony, suit money, and support of children, which stipulation was signed by the plaintiff and defendant personally, and reads as follows, to wit (omitting caption) :

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Related

Postelwait v. State
1924 OK CR 222 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1924)
Miller v. State
1920 OK CR 149 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1920)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1920 OK CR 53, 187 P. 1098, 17 Okla. Crim. 284, 1920 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 53, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/miller-v-state-oklacrimapp-1920.