People v. Lull

246 Ill. App. 53, 1927 Ill. App. LEXIS 253
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedSeptember 24, 1927
DocketGen. No. 7,750
StatusPublished

This text of 246 Ill. App. 53 (People v. Lull) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Lull, 246 Ill. App. 53, 1927 Ill. App. LEXIS 253 (Ill. Ct. App. 1927).

Opinion

Mr. Presiding Justice Jett

delivered the opinion of the court.

The State’s attorney of Kendall county filed an information, consisting of three counts, against Cecil E. Lull, plaintiff in error. The first count charged that the plaintiff in error, on the 10th of October, 1926, did unlawfully sell intoxicating liquor containing in excess of one-half of one per cent by volume of alcohol, and being then and there fit for beverage purposes, without having a permit so to do. The second charged that the plaintiff in error did, on the same date as alleged in the first count, possess intoxicating liquor containing in excess of one-half of one per cent by volume of alcohol and being then and there fit for beverage purposes, without having a permit so to do. The third count charged that the plaintiff in error did, on the date as alleged in the first count, unlawfully fail to make a record of a certain sale of intoxicating liquor containing in excess of one-half of one per cent by volume of alcohol and then and there being fit for use for beverage purposes, by him then and there made to one Edward Fanning.

A motion to quash the information and each count thereof was made and overruled. Subsequently, the second and third counts in the information were nolled by the State’s attorney. A jury trial was had and the plaintiff in error was found guilty of selling intoxicating liquor in manner and form as charged in the first count of the information. A motion to set aside the verdict and for a new trial was made by plaintiff in error which was denied. Motion in arrest of judgment was made and denied, and the plaintiff in error was thereafter sentenced by the court to pay a fine of $250 and costs, and to be confined in the county jail of Kendall county for 60 days, from which judgment and sentence plaintiff in error prosecutes this writ of error.

The plaintiff in error urges a reversal because (1) he was employed in a bona fide drug store and there is no proof that the liquor was sold without a doctor’s prescription; (2) that there is no proof that the liquor sold was fit for beverage purposes; (3) that there is no proof that the purchase and sale were not made for medicinal purposes; (4) that there is no proper identification of the liquor attempted to be used in evidence; (5) there is no proof that the plaintiff in error was the same person mentioned in the information and charged with the crime. We will consider the reasons in the order as stated herein by the plaintiff in error.

While the record discloses that the plaintiff in error was employed in a bona fide drug store, the Prohibition Act requires a druggist to have a permit for the sale of whisky. Although plaintiff in error was employed in a drug store, yet if he seeks to justify his act in the sale of intoxicating liquor, it was incumbent upon him to make proof of the fact that he, or the proprietor for whom he worked and for whom he was clerking, was authorized by a permit to sell intoxicating liquor.

It is urged, next, that there is no proof that the liquor sold was fit for beverage purposes. It will be observed that the indictment uses the term “intoxicating liquor” in the first count, and such liquor includes brandy, whisky, rum, gin, beer, ale and wine, and in addition thereto, any spirituous, vinous, malt or fermented liquor, liquids and compounds, whether medicated, proprietary or patented, and by whatever name called, containing one-half of one per cent or more of alcohol by volume, which are fit for use for beverage purposes, as defined in section 2 of the act. (Cahill’s St. ch. 43, ¶ 2.) Under such a definition, when a liquor is designated as “intoxicating liquor” that designation signifies that it is “potable as a beverage,” or “fit for beverage purposes.” State v. Brown, 151 Minn. 340, 186 N. W. 946, a decision of the Supreme Court of Minnesota. The case of State v. Brown, supra, finds support in State v. Hosmer, 144 Minn. 342, holding in substance that when a liquor is described as “intoxicating liquor” that designation of it signifies that it is potable as a beverage or fit for beverage purposes, as a liquor can intoxicate only when used as a beverage. To the same effect see People v. San Filippo, 243 Ill. App. 146-148-149. A count in an indictment charging unlawful possession of intoxicating liquor for the purpose of sale need not allege that the liquor was fit for beverage purposes, as the term “intoxicating liquor” signifies that it is potable or fit for beverage purposes. People v. Cioppi, 322 Ill. 353. Furthermore, a charge of a violation of the Prohibition Act in the possession and sale of intoxicating liquor need not specify the kind of liquor sold nor allege that it was fit for use as a beverage, as the statute has defined the term “intoxicating liquor” and a defendant so charged with the violation of the statute is sufficiently informed of the nature of the charge. People v. Alfano, 322 Ill. 384.

It is next urged that the information does not charge that the plaintiff in error knowingly sold the liquor for beverage purposes. We are of the opinion that such an averment is unnecessary except where it is charged in the information that the intoxicating liquors are proprietary or patented articles, such as are mentioned in section 4 of the Prohibition Act, Cahill’s St. ch. 43, 4. It is no offense to sell patented medicines, lemon extracts and the like without a permit or a doctor’s prescription, but if the druggist knows, or under the circumstances ought to know, that such articles are being sold for beverage purposes, he then becomes liable, under the law, but his knowledge must be both averred and proven.

It is next contended that there was no proper identification of the liquor attempted to be used in evidence. The record discloses that the People’s Exhibits “1” and “2” and “1A” and “IB” were identified and throughout the trial of the cause were treated as though they had been offered, but the record fails to disclose that the offer was actually made. It is not pointed out by the plaintiff in error wherein any injury was occasioned to him on the trial of the case by reason of this circumstance of which he complains. In other words, there was nothing in this circumstance which worked any injury to the plaintiff in error. The record also shows that counsel for the plaintiff in error, during the cross-examination of a witness, put this question: “In the Exhibits offered here who put the memo” taken from the auto of Ed Fanning “and other wording on the bottles?” We therefore conclude that there is nothing under the fourth reason assigned for a reversal that caused an injury to the rights of the plaintiff in error.

Lastly, it is urged that there is no proof that plaintiff in error is the same person as mentioned in the information and charged with the offense of selling intoxicating liquor. The information was filed against the plaintiff in error under the name of Eobert Lull. The record discloses that when he took the stand and was examined by his counsel on direct examination, he stated that his name was Cecil Eobert Lull. He was then asked by his counsel this question: “You go by the name of Eobert or Bob Lull?” and his answer was: “Yes, sir.” Throughout the trial the plaintiff in error was called Bob Lull- The only information we have been able to find, after a careful examination of the record, ran against Eobert Lull and it was properly verified by Eichard 0. Leitch. The information was filed by Eichard 0. Leitch, State’s attorney. The plaintiff in error was arrested by the name of Eobert Lull.

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Related

The People v. Alfano
153 N.E. 729 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1926)
The People v. Cioppi
153 N.E. 604 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1926)
Paulsen v. People
63 N.E. 144 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1902)
People v. Clark
117 N.E. 432 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1917)
People v. Honaker
117 N.E. 997 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1917)
People v. Powers
119 N.E. 421 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1918)
People v. Reed
122 N.E. 806 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1919)
People ex rel. Crowe v. Fisher
135 N.E. 751 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1922)
State v. Hosmer
175 N.W. 683 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1919)
State v. Brown
186 N.W. 946 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1922)
People v. Vaughn
215 Ill. App. 452 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1919)
People v. San Filippo
243 Ill. App. 146 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1927)

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Bluebook (online)
246 Ill. App. 53, 1927 Ill. App. LEXIS 253, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-lull-illappct-1927.