People v. Norwood

20 N.W.2d 185, 312 Mich. 266, 1945 Mich. LEXIS 325
Michigan Supreme Court·Decided October 8, 1945·No. Docket No. 65, Calendar No. 42,599.·Published·Cited by 20 cases

Opinion

Starr, C. J.

On jury trial in 1940 defendants were convicted under an amended information containing three counts, each of which charged them with the common-law offense of a conspiracy to violate certain gambling laws of the State. * On their motion the convictions were set aside and a new trial granted.

*270 On retrial by jury in 1942, a police officer who had observed the private residence at 544 Josephine street in the city of Detroit for several days prior to May 28, 1940, testified that he “saw policy men going in and out;” that he knew the people by name and knew they were policy men and that “they were delivering policy in that house.” Following this observation, police officers went to the residence on May 28th, and a woman sitting on the porch informed them that the lady of the house was inside. The door was open, and they entered peaceably. They went to the basement and there found and seized gambling paraphernalia and arrested several of the defendants. It is admitted that they, made the arrests and seizure without warrants. A search warrant was then issued, and the next day the officers searched the house and seized additional gambling paraphernalia. The other defendants were arrested later, and all were held for trial.

An information was issued charging that defendants “on June 1, 1933, and on divers other days and dates up to and including May 29, 1940,” conspired to violate certain gambling laws of the State. In the first trial it developed that on December 6, 1939, defendants Walter Norwood and Harold Hardiman had testified and been granted immunity in grand-jury proceedings involving graft and corruption in Wayne county. The information was then amended by charging the conspiracy period as December 7, 1939, to May 29, 1940. It later developed that Norwood and Hardiman had again testified before the grand jury on April 24,1940, and again had been granted immunity. The information was then amended to charge the conspiracy period as April 25 to May 29, 1940. During the first trial the information was also amended by striking out all but the three counts mentioned above,

*271 In the present trial a motion to quash the information as to defendants Walter Norwood and Hardiman, because of the immunity granted them in the grand-jury proceedings, was denied. Defendants’ motion to suppress the evidence, consisting of the gambling equipment seized at 544 Josephine street, on the ground that the search and seizure were illegal, was also denied. All defendants were again convicted, their motion and amended motion for a new trial were denied, and they were sentenced as follows: Walter Norwood and Hardiman, 1 to 5 years,* Robert Davis and Allyne, 6 months to 5 years; Woodward, Plummer, Charlotte Norwood, and Laura Davis, probation for 1 year. Having obtained leave, they appeal.

Defendants first contend that the amended information did not charge a crime. They argue that, because the State statute provides punishment for violation of the gambling laws, the alleged conspiracies to violate these laws do not constitute crimes under Act No. 328, § 5.05, Pub. Acts 1931 (Comp. Laws Supp. 1940, §17115-505, Stat. Ann. § 28.773), which provides:

“Any person who shall commit any indictable offense at the common law, for the punishment of which no provision is expressly made by any statute of this State, shall be guilty of a felony, punishable by imprisonment in the State prison not more than 5 years or by a fine of not more than $2,500.”

Defendants’ contention is without merit, because the alleged conspiracies to violate the gambling laws were crimes separate and apart from the crimes of violation. In People v. Chambers, 279 Mich. 73, 77, we said:

“A conspiracy to commit a crime is a separate and distinct offense from the crime which it is the object of the conspiracy to commit. 12 C, J. p, 542,”

*272 See, also, People v. Ormsby, 310 Mich. 291; People v. Causley, 299 Mich. 340; People v. Summers, 115 Mich. 537.

The conspiracies charged in the information in the present case were indictable offenses at common law, and, as no punishment for such offenses is expressly provided by statute, they come within the provisions of section 505 above quoted. People v. Ormsby, supra.

We cannot agree with defendants’ contention that the search and seizure at 544 Josephine street were illegal. On motion of the prosecutor one Oneida Oates, the owner of these premises, was discharged as a defendant, and there was no showing that the other defendants were lessees or tenants, or that they had any rights in the premises which would entitle them to question the legality of the search and seizure. People v. Bartoletta, 248 Mich. 499; People v. Azukauckas, 241 Mich. 182; People v. Anscomb, 234 Mich. 203. From observation of the residence a police officer became convinced that gambling operations were being conducted there. The officers entered peaceably; they saw gambling paraphernalia in the possession of defendants and that the premises were being used for the conducting of gambling operations. Under the facts and circumstances shown, the search and seizure were legal, and the gambling paraphernalia was properly admissible in evidence. People v. Ormsby, supra; People v. Bommarito, 309 Mich. 139; People v. Harris, 300 Mich. 463; People v. Cona, 180 Mich. 641.

Defendants Walter Norwood and Harold Hardiman contend that the immunity granted them in the pending grand-jury proceedings extended through the full period of the conspiracies charged in the amended information and, therefore, that the in *273 formation should have been quashed as to them. The statute (3 Comp. Laws 1929, § 17220 [Stat. Ann. § 28.946]), under which immunity had been granted, provides:

“No person shall upon such inquiry be required to answer any questions the answers of which might tend to incriminate him except upon motion in writing by the prosecuting attorney which shall he granted by such justice or judge, and any such questions and answers shall be reduced to writing and entered upon the docket or journal of such justice or judge, and no person required to answer such questions upon such motion shall thereafter be prosecuted for any offense concerning which such answers may have tended to incriminate him.”

As hereinbefore mentioned, the information had been amended during the first trial to charge the conspiracy period as April 25th to May 29, 1940. Norwood and Hardiman claim that they also testified before the grand jury June 19th and 20th, 1940. Relative to the immunity granted them, the court said in the present trial:

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People v. Norwood, 20 N.W.2d 185, 312 Mich. 266, 1945 Mich. LEXIS 325 (Mich. 1945).

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