Spak v. State

194 N.E. 439, 48 Ohio App. 371, 18 Ohio Law. Abs. 344, 1 Ohio Op. 39, 1934 Ohio App. LEXIS 278
Ohio Court of Appeals·Decided October 15, 1934·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

Lieghley, P. J.

Peter Spak was charged, arrested, tried and convicted in the Municipal Court of Cleveland of the crime of manufacturing intoxicating liquor, upon an affidavit in the words and figures following:

“That on or about the 9th day of March, A. D., 1934, at said City and County, one Peter Spak did unlawfully manufacture intoxicating liquor, to-wit: liquor having an alcoholic content in excess of 3.2 by weight and fit for beverage purposes; he the said Peter Spak not being the holder of a permit (Class A) issued by the Department of Liquor Control and in force at the time,” etc.

Error is prosecuted to this court to reverse said judgment.

A search warrant was issued and search of the home of defendant made. A motion to suppress the evidence thus obtained was made at the trial and overruled. One assignment of error is based on this ruling.

The affidavit for search warrant was dated the lOtb day of March, 1934. It was stipulated by counsel that said search warrant was issued on the 9th, executed before the judge on the 9th, and the arrest made on the *372 9th of March, 193á. The motion to suppress was based upon this inconsistency in dates. Otherwise, the search warrant, the approval of the court and the search itself were not seriously claimed to be unlawful or irregular.

Inasmuch as provisions of the statutes in respect to search warrants were fulfilled and complied with, we are disposed to regard this inconsistency in dates as a clerical mistake, and inadvertently made without prejudice to the rights of the defendant. In support of our conclusion the following case was cited by counsel: United States v. Hertel, Athletic & Social Club, 25 F. (2d), 872.

The affidavit contained in the record and the one above quoted had the words “for sale” after the word “manufacture.” It was conceded before us that these words were added by someone after the affidavit was executed, and these two words seem to be in a different handwriting. It was agreed at the-trial below with the consent of the trial court that the affidavit should be considered without these two words as a part thereof, and the trial proceeded upon the assumption that these two words were not contained in the affidavit. The state did not ask leave to amend the affidavit to read “manufacture for sale.”

The defendant was tried and convicted upon the charge that he manufactured intoxicating liquor without a Class A permit contrary to law in his home and not on the charge of manufacturing for sale.

The second assignment of error upon which the defendant relies for a reversal is the claim that the affidavit charged no crime. It is asserted that the Liquor Control Act does not make the manufacture of liquor by a citizen in his home for his own use without a permit a crime in Ohio. The defendant was convicted upon the theory that it does, and the state contends that the charge and conviction is legal and authorized by law. Counsel cite no reported decision for guid *373 anee in the determination of this question. It is said that the question has never been decided under the Liquor Control Act of Ohio.

In attempting to reach a conclusion it will not do to indulge in any violent presumptions in favor of the validity of the Act. The restraint upon the manufacture and consumption of alcoholic liquor is justified as a proper exercise of the police power. Such restraint should be effected by an enactment in direct and unequivocal language, or in language which conveys a clear exclusive inference of such intention. The liberties which the citizens have cannot be taken away for the above reason except by an enactment in which the intent so to do positively appears.

A decision of this question must necessarily be reached from an examination of the provisions and language of this Act. Whether or not the Legislature intended to prohibit the manufacture of liquor by a citizen in his own home for his own use, must be gathered from the language used in the Act, if such language discloses a clear intention so to do. Or, the intention to inhibit such manufacture may be the only reasonable inference deducible from the language used. So that it is necessary to quote and refer to such sections of the Act as relate to the manufacture of intoxicating liquor.

Section 6064-14, General Code, and Section 6064-54, General Code, were cited by the state as authority for its claim. Sub-section 14 reads as follows:

“No person shall directly or indirectly, himself or by his clerk, agent, or employe, manufacture, manufacture for sale, keep or possess for sale, furnish or sell any beer or intoxicating liquor in this state, or sell at retail any alcohol in this state, or transport or import any beer or intoxicating liquor or alcohol in or into this state for delivery or use herein, unless such person shall have fully complied with the provisions of this act and shall be the holder of a permit issued *374 by the department of liquor control and in force at the time. ’ ’

It is noted that the word “manufacture” is separated by a comma from the words “manufacture for sale”, etc. It would seem therefrom that it .was intended to prohibit the manufacture under any and all conditions and circumstances. However, this language should be examined with reference to the other sections of the Act to ascertain whether or not any provision or machinery is set up to control or supervise such manufacture under such circumstances and to ascertain whether or not a permit is provided for, and whether or not the act of such manufacture has been constituted a crime in order to deter and control.

Sub-section 15 defines the classes of permits that may be issued.

Permit A-l covers the manufacture of beer and other liquor for sale.

Permit A-2 is a permit to a manufacturer to manufacture wine for sale.

Permit A-3 is a permit to a manufacturer to manufacture spirituous liquor and sell such product to the Department only, etc., and among other things to export spirituous liquor in bulk for sale outside this state. This permit does not seem to cover or contemplate the sale of liquor by its manufacturer to anyone in the state other than the Department.

Permit D-3 authorizes the owner or operator of a hotel or restaurant, etc., to sell spirituous liquor at retail, etc.

Permit D-4 permits a club which has been in existence for a period of three years or more to sell intoxicating liquor to its members only.

Permit D-5 allows the owner or operator of a night club to sell intoxicating liquor at retail on the premises where sold and at tables where meals are served.

Sections 45 to 50 inclusive designate certain acts as violative of the Liquor Control Act and fix the pen *375 alty. These sections clearly relate to a dealer who fails to regard the stamp, invoice and inspection provisions as well as the sale of wines without stamps or the forging or counterfeiting of stamps, etc.

The first paragraph of Section 54 provides as follows:

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

Spak v. State, 194 N.E. 439, 48 Ohio App. 371, 18 Ohio Law. Abs. 344, 1 Ohio Op. 39, 1934 Ohio App. LEXIS 278 (Ohio Ct. App. 1934).

194 N.E. 439 (Spak v. State) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

State v. Wilkes
2020 Ohio 5292 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2020)
State v. Jackson
619 N.E.2d 1135 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1993)