State v. Brecht

42 N.W. 602, 41 Minn. 50, 1889 Minn. LEXIS 266
CourtSupreme Court of Minnesota
DecidedJune 10, 1889
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 42 N.W. 602 (State v. Brecht) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Brecht, 42 N.W. 602, 41 Minn. 50, 1889 Minn. LEXIS 266 (Mich. 1889).

Opinion

Gileillan, C. J.

This was an indictment for adultery. The defendant challenged the panel, of the petit jury, on the ground that it was illegally drawn, in this: that the clerk put only 24 instead of 72 names in the box from which to draw the jurors for the term. The certificate made by the clerk and sheriff and justice, in whose presence he drew the panel, and filed, and on which the venire issued, does state that 24 names were put in the box, and does not state that there were any more. If the certificate were the only admissible evidence of the manner of drawing, then it would appear conclusively that the panel was improperly drawn. But the regularity of the drawing may be proved by the testimony of the clerk or the officers present, even though it contradict the certificate. State v. Gut, 13 Minn. 315, (341.) The bill of exceptions shows that the challenge was tried and disallowed, but does not show upon what evidence it was tried; and of course it must be presumed to have been upon evidence legal and sufficient to justify the conclusion.

.When the trial commenced, the defendant objected to the introduction of any evidence, on the ground that the indictment does not state facts sufficient to constitute a public offence. Under that objection the point is made that the indictment ought to allege that the prosecution was commenced on the complaint of the injured husband or wife; that the fact is jurisdictional and ought to be alleged. The objection we have stated can hardly be said to present that distinct point, [52]*52but there were other exceptions during the trial that raise the question, and it is involved more or less directly in eight or ten of th'e assignments of error; and so we consider it under the assignment of' error based on this objection. Section 262 of the Penal Code, after-defining the crime of adultery and prescribing the penalty, provides: “But no prosecution shall be commenced except on the complaint of' the husband or the wife-, save when such husband or wife is insane.”' It must be entirely apparent, the policy of the statute as to thisoffence being that if- the parties injured choose to acquiesce in the-wrong done, no one else ought to be allowed to move in the matter,, that where there are two persons injured, either may complain; as, where the guilty parties are both married, the husband of the one or the wife of the other may make the complaint. This disposes of two-of the assignments of error, which insist that in this case the wife of' the defendant ought to have made the complaint.

The statute- does not point out how the question shall be raised’ that the prosecution was not commenced on the complaint of the-proper person. The making of the complaint is no part of the of-fence. The description of the offence is complete without reference to it, nor does it go to the jurisdiction either of the court or grand jury. The court has jurisdiction of any indictment, whether good, or bad, rightfully or wrongfully found, if found by the proper grand jury. And the grand jury may inquire of any indictable offence alleged to have been committed within their county. If they find an indictment for such an offence in the county where, by reason of' some statutory, preliminary requisite, they ought not to have found it, it is, at most, error or irregularity, but does not affect their jurisdiction. For the reason that the complaint of the proper party is. not jurisdictional, nor descriptive of the offence, it is not necessary to allege it in the indictment or prove it on the trial. It does not. go to the merits of the trial, but only to the regularity of the previous proceedings. At common law the objection might properly be-raised by plea in abatement. Under our statute there is strictly no-plea in abatement in criminal cases. Gen. St. 1878, c. Ill, § 1; c. 112. A motion to set aside the indictment seems intended to-take the place of such a plea. Chapter 110. Matters specified in. [53]*53•section 1, c. 110, are of the kind that at common law would be proper for such a plea. But that section does not specify all objections, not affecting the question of guilt, which a defendant has a right to make to an indictment, and the specification of them is not to be regarded as exclusive. That the defendant was required to testify before the grand jury which found the indictment against him is not one of the grounds specified, yet, in State v. Froiseth, 16 Minn. 260, (296,) it was held that a motion to set aside the indictment, where such was the fact, should be granted. We conclude that the proper manner to make the objection that the prosecution was not commenced on the complaint of the proper person- can be made only by such a motion.: It .follows that all questions raised-on 'the trial as to the competency or sufficiency of the evidence to prove who moved the.prosecution.were immaterial; and the defendant having, by raising the question of who made the complaint, induced the court to enter on an immaterial inquiry, cannot insist on the objection that it was immaterial.

The indictment charges the adultery to have been committed with Margaretha Schlichthaber, wife of Frederick Schlichthaber. To prove the marriage the state offered the record of a certificate of marriage between Christian Frederick Schlichthaber and Margaretha Sturman, made by Charles H. Blecken, described in the certificate as a minister of the gospel, and in the signature to it as “Ev. Luth. Pastor. ” This was objected to, on the general ground that it was irrelevant, incompetent, and immaterial, and no foundation had been laid to authorize its admission as evidence. The objection was overruled, and the record read. The specific objections made here (they are not suggested by the objieetion made below) seem to be that the parties are not identified, and that there is no proof that Blecken was a regularly-ordained minister. It was of course necessary to identify the parties named, in the certificate. The proof of that, however, should not precede but follow the introduction of the certificate, and it was given by a witness present at the marriage. From the same witness’ testimony the jury might find that Blecken was a regularly-ordained minister. He certainly professed to be a minister of the gospel, as appears from the certificate; and in such case the mar[54]*54riage is valid if the parties or either of them, in the belief that it is valid, consummate the marriage. Kev. St. 1851, c. 65, § 15; Gen. St. 1878, c. 61, § 15. That it was so consummated appears beyond any controversy.

Section 97, c. 73, Gen. St. 1878, makes the record presumptive evidence of the marriage. With reference to this the defendant requested an instruction to the jury that the record was only presumptive evidence of the facts stated in it, and the instruction was refused. As the case stood the request was only an abstract proposition. Presumptive evidence establishes the fact until the presumption is removed or shaken by' proofs. There was no evidence to disprove the marriage; no proof to remove or shake the presumption raised by introduction of the record. The request therefore had no application to the state of the case, and the refusal could not prejudice.

A question of variance between the indictment and proofs is raised upon the names of the wife and the husband.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
42 N.W. 602, 41 Minn. 50, 1889 Minn. LEXIS 266, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-brecht-minn-1889.