State v. Cates

58 A. 238, 99 Me. 68, 1904 Me. LEXIS 47
CourtSupreme Judicial Court of Maine
DecidedMay 24, 1904
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 58 A. 238 (State v. Cates) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Judicial Court of Maine primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Cates, 58 A. 238, 99 Me. 68, 1904 Me. LEXIS 47 (Me. 1904).

Opinion

Spear, J.

This case comes up on demurrer to an indictment the substantial part of which is as follows:

That Gleason B. Cates .... with force and arms took a certain pocket book containing a large sum of money, to wit, the sum of fifty dollars, of the goods and chattels of one Augustus H. Ulmer, then and there being, did then and there embezzle and fraudulently convert to his own use, and did then and there secrete with intent to embezzle and convert to his own use said pocket book, etc.

The respondent contends that the indictment sets out two distinct offenses and is therefore bad for duplicity. The claim is that the allegation that the respondent “did embezzle and convert to his own use” sets out one offense, and that the averment “that he did then and there secrete with intent to embezzle and fraudulently convert to his own use,” charges another distinct offense. We think the difficulty with the respondent’s position is his failure to distinguish between the acts which constitute different modes of committing the offense charged and the offense itself. Neither of the above averments in the indictment sets out any offense at common law. It was not such an offense to embezzle or to secrete with intent to embezzle. “It was the fraudulent breach of duty and trust, which, but for the statute, could not be held to amount to larceny, that the legislature wanted to punish.” State v. Walton, 62 Maine, 111. “The law of embezzlement is statutory. It sprang from attempts to amend the law of larceny and is indeed a sort of statutory larceny.” 2 Bisli. Crim. Law, § 318. “What persons may be guilty of it and what [70]*70property is subject of it cannot be discriminated with precision, except by reference to the statutes of the jurisdiction.” Id. § 325.

The statute under which the above indictment is found is as follows: “Whoever embezzles or fraudulently converts to his own use, or secretes with intent to embezzle or convert to his own use, money, goods or property delivered to him, or any part thereof, which may be the subject of larceny, shall be deemed guilty of larceny.” The offense charged in this statute, as suggested by Bishop, may be defined as statutory larceny. It is not embezzlement nor secreting with intent to embezzle. These phrases simply describe the modes by which the single act of larceny may be committed, the acts which constitute the offense. The penalty for larceny, by necessary implication, follows the offense. But it should be observed that the acts, whether done together or separately, constitute but one offense, larceny, and are subject to but one,and the same penalty. If the statute prescribed that each of the prohibited acts should be punished by the same or different penalties, the defendant’s contention would be sound. But, as before observed, neither of these acts, per se, is followed by a penalty, but, when committed, constitute an offense which is. Thei’e is a distinction to be noted between the acts which constitute the different modes of committing an offense and the offense itself. This distinction, we think, brings the case at bar within the rule laid down in State v. Willis, 78 Maine, 73. The court say, “The indictment avers that the defendant was concerned in a lottery by printing, publishing and circulating an advertisement of it; and also in other ways. It is argued that this is ill for duplicity. The argument is based upon a misconception of the design and scope of the law against lotteries. The statute (R. S., c. 128, § 13,) does not establish numerous independent offenses, — it established but one offense. It declares ‘every lottery, scheme or device of chance’ to be a nuisance. The offense to be alleged and' proved is nuisance. The statute particularizes some of the modes in which the offense may be committed, and also declares generally that whoever aids in a lottery or is connected therewith shall be punished. It is but one offense and the same punishment, no matter in what form the guilty participation consists. There are not as many distinct offenses as [71]*71there are forms of offense. The indictment describes the means by which the defendant’s guilt may be proved.”

In the case at bar “the statute does not establish numerous independent offenses.” The offense alleged is in effect larceny, and “the statute particularizes the modes in which the offense may be committed,” namely, by embezzling or secreting with intent to embezzle, and the same punishment applies “in whatever form the guilty participation consists.” There is but one substantive offense charged in the indictment at bar, a qualified larceny. “It was held in Hinckle v. Cone, 4 Dana, (Ky.) 518, that setting up a gaming table may be an entire offense. Keeping a gaming table and inducing others to bet upon it may also constitute a different offense; for either unconnected with the other an indictment will lie. Yet when both are perpetrated by the same person, at the same time, they constitute but one offense, for which one count is sufficient and for which but one penalty can be inflicted.” State v. Burgess, 40 Maine, 592, and cases cited.

We fail to find any case, when properly distinguished, not in harmony with the above interpretation. The defendant cites State v. Smith, 61 Maine, 386, as containing a contrary view. But this case is clearly distinguishable. It involved an indictment charging the defendant, in one count, with three criminal offenses, each one of which was subject to a distinct penalty. The court say, “moreover the penalty affixed to each of them is distinct and entire and cannot be apportioned upon two or more of them.” But in this same case the court distinctly hold, in commenting upon the claim of the state, that the construction to be given this statute should be analogous to that given to the statute against buying, receiving or aiding in the concealment of stolen goods, that “the two statutes are clearly distinguishable in respect to the question under consideration.” “In that case,” that is, of the statute relating to stolen goods, “the punishment is the same for one as for all three of the prohibited acts; and though each of the acts were charged separately, in different counts, only one punishment could be inflicted. The several acts mentioned in. the statute are but so many modes of describing [72]*72one and the same offense, that offense being established by proof of either of the modes.”

It seems to us that the reasons for distinguishing the two statutes, above compared, clearly takes the case at bar from the purview of the statute construed, and brings it within the category of the statute distinguished.

In the case at bar the punishment is the same for one as for all of the prohibited acts; if each of the acts was charged separately, in different counts, ■ only one punishment could be inflicted; and the several acts mentioned are but so many modes of describing one and the same offense, statutory larceny.

State v. Haven, 59 Vt. 399, cited by the defendant, when properly analyzed also sustains the contention of the state. That case was based upon an indictment charging the defendant, in the same count, with signing a false certificate with the intent that it should be issued, and with causing it to be issued and used by another. The court say, p.

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

Related

State v. Rowe
238 A.2d 217 (Supreme Judicial Court of Maine, 1968)
Smith
45 A.2d 438 (Supreme Judicial Court of Maine, 1946)
Wilburn v. State
97 S.E. 87 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 1918)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
58 A. 238, 99 Me. 68, 1904 Me. LEXIS 47, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-cates-me-1904.