State v. Laymon

167 N.W. 402, 40 S.D. 381, 1918 S.D. LEXIS 86
CourtSouth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedMay 1, 1918
DocketFile No. 4214
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 167 N.W. 402 (State v. Laymon) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering South Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Laymon, 167 N.W. 402, 40 S.D. 381, 1918 S.D. LEXIS 86 (S.D. 1918).

Opinion

POLLEY, J.

Defendant, a registered pharmacist conducting a drug store in the town of Hetland, was convicted of selling intoxicating liquor to be used as a beverag-e, and ítem a judgment imposing a fine off $200 be appeals.

[1] It is first contended by appellant that the information on which lie was tried chargee two separate offenses, under the statute, .and that therefore -said information is- bad! 'for duplicity. This contention is based upon the fact that the said information charges that, at a specified time and place, defendant did “sell” and “give” intoxicating liquor to the person named 'in said 'information, while the statute (section 2860, Pol. Code, as amended by chapter 176, Laws off 1907) under'which'tine information is dirawn makees it an offense to “sell’” or '“give,” etc. ' This con-

[385]*385tentioin -is sio fully answered ¡by what is said by this court in State v. Bradley, 15 S. D. 148, 87 N. W. 590, that further discussion, of the proposition is wholly unnecessary.

[2] It is next contended by appelant that the information is insufficient to support a conviction. This contention grows out of a confusion of terms used in section 2860, Revised Political Code of 1903, as amended by chapiter 176, Laws of 1907. This section, as amended), defines two separate and distinct offenses, and attempts to provide a different penalty for each offense. The first provision, in general terms, malees, it unlawful for a registered pharmacist to sell intoxicating liquors to be used as a beverage, without regard foi the granting of permite to sell the same, and1 provides that any pharmacist who sells intoxicating liquor in violation of the provisions of “this' section” shall be punished by a fine of nolt tes® than $100 nor more than $300, etc. The next provision of said section malees it unlawful for a registered pharmacist to sell intoxicating liquors in any precinct, town, or city that has voted against the issuing of permits to sell intoxicating liquors, except upon a prescription of a licensed resident physician, and provides that any pharmacist who, violates the provisions of “this section” shall be punished by a fine of* not to- exeeel $100, or imprisonment, or ’both, etc. Thus, if read literally, the penalty provided by either provision of the sectiolm applies equally to* the offense defined in the other provision. But such an interpretation would, of course, be preposterous. The penalties imposed for the different offenses are radically different. It is very cteair that .the Legislature meant that the penalty prescribed in the first provisiioto of the statute shall aipply to the offense 'defined in that provision, and that offense only. And' the same is true of the penal,ty prescribed' in the second provision. If before the words “this section,” .in each place where they are used, the words “this provision of” were inserted, the meaning of the Legislature would be clear. Thus, by interpolating into, each provision before the words “this section” the phrase “this provision of” so that it would read “this provision of this section,” there would be no Confusion, and the very evident intent of the Legislature, would be dearly expressed. This interpretation harmonizes the various provisions of the said section, and, in our opinion, expresses the intent of the Legislature.

[386]*386[3] Applying the statute as thus interpreted' to- this case, we find that the information has been drawn under the first of the above enumerated provisions of tire said section. The information contains all the 'elements of this offense, and it contains 00 dement, not common to both offenses, constituting the offense defined 'by the second' provision of the statute. All the evidence on behalf of the state was aJimed at the offense 'defined by the first provision. The penalty imposed by the court is the penalty prescribed for the first-named offense, and is one that could not be imposed1 for the other. The case was tried by both the state and the appellant 00 the theory that appellant was charged with 'the commission of tlhle offense defined in the first ptnovisiioln of the law. No claim is made by appellant that the inftortmiatiioni 'charges the offense defined in the second provision, or that he Was misled or unable to prepare has defense, and we are fully satisfied1 that his rights were in no wise prejudiced.

[4I At tiie beginning of the trial, certain of tine veniremen on the panel were challenged1 by appellant for actual bias, appellant contending that it clearly appeared from the examination ■olf these veniremen on their voir dire that two1 of them had fixed opinions relating to the guilt or innocensie of the appellant and that another was so biased and prejudiced against appellant that be was dearly disqualified' to act as a juror in the case. But these challenges were overruled, and, to avoid being tried by jurors whom be considered disqualified to act in the case, appellant was obliged to and did exercise a peremptory challenge upon each of such veniremen. Appellant contends that the ruling of the trial court in denying bis said challenges for cause Constituted ■reversible error. If the said veniremen were in fact disqualified, because of actual bias, it was error, of course, on the part of the trial' court to overrule the said challenges, but it does net necessarily follow that siu!ch error is reversible. Each of said1 venliemen was excused by appellant on peremptory challenge, and the real error, If there was erro'r, consisted in compelling the appellant to exercise Shiis peremptory challenges upon veniremen who should have been excused for ¡cause. It is not necessary to determine whether the said veniremen were 'disqualified to act as! jurors or not, 'because, not having 'served -upon the'jury, of course the ¡appellant was not injured by the overruling of his challenges [387]*387not by being compelledto exercise his peremptory challenges upon isiaid veniremen, unless it appears that there were other members Of Ithe panel upon whom hie wished to. ex-eroLsle his peremptory challenges, or upon whom he would have exercised his peremptory challenges had he not been compelled to exhaust such challenges upon tlhe veniremen whom he considered were-disqualified! to act in the case. But appellant does not contend that there was any one otn the jury whíotn he wished to exercise a peremptory challenge, or upon whom he would have exercised such ’challenge tod he been, permitted' to. do so, nor that there whs any one ora the jury to whom he had 'any objection, nor that he preferred any other member olf ¡the panel toi any one who served as a juror, nolr that he was in any wisie prejudiced by the errors complained of. So far ais appears from the record, the personnel of the jury was exactly ¡the satae as it would have been had appellant’s challenges for cause been 'allowed by ¡the court. This being the case, under the wed-established rule of this 'court, siu'dh error is riot reversible.

[5] It is contended by appellant that the trial court permitted the state to. cross>-examine and in part to impeach its own witnesses. That in so doing the well-established1 rule that a party cannot cross-examine or impeach his own witnesses was’ violated, and that appellant’s rights were prejudiced thereby. There i& no doubt that the rule is correctly stated by appellant, but it is not an invariable rule toi be adhered to in all cases and under all ckoum-stances.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
167 N.W. 402, 40 S.D. 381, 1918 S.D. LEXIS 86, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-laymon-sd-1918.