State v. McGraw

177 N.E.2d 697, 86 Ohio Law. Abs. 490, 19 Ohio Op. 2d 174, 1961 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 333
CourtScioto County Court of Common Pleas
DecidedJune 27, 1961
DocketNo. 18689A
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 177 N.E.2d 697 (State v. McGraw) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Scioto County Court of Common Pleas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. McGraw, 177 N.E.2d 697, 86 Ohio Law. Abs. 490, 19 Ohio Op. 2d 174, 1961 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 333 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1961).

Opinion

Thompson, J.

This case is now before this Court on the defendant’s plea of double jeopardy to the first count of an indictment returned by the Scioto County Grand Jury on April 3, 1961, and the State’s demurrer to said plea. We find it advisable to review the file in this case for the purpose of simplifying the issues involved.

The Grand Jury of Scioto County returned an indictment against the defendant on December 5, 1960, which reads as follows :

“The Jurors of the Grand Jury of said County, on their [495]*495oaths, in the name and by the authority of the State of Ohio, do find and present that Rufus A. McGraw, on the 17th day of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and sixty (1960), at the County of Scioto aforesaid, unlawfully, purposely and while in the perpetration of Robbery, did inflict certain blows upon and about the head of one DAVID MYERS, which caused the death of the said David Myers on the 23rd day of November, 1960.

“Contrary to the statute in such case made and provided, and against the peace and dignity of the State of Ohio.”

To this charge, the defendant entered a plea of “not guilty” and on the 20th day of March, 1961, was placed on trial before a jury in this court. On the 28th day of March, the following journal entry was signed by the Judge presiding at that trial:

“Upon Motion of the Defendant, by and through his Counsel, that the Indictment herein returned for First Degree murder is defective and that it fails to allege a purpose to kill specifically, which the Defendant represents to be an essential element to the crime of Murder in the First Degree, it is the finding of the Court that said Motion is well taken in that there is a mistake in said Indictment as represented by the Defendant.

“This cause coming on further upon the Motion of the Prosecuting Attorney of Scioto County, Ohio, to amend the Indictment to correct said mistake, the same is hereby overruled.

“Now, on Motion of the State, during the trial of this cause and after the submission of certain evidence and before submission of the matter to the Jury, that a mistake has been made in charging the proper offense in the Indictment against the Defendant, it is ordered that the within cause be discontinued without prejudice to the prosecution, and this cause is dismissed.

“But it appearing that there is good cause to detain the said Defendant in custody, it is ordered that he be held without Bond and that this cause be presented to the April session of the Grand Jury of Scioto County, Ohio, for this, the January Term thereof, and such further proceedings as are proper thereafter in the premises, and this order of discontinuance [496]*496of trial is made without prejudice to the further prosecution of the Defendant and pursuant to Section 2945.14, Revised Code.

“Exceptions of the Defendant are noted to the Motion of the Prosecuting Attorney respecting the discontinuance of this cause.”

■ Following this, on the 3rd day of Aprill, 1961, the Grand Jury returned a further indictment against the defendant, the first count of which reads as follows:

“The Jurors of the Grand Jury of said County, on their oaths, in the name and by the authority of the State of Ohio, do find and present that Rufus A. McGraw, late of said County, on the 17th day of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and Sixty (1960), at the County of Scioto aforesaid, unlawfully, purposely and while in the perpetration of robbery, killed one DAVID MYERS, by then and there inflicting certain blows about the head of one David Myers, which caused the death of the said David Myers on the 23rd day of November, 1960.”

The second count of the indictment charged the defendant with “armed robbery.” To the second count of the indictment the defendant entered a plea of “not guilty,” but to the first count, above quoted, the defendant on the 12th day of June, 1961, filed a plea of former jeopardy which reads as follows:

“The said Rufus A. McGraw in his own person comes into court here and having waived the reading of the within indictment says that the State of Ohio ought not further to prosecute the first count of said indictment against him, the said Rufus A. McGraw, in respect to the offense in the first count of said indictment mentioned because that, heretofore, on the 5th day of December, A. D., 1960, at the term of the Court of Common Pleas, begun and holding in the City of Portsmouth, in the County of Scioto and State of Ohio, the Grand Jurors chosen, selected and sworn in and for the said County of Scioto in the name and by the authority of the State of Ohio, upon their oaths, presented a valid indictment against him, the said Rufus A. McGraw, which said indictment is in the words and figures following, to-wit;

[497]*497“Tbe State of Ohio, Scioto County, ss: Court of Common Pleas

Of tbe Term of September, in tbe Year of our Lord, one thousand nine hundred and sixty.

The Jurors of the Grand Jury of said County, on their oaths, in the name and by the authority of the State of Ohio, do find and present that Rufus A. McGraw, on the 17th day of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and sixty (1960), at the County of Scioto aforesaid, unlawfully, purposely and while in the perpetration of robbery, did inflict certain blows upon and about the head of one David Myers, which caused the death of the said David Myers on the 23rd day of November, 1960.

“Contrary to the statute in such ease made and provided, and against the peace and dignity of the State of Ohio.

Everett Burton, Prosecuting Attorney”

“Said indictment bears the number 18689 and contains an endorsement as follows: ‘A True Bill’ and is also endorsed by Allen J. Slattery, Foreman Grand Jury, Said indictment was filed in the office of the Clerk of Courts, Scioto County, Ohio, on the 5th day of December, 1960.

“Under said last mentioned indictment the said Rufus A. McGraw was arraigned and pleaded not guilty, and the State of Ohio joined issue on said plea; that afterwards, to-wit, on the 20th day of March, A. D., 1961, in the said Court of Common Pleas, before a Jury duly and regularly summoned, impaneled and sworn to try the said issue joined as aforesaid, the said Rufus A. McGraw was duly placed upon trial and the trial proceeded when said jury was discharged by the court upon motion of the Prosecuting Attorney of Scioto County, Ohio, for a discontinuance of said cause, without the consent of the defendant, the said Rufus A. McGraw, and over and against his protest and objection, and without any special cause recognized by law, there being no special necessity for the discontinuance of said cause, and the discharge of said Jury. That said Court of Common Pleas was and is a court of competent jurisdiction to try the cause so discontinued as aforesaid, and the said Rufus A. McGraw further says that he, the said Rufus A. McGraw, and the said Rufus A. McGraw so indicted and, placed on trial as aforesaid are one and the same person and [498]*498not other and different persons and that the homicide of which he, the said Rufus A. McGraw, was so indicted and placed on trial as aforesaid, and the homicide of which he, the said Rufus A. McGraw, is now indicted in the first count thereof, are one and the same offense and not other and different offenses.

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Related

State v. Nelson
365 N.E.2d 1268 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1977)
State v. Preston
253 N.E.2d 827 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1969)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
177 N.E.2d 697, 86 Ohio Law. Abs. 490, 19 Ohio Op. 2d 174, 1961 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 333, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-mcgraw-ohctcomplscioto-1961.