State v. Nevius

71 N.E.2d 258, 147 Ohio St. 263, 147 Ohio St. (N.S.) 263, 34 Ohio Op. 210, 1947 Ohio LEXIS 403
CourtOhio Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 15, 1947
Docket30639
StatusPublished
Cited by80 cases

This text of 71 N.E.2d 258 (State v. Nevius) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio 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. Nevius, 71 N.E.2d 258, 147 Ohio St. 263, 147 Ohio St. (N.S.) 263, 34 Ohio Op. 210, 1947 Ohio LEXIS 403 (Ohio 1947).

Opinions

Turner, J.

After a careful review of all the evidence, we affirm the judgment of the Court of Appeals in reversing the judgment of the trial court on the second count in the indictment for the reason that there was a failure of proof to support the judgment of the trial court.

'We also affirm the judgment of the Court of Appeals in reversing the judgment of the trial court op the fourth count in the indictment. However, we reverse the judgment of the Court of Appeals in remanding the case to the trial court for a new trial on the fourth count for the reason that the evidence fails to show that the crime alleged occurred in Clark county where the indictment was returned and trial had. Therefore, defendant’s motion to direct a verdict of not guilty on such fourth count, made at the [267]*267close of the state’s case and renewed at the conclusion of all of the evidence, should have been sustained.

In passing on such motion at the close of the state’s case, the trial court said: ‘ ‘ There is no evidence where the car was delivered to Mr. -Nevius, although the title seems to indicate he acquired it. I think a reasonable inference ,seems to be, in the absence of any evidence that he was in Dayton and acquired it there, that it was delivered to him at his home or in the city where he lives, because that is naturally where he would use it.”

We are of the opinion that such “inference” is mere speculation. The burden was on the state to show that Nevius accepted the automobile in Clark county.

It does not follow from the absence of any evidence in the state’s case that Nevius acquired the automobile in Dayton (Montgomery county) that he accepted such automobile in Clark county.

Under the trial, court’s stated understanding of the state’s evidence that there was no evidence where the car was delivered, it was the duty of the trial court to sustain defendant’s motion to direct a verdict and dismiss defendant on the fourth count in the indictment. We agree with the trial court that the state’s case disclosed no evidence showing where Nevius accepted the alleged bribe. There was evidence that Nevius had been with Parisi in Dayton at different times. Dayton is but a few miles from Springfield.

When defendant’s motion was renewed at the closé of all the evidence, the only evidence in the record on the subject of the venue of the alleged offense was the testimony of Nevius that Parisi delivered the car to him at a garage in Dayton (Montgomery county) and that he (Nevius) drove it home from Dayton.

At the close of all the evidence, there was a'failure of proof that Nevius had accepted the alleged bribe in [268]*268Clark county. The state’s witness Boush, who brought the car from Pennsylvania to Dayton, testified that he sold and delivered the automobile to Parisi in Dayton. Boush testified further that he had no dealing with Nevius and had never seen him until the trial.

Under such circumstances and with the defendant’s testimony that he acquired the car from Parisi in Dayton, the trial court would have been warranted in committing Nevius to await a warrant for his arrest from Montgomery county upon the charge contained in the fourth count of the indictment.

Section 13442-6, General Code, provides:

“If on the trial of a criminal cause, it shall appear that the offense was committed within the exclusive jurisdiction of another county of this state, the court must direct the defendant to be committed for such time as it deems reasonable, to await a warrant from the proper county for his arrest, but if the offense is a bailable offense the court may admit the defendant to bail with sufficient sureties conditioned, that he will, within such time as the court may appoint, render himself amenable to a warrant for his arrest from the proper county; and if not sooner arrested thereon, •will appear in court at the time fixed to surrender himself upon the warrant if issued.

“The clerk shall forthwith notify the prosecuting attorney of the county in which such offense was committed, in order that proper proceedings may be had in the case. A defendant in such case shall not be detained in such jail nor held under bond for a period of more than ten days.”

Section 10 of Article I of the Constitution requires that an accused be tried by a jury of the county in which the offense is alleged to have been committed. (No question of change of venue is here involved.)

A grand jury may inquire of and present only such offenses as have been committed within the county for [269]*269which such grand jury was impaneled and sworn. (Section 13436-5, General Code.)

In the case of State v. Chalikes, 122 Ohio St., 35, 170 N. E., 653, it was held:

' ‘ 1. An indictment returned by a grand jury in one county of this state, charging a felony alleged to have been committed in another county of the state, is subject to demurrer.

“2. A statute which attempts to provide the place of trial of an offense for which a jury may be demanded in a county other than that in which the offense was committed is violative of Section 10 of Article I of the Constitution of Ohio, and, to that extent, is void.”

In the case of State v. Knight, 54 Ohio St., 330, 43 N. E., 281, it was held:

“A prosecution against a county officer for soliciting a bribe outside of his county, must be in the county where the bribe was solicited, and not in the county where he holds office.”

The crime charged against Nevius could be established only by proof of the acceptance of the bribe. If such acceptance did not occur in Clark county, he could,not legally be prosecuted in Clark county.

Section 12823, General Code, provides as to the acceptance of a bribe:

“* * * and whoever, being * * * a state or other officer, # # * either before or after his election, qualification, appointment or employment, solicits or accepts any valuable or beneficial thing to influence him with respect to his official duty, or to influence his action, vote, opinion or judgment, in a matter pending, or that might legally come before him, shall be imprisoned in the penitentiary not less than one year nor more than ten years.”

The judgment of the Court of Appeals reversing: the judgment of the trial court on the sixth count in [270]*270the indictment must be reversed. We are of the opinion that the state proved beyond a reasonable doubt the crime alleged in snch sixth count, and that no prejudicial error occurred in the trial court in respect thereof.

Section 13437-3, General Code, provides that an indictment may charge two or more different offenses connected together in their commission or two or more different offenses of the same class of crimes or offenses under separate counts, and that a verdict of acquittal of one or more counts shall not be deemed or held to be an acquittal of any other count.

In the case of Stoughton v. State, 2 Ohio St., 562, Judge Thurman said at page 567: “And we are not prepared to depart from the rule, that has hitherto prevailed in Ohio, that.one good count in an indictment will support a general verdict of guilty. Forsythe v. The State, 6 Ohio, 25.”

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
71 N.E.2d 258, 147 Ohio St. 263, 147 Ohio St. (N.S.) 263, 34 Ohio Op. 210, 1947 Ohio LEXIS 403, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-nevius-ohio-1947.