State v. Zaras

78 N.E.2d 74, 81 Ohio App. 152, 36 Ohio Op. 460, 1947 Ohio App. LEXIS 667
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 30, 1947
Docket484
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 78 N.E.2d 74 (State v. Zaras) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Zaras, 78 N.E.2d 74, 81 Ohio App. 152, 36 Ohio Op. 460, 1947 Ohio App. LEXIS 667 (Ohio Ct. App. 1947).

Opinion

Middleton, J.

This case comes into this court on appeal from a judgment of the Juvenile Court of Hancock county, Ohio, entered against the defendant, appellant herein, on his plea of guilty to the charge set forth in the following affidavit, to wit:

“The state of Ohio, Hancock county, ss: Juvenile Court.

“Before me, Paul R. Capell, judge of the Juvenile Court in and for said county, personally came Howard Pepple who, being duly sworn according to law, deposes and says, that on or about the 7th day of *153 April 1946, at the county of Hancock aforesaid, one J. P. Zaras then and there unlawfully did contribute toward the delinquency of one Paul Pepple then and there a minor under the age of 18 years, to wit, of the age of 17 years, in this to wit:

“That J. P. Zaras, the owner and operator of the Coney Island Lunch, Findlay, Ohio, and in which place of business, beer is sold, did furnish, aid or participate in the sale of beer to said minor, who being under the age of 18- years, and in divers other ways and times he the said J. P. Zaras did wilfully and unlawfully contribute toward the delinquency of the said minor Paul Pepple he the said J. P. Zaras well knowing the said Paul Pepple to be such minor; contrary to the G-eneral- Code in such case made and provided, and against the peace and dignity of the state of Ohio.”

Upon arraignment on that affidavit the defendant entered a plea of guilty and was fined the sum of $300 and costs.

The defendant assigns two grounds of error.

First. That no charge against the defendant, within the jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court, is set forth in the affidavit.

Second. That the defendant in distress of mind, without adequate legal defense, and under representations of the court yielded contrary to his rights.

The essential part of the affidavit is that “J. P. Zaras, the owner and operator of the Coney Island Lunch, Findlay, Ohio, and in which place of business, beer is sold, did furnish, aid or participate in the sale of beer to said minor, who being under the age of 18 years.”

If the foregoing does not charge an offense under the laws of Ohio, within the jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court, the defendant must be discharged.

*154 The affidavit was drawn pursuant to Section 1639-45, General Code, which reads as follows ;

“Sec. 1639-45. Whoever abuses a child or aids, abets, induces, causes, encourages or contributes toward the dependency, neglect or delinquency, as herein defined, of a child or a ward of the court, or acts in a way tending to cause delinquency in such child, or who aids, abets, induces, causes or encourages a child or a ward of the court, committed to the custody of any person, department, public or private institution, to leave the custody of such person, department, public or private institution, without legal consent, shall be fined not less than five dollars, nor more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not less than ten days nor more than one year, or both. Each day of such contribution to such dependency, neglect or delinquency, shall be deemed a separate offense.”

As the affidavit charges the defendant “did contribute toward” the 'delinquency of a minor Paul Pepple we must turn to the code for a definition of a delinquent minor. That definition is found in Section 1639-2, General Code, as follows:

“Sec. 1639-2. For the purpose of this chapter, the words ‘delinquent'child’ includes any child:

1. Who violates any law of this state, the United States, or any ordinance or regulation of a subdivision of the state.

2. Who does not subject itself to the reasonable control of its parents, teachers, guardian or custodian, by reason of being wayward or habitually disobedient.

3. Who is a habitual truant from home or school.

4. Who so deports itself as to injure or endanger the morals or health of itself or others.

5. Who attempts to enter the marriage relation in this or any other state without the consent of its. *155 parents, custodian, legal guardian or other legal authority, as required by the laws of this state.”

It is not a prerequisite that the minor be found to be delinquent in a separate action before a charge of contributing toward the delinquency of such minor can be maintained, but the affidavit setting forth the charge, that the defendant contributed toward the delinquency of the minor, must set forth facts showing the minor to be a delinquent minor within the purview of Section 1639-2, General Code.

“1. There can be no valid conviction on an affidavit which charges no offense against laws of state.

“2. Affidavit charging defendant contributed to delinquency of a minor held fatally defective, even after judgment of conviction, where it did not specify some facts showing minor was delinquent child, within meaning of Section 1644, General Code.

“3. It is not sufficient to charge offense of contributing to delinquency of minor in language of Section 1654, General Code.

“4. Affidavit charging one with contributing to delinquency of a minor states no charge, under Section 1654, General Code, unless it charges some one or more acts of delinquency specified in Section 1644, since words ‘as herein defined,’ as used in Section 1654, insofar as they relate. to delinquency, refer to definition of delinquent child contained in Section' 1644.” Edmonds v. State, 30 Ohio App., 195, 164 N. E., 649.

“1. Statute defining offense cannot be extended by construction to person or things not within its terms, though apparently within its spirit.

“2. Allegations that minor was under eighteen, a delinquent within meaning of statute, and that accused contributed to such delinquency, are essential to state *156 ment of offense (Sections 1644 and 1654, General Code).

“3. No conviction can rest on affidavit which-charges no offense against'laws of the state.” Peefer v. State, 42 Ohio App., 276, 182 N. E., 117.

The prosecuting attorney, in his brief, maintained that the affidavit contains facts sufficient to show the minor to be a delinquent under Section 1639-2, subdivision 1, to wit: one “who violates any law of this state, the United States, or any ordinance or regulation of a subdivision of the "state.”

The affidavit charges that the defendant'“did furnish, aid or participate in the sale of beer to said minor, who being under the age of 18 years.”

The sale of beer to a minor under 18 years of age is an offense under the laws of Ohio, as set forth in Section 12960, General Code, to wit:

“Sec. 12960.

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Bluebook (online)
78 N.E.2d 74, 81 Ohio App. 152, 36 Ohio Op. 460, 1947 Ohio App. LEXIS 667, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-zaras-ohioctapp-1947.