Bird v. State

Citation8 N.E. 14, 107 Ind. 154
Case DateJune 22, 1886
CourtSupreme Court of Indiana

107 Ind. 154
8 N.E. 14

Bird
v.
State.

Supreme Court of Indiana.

June 22, 1886.


Appeal from Montgomery circuit court.


Thompson & Herod and J. West, for appellant. The Attorney General and F. M. Howard, for appellee.

Zollars, J.

Appellant was convicted upon a charge of grand larceny. He has appealed, and brought up the case upon the instructions without the evidence.

Instruction 3 1/2 was as follows: “To convict the defendant, the state must prove that the property, or some part thereof, described in the indictment, was taken by the defendant; that at the time it was taken it was the property of William McIvar; that it was taken in Montgomery county, Indiana, and within two years next preceding the finding of the indictment, which was October 9, 1885.” It is contended that by this instruction the court assumed to give to the jury all of the facts necessary to be found in order to justify a conviction, and that it is defective in that there was an omission to state that the taking must have been felonious, and that the property taken must have been of some value.

When it is undertaken to state in an instruction all of the elements of the offense necessary to a conviction, and an essential element is omitted, the instruction will be fatally defective. Hart v. State, 57 Ind. 102;Hunter v. State, 101 Ind. 241. We do not think, however, that the instruction is fairly open to the objections urged against it. It was stated in the instruction that, to convict the defendant, the state must prove certain things; but it was not stated that the proof of those facts would alone justify a conviction, without reference to other facts, and other instructions by the court.

[8 N.E. 15]

In the third charge the jury were properly instructed that the taking must have been felonious, and as to the necessary value of the property taken to constitute grand larceny.

In the fourth charge the jury were instructed that they were the judges both of the law and of the evidence; that the instructions by the court were advisory merely; and that, if they differed with the court as to the law, they might follow their own convictions, and disregard the instructions of the court. The latter part of the instruction of which appellant complains was as follows: “If, however, you have no well-defined opinion or convictions as to what the law is relating to any particular matter or matters at issue in the case, then, in determining what it is, you should give the instructions of the court...

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23 practice notes
  • Shields v. State
    • United States
    • Indiana Supreme Court of Indiana
    • February 3, 1898
    ...together, correctly stated the law applicable to the facts of this case; and the cases of Hunter v. State, 101 Ind. 241,Bird v. State, 107 Ind. 154, 8 N. E. 14, and Snyder v. State, 59 Ind. 105, cited by appellant, are not in point here. The jury were instructed that “involuntary manslaught......
  • Dickerson v. State, 628
    • United States
    • United States State Supreme Court of Wyoming
    • December 3, 1910
    ...the jury are urged to bear in mind that he is the defendant in considering the testimony. This instruction was error. (Bird v. State, 107 Ind. 154; Hartford v. State, 96 Ind. 461; Veatch v. State, 56 Ind. 584; Unruh v. State, 105 Ind. 117; State v. Austin, 113 Mo. 538; State v. Miller, 162 ......
  • Rahke v. State, No. 20,888.
    • United States
    • Indiana Supreme Court of Indiana
    • June 7, 1907
    ...elements of the offense, and one or more is omitted, the same is erroneous. Gillett's Criminal Law (2d Ed.) § 915; Bird v. State, 107 Ind. 154, 155, 8 N. E. 14, and cases cited. It is claimed, however, “that the element of force necessary to constitute rape was amply stated in another instr......
  • Deal v. State
    • United States
    • Indiana Supreme Court of Indiana
    • February 26, 1895
    ...credibility and weight of the evidence. The next case cited by appellant as conflicting with Anderson v. State, supra, is Bird v. State, 107 Ind. 154, 8 N. E. 14. The instruction there condemned is as follows: “The defendant has testified in his own behalf. In weighing his testimony, the fa......
  • Request a trial to view additional results
23 cases
  • Shields v. State
    • United States
    • Indiana Supreme Court of Indiana
    • February 3, 1898
    ...together, correctly stated the law applicable to the facts of this case; and the cases of Hunter v. State, 101 Ind. 241,Bird v. State, 107 Ind. 154, 8 N. E. 14, and Snyder v. State, 59 Ind. 105, cited by appellant, are not in point here. The jury were instructed that “involuntary manslaught......
  • Dickerson v. State, 628
    • United States
    • United States State Supreme Court of Wyoming
    • December 3, 1910
    ...the jury are urged to bear in mind that he is the defendant in considering the testimony. This instruction was error. (Bird v. State, 107 Ind. 154; Hartford v. State, 96 Ind. 461; Veatch v. State, 56 Ind. 584; Unruh v. State, 105 Ind. 117; State v. Austin, 113 Mo. 538; State v. Miller, 162 ......
  • Rahke v. State, No. 20,888.
    • United States
    • Indiana Supreme Court of Indiana
    • June 7, 1907
    ...elements of the offense, and one or more is omitted, the same is erroneous. Gillett's Criminal Law (2d Ed.) § 915; Bird v. State, 107 Ind. 154, 155, 8 N. E. 14, and cases cited. It is claimed, however, “that the element of force necessary to constitute rape was amply stated in another instr......
  • Deal v. State
    • United States
    • Indiana Supreme Court of Indiana
    • February 26, 1895
    ...credibility and weight of the evidence. The next case cited by appellant as conflicting with Anderson v. State, supra, is Bird v. State, 107 Ind. 154, 8 N. E. 14. The instruction there condemned is as follows: “The defendant has testified in his own behalf. In weighing his testimony, the fa......
  • Request a trial to view additional results

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