Commonwealth v. Bradney
| Court | United States State Supreme Court of Pennsylvania |
| Writing for the Court | Clark |
| Citation | 126 Pa. 199 |
| Decision Date | 06 May 1889 |
| Parties | COMMONWEALTH v. W. BRADNEY ET AL. |
Page 199
Before PAXSON, C. J., STERRETT, GREEN, CLARK and WILLIAMS, JJ.
ERROR TO THE COURT OF QUARTER SESSIONS OF CLINTON COUNTY.
No. 329 January Term 1889, Sup. Ct.; court below, No. 18 September Term 1889, Q. S.
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Mr. A. W. Brungard, District Attorney, and Mr. George A. Brown, late District Attorney, for the plaintiff in error.
Mr. W. C. Kress, for the defendants in error.
OPINION, MR. JUSTICE CLARK:
As this indictment charges a nuisance, it was competent for the commonwealth on the trial to take an exception to any decision or ruling of the court and have a bill thereof sealed according to the practice in civil cases: Act of May 19, 1874, P. L. 219. The proceeding to quash is properly considered as a part of the trial: Commonwealth v. Jackson, 1 Gr. 262. But as there was no exception taken or bill sealed upon the competency of the witnesses examined on the hearing of the motion to quash, no question of that character can arise. The testimony so taken is before us for what it is worth, upon the exception to the order quashing the indictment, and the only matter for
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our consideration is, the sufficiency of the evidence to justify that order.
It cannot now be doubted that an indictment may be quashed for matters not apparent upon the face of the record: Bish. Cr. Law, 763. There is an apparent conflict in the cases, but the power of the court in this state has been recognized in frequent instances and to such an extent as to establish the rule beyond question. In support of this we may cite Jillard v. Commonwealth, 26 Pa. 169; Brown v. Commonwealth, 73 Pa. 321; Commonwealth v. Bartilson, 85 Pa. 482; and Commonwealth v. Greene, a case in the Eastern District, not yet reported. It is also true that a motion to quash a bill has been treated as a proceeding addressed to the discretion of the court, a discretion regulated by judicial rule; and, according to the more common practice, perhaps the decision is not open to revision in the higher courts, but in Pennsylvania and in some others of the states the practice is otherwise: Commonwealth v. Church, 1 Pa. 105; McCullough v. Commonwealth, 67 Pa. 30; Commonwealth v. Keenan, 67 Pa. 203; Hutchison v. Commonwealth, 82 Pa. 472.
It appears that whilst the bill was under consideration of the grand jury, Mr. Brown, the district attorney, told Mr. Summerson, one of...
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Attorney Gen. v. Pelletier
...163 Fed. 313;United States v. Rintelen (D. C.) 235 Fed. 787;Le Barron v. State, 107 Miss. 663, 674, 65 South. 648;Commonwealth v. Bradney, 126 Pa. 199, 205, 17 Atl. 600;Maginnis Case, 269 Pa. 186, 197, 198, 112 Atl. 555. See cases collected in 20 Cyc. 1338. 6. To affect the credibility of a......
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State v. Kemp
...757,37 Am.St.Rep. 147; Shattuck v. State, 11 Ind. 473, 475; Le Barron v. State, 107 Miss. 663, 673, 65 So. 648; Commonwealth v. Bradney, 126 Pa. 199, 205, 17 A. 600; Shoop v. People, 45 Ill.App. 110, 111; State v. Brewster, 70 Vt. 341, 40 A. 1037,42 L.R.A. 444. In State v. Baker, 33 W.Va. 3......
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State v. Kemp
...757, 37 Am.St.Rep. 147; Shattuck v. State, 11 Ind. 473, 475; Le Barron v. State, 107' Miss. 663, 673, 65 So. 648; Commonwealth v. Bradney, 126 Pa. 199, 205, 17 A. 600; Shoop v. People, 45 Ill. App. 110, 111; State v. Brewster, 70 Vt. 341, 40 A. 1037, 42 L.R.A. 444. In State v. Baker, 33 W.V......
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Com. v. Levinson
...Corp., supra; Commonwealth v. Kirk, 340 Pa. 346, 17 A.2d 195 (1941) Aff'g 141 Pa.Super. 123, 14 A.2d 914 (1940); Commonwealth v. Bradney, 126 Pa. 199, 17 A. 600 (1889); Commonwealth v. Brownmiller, 141 Pa. [239 Pa.Super. 396] Super. 107, 14 A.2d 907, Allocatur refused, 141 Pa.Super. Xxxiii ......
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Attorney Gen. v. Pelletier
...163 Fed. 313;United States v. Rintelen (D. C.) 235 Fed. 787;Le Barron v. State, 107 Miss. 663, 674, 65 South. 648;Commonwealth v. Bradney, 126 Pa. 199, 205, 17 Atl. 600;Maginnis Case, 269 Pa. 186, 197, 198, 112 Atl. 555. See cases collected in 20 Cyc. 1338. 6. To affect the credibility of a......
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State v. Kemp
...757,37 Am.St.Rep. 147; Shattuck v. State, 11 Ind. 473, 475; Le Barron v. State, 107 Miss. 663, 673, 65 So. 648; Commonwealth v. Bradney, 126 Pa. 199, 205, 17 A. 600; Shoop v. People, 45 Ill.App. 110, 111; State v. Brewster, 70 Vt. 341, 40 A. 1037,42 L.R.A. 444. In State v. Baker, 33 W.Va. 3......
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State v. Kemp
...757, 37 Am.St.Rep. 147; Shattuck v. State, 11 Ind. 473, 475; Le Barron v. State, 107' Miss. 663, 673, 65 So. 648; Commonwealth v. Bradney, 126 Pa. 199, 205, 17 A. 600; Shoop v. People, 45 Ill. App. 110, 111; State v. Brewster, 70 Vt. 341, 40 A. 1037, 42 L.R.A. 444. In State v. Baker, 33 W.V......
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Com. v. Levinson
...Corp., supra; Commonwealth v. Kirk, 340 Pa. 346, 17 A.2d 195 (1941) Aff'g 141 Pa.Super. 123, 14 A.2d 914 (1940); Commonwealth v. Bradney, 126 Pa. 199, 17 A. 600 (1889); Commonwealth v. Brownmiller, 141 Pa. [239 Pa.Super. 396] Super. 107, 14 A.2d 907, Allocatur refused, 141 Pa.Super. Xxxiii ......