Griffin v. State, 7 Div. 401
| Court | Alabama Court of Appeals |
| Writing for the Court | BRICKEN, P.J. |
| Citation | 22 Ala.App. 369,115 So. 769 |
| Docket Number | 7 Div. 401 |
| Decision Date | 13 March 1928 |
| Parties | GRIFFIN v. STATE. |
115 So. 769
22 Ala.App. 369
GRIFFIN
v.
STATE.
7 Div. 401
Court of Appeals of Alabama
March 13, 1928
Appeal from De Kalb County Court; E.M. Baker, Judge.
Sanders Griffin was convicted of violating the prohibition law, and he appeals. Reversed and remanded. [115 So. 770.]
[22 Ala.App. 370] Chas. J. Scott, of Ft. Payne, for appellant.
Charlie C. McCall, Atty. Gen., for the State.
BRICKEN, P.J.
Under the statutes of this state, when offenses are of the same character and subject to the same punishment, the defendant may be charged with the commission of either in the same count in the alternative. Also, when the offense may be committed by different means, or with different intents, such means or intents may be alleged in the same count in the alternative. Sections 4544, 4546, Code 1923. However, when so charged in the alternative, each alternative must state a complete offense under the law. May's Case, 89 Ala. 37, 8 So. 28; Hornsby v. State, 94 Ala. 55, 10 So. 522.
Count 4, in the indictment in this case, was defective, in that the first alternative averment charged that the defendant did buy, etc., prohibited liquors. This averment, standing alone, charged no offense under the laws of Alabama. Code 1923, § 4621. Under the authorities above cited, this alternative averment rendered the count as a whole defective. The demurrers interposed to this count of the indictment pointed out specifically this defect, and should have been sustained. The court, however, overruled the demurrers, and thereby committed error to a reversal, for the law is:
"The overruling of a demurrer to a defective count in an indictment is an error for which the judgment of conviction will be reversed, although the indictment also contained several good counts, and there was a general verdict of guilty." Pairo v. State, 49 Ala. 25 (second headnote); Hornsby's Case, supra; Winchester v State, 20 Ala.App. 431, 102 So. 595
The contention that the indictment is invalid because not signed by the solicitor is without merit. An indictment receives its legal efficacy from being found and returned into court by a grand jury; and it is not necessary, to its validity, that it be signed by the solicitor, or any one acting for him. Prince v. State, 140 Ala. 158, 37 So. 171; Baker v. State, 18 Ala.App. 510, 93 So. 270. The indictment here contains the indorsement, "A true bill. W.E. Hurt, Foreman of Grand Jury." This indorsement properly authenticates...
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Doss v. State, 6 Div. 302.
...state a complete offense under the law, and a failure so [23 Ala.App. 175] to do renders the entire count defective. Griffin v. State, 22 Ala. App. 369, 115 So. 769. As a general rule, the form of indictments to be found in the Code is sufficient, but an indictment that follows the Code for......
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Gayden v. State, 3 Div. 970
...evidence supports its averments. Hawes v. State, 216 Ala. 151, 112 So. 761; Jones v. State, 236 Ala. 30, 182 So. 404; Griffin v. State, 22 Ala.App. 369, 115 So. 769; Crow v. State, 35 Ala.App. 606, 51 So.2d These three positions are posed in appellant's brief in support of the insistence th......
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Young v. State, 8 Div. 924
...11 and 12 listed above, because the count, being bad in part, is bad in the whole. Horton v. State, 53 Ala. 488; Griffin v. State, 22 Ala.App. 369, 115 So. We must be ever mindful that the right of an accused to demand the nature and cause of the accusation is one of the cornerstones of our......
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Jinright v. State, 4 Div. 451.
...the form prescribed is fatally defective, when assailed by demurrer. Following the former decision of that court in Griffin v. State, 22 Ala. App. 369, 115 So. 769, it is held the alternative averment that the accused "did buy prohibited liquors" charges no offense known to the law. On this......
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Doss v. State, 6 Div. 302.
...state a complete offense under the law, and a failure so [23 Ala.App. 175] to do renders the entire count defective. Griffin v. State, 22 Ala. App. 369, 115 So. 769. As a general rule, the form of indictments to be found in the Code is sufficient, but an indictment that follows the Code for......
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Gayden v. State, 3 Div. 970
...evidence supports its averments. Hawes v. State, 216 Ala. 151, 112 So. 761; Jones v. State, 236 Ala. 30, 182 So. 404; Griffin v. State, 22 Ala.App. 369, 115 So. 769; Crow v. State, 35 Ala.App. 606, 51 So.2d These three positions are posed in appellant's brief in support of the insistence th......
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Young v. State, 8 Div. 924
...11 and 12 listed above, because the count, being bad in part, is bad in the whole. Horton v. State, 53 Ala. 488; Griffin v. State, 22 Ala.App. 369, 115 So. We must be ever mindful that the right of an accused to demand the nature and cause of the accusation is one of the cornerstones of our......
-
Jinright v. State, 4 Div. 451.
...the form prescribed is fatally defective, when assailed by demurrer. Following the former decision of that court in Griffin v. State, 22 Ala. App. 369, 115 So. 769, it is held the alternative averment that the accused "did buy prohibited liquors" charges no offense known to the law. On this......