Laminack v. State

• Decision Date: 31 January 1922
• Docket Number: 7 Div. 774. [*]
• Citation: 92 So. 505,18 Ala.App. 400
• Parties: LAMINACK ET AL. v. STATE.
• Court: Alabama Court of Appeals

92 So. 505

18 Ala.App. 400

LAMINACK ET AL. v. STATE.

7 Div. 774. ^[*]

Court of Appeals of Alabama

January 31, 1922

Rehearing Denied Feb. 21, 1922.

Appeal from Circuit Court, Cleburne County; A. P. Agee, Judge.

George and Chester Laminack were convicted of violating the prohibition law and they appeal. Affirmed.

Tate &amp Logan, of Anniston, for appellants.

Harwell G. Davis, Atty. Gen., for the State.

SAMFORD J.

The indictment was as follows:

"The grand jury of said county charge that before the finding of this indictment, George Laminack and Chester Laminack distilled, made, or manufactured alcoholic, spirituous, malted, or mixed liquors or beverages a part of which was alcohol.

"Second. The grand jury of said county further charge that before the finding of this indictment George Laminack and Chester Laminack manufactured, sold, gave away, or had in his possession a still, apparatus, appliance, or device or substitute therefore, to be used for the purpose of manufacturing prohibited liquors or beverages, against the peace and dignity of the state of Alabama."

There was a general verdict of guilty. Where this is the case, if one of the counts is bad and charges no offense and the other is good, the verdict, if responsive, will be referred to the good count. Coker v. State (Ala. App.) 93 So. 384 and authorities there cited.

The indictment was returned into court February 25, 1921, less than three years from November 30, 1919, and hence covered a period of time during which it was not a violation of law to have in possession a still, etc., to be used for the purpose of manufacturing liquor. This necessitated an averment as to time, in the absence of which the second count is fatally defective. McReynolds v. State (Ala. App.) 89 So 825; Clark v. State (Ala. App.) 90 So. 16; Isbell v. State (Ala. App.) 90 So. 55.

As to the first count a different rule applies. The manufacture of liquor has been a violation of the statute laws of this state since the 30th day of June, 1915, at which time the act creating the crime went into effect. Acts 1915, p. 1, §§ 3-18. By that act the manufacture of certain liquor was made a misdemeanor, punishable by fine or fine and hard labor, and carried with it a limitation of 12 months as to prosecution, which thereby became a material ingredient of the offense. Since January 25, 1919 (Acts 1919, p. 6) the manufacture of prohibited liquors has constituted a felony, punishable by a term in the penitentiary, and this court has held that the act of January 25, 1919, was not the creation of a new crime, but was in effect an amendment of the act of 1915 by which the grade of the crime was raised from that of misdemeanor to felony. Howard v. State, 17 Ala. App. 464, 86 So. 172. In cases where the indictments charging a manufacture of prohibited liquors were returned less than 12 months subsequent to the 25th day of January, 1919, we have held that, time being a necessary ingredient to determine whether the crime charged was a misdemeanor or a felony, an indictment which failed to allege that the offense was committed since the date on which the act became a felony, or that it was...