People v. Lynumn, 35748

Decision Date01 December 1960
Docket NumberNo. 35748,35748
Citation171 N.E.2d 17,21 Ill.2d 63
PartiesPEOPLE of the State of Illinois, Defendant in Error, v. Beatrice LYNUMN, Plaintiff in Error.
CourtIllinois Supreme Court

Page 17

171 N.E.2d 17
21 Ill.2d 63
PEOPLE of the State of Illinois, Defendant in Error,
v.
Beatrice LYNUMN, Plaintiff in Error.
No. 35748.
Supreme Court of Illinois.
Dec. 1, 1960.
Rehearing Denied Jan. 18, 1961.

[21 Ill.2d 65]

Page 18

Westbrooks, Holman & E. F. Johnson, Chicago (Claude W. B. Holman, Evelyn F. Johnson, and Russell R. DeBow, Chicago, of counsel), for plaintiff in error.

William L. Guild, Atty. Gen., and Benjamin S. Adamowski, State's Atty., Chicago (Fred G. Leach, Asst. Atty. Gen., and Francis X. Riley and Edward J. Hladis, Asst. State's Attys., Chicago, of counsel), for defendant in error.

SOLFISBURG, Justice.

Defendant, Beatrice Lynumn, was tried by the court without a jury in the criminal court of Cook County on the charge of the unlawful sale, dispensing and possession of narcotics. She was found guilty of the charge and sentenced to 10 to 11 years in the penitentiary. From this judgment, defendant has sued out this writ of error.

Page 19

Defendant contends that the indictment should have been quashed; a new trial should have been granted; and the evidence was insufficient to establish guilt.

We turn first to the contention that the indictment was insufficient. Defendant was indicted in three successive counts, with the unlawful sale, dispensing, and possession, 'otherwise than as authorized in the Uniform Narcotic Drug Act of said State of Illinois then in force and effect, a quantity (the exact quantity of which is unknown to said Grand [21 Ill.2d 66] Jurors) of a certain narcotic drug, to-wit: cannabis, sometimes called marijuana, contrary to the Statute.' Defendant argues that not all forms of cannabis are narcotic drugs, and the indictment must more specifically describe the type of cannabis involved. In support of this view, defendant cites People v. Sowrd, 370 Ill. 140, 18 N.E.2d 176, 119 A.L.R. 1396. The Sowrd case was decided under the particular language of a prior act (Ill.Rev.Stat.1935, chap. 91, par. 157) which was later amended. Ill.Rev.Stat.1957, chap. 38, par. 192.28-2.17. In People v. Yeargin, 3 Ill.2d 25, 119 N.E.2d 752, we fully considered the Sowrd case and the subsequent statutory changes, and held that the language, 'cannabis, sometimes called marijuana,' sufficiently alleges a narcotic drug as defined by statute. We regard that case as conclusive here.

We next turn to the trial itself. The manner of the arrest of defendant and the nature of the proof are not unusual in narcotic cases. On January 17, 1959...

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12 cases
  • Davis v. State
    • United States
    • Alabama Court of Appeals
    • 7 Abril 1964
    ...... Stein v. People of State of New York, 346 U.S. 156, 73 S.Ct. 1077, 97 L.Ed. 1522; Fikes v. State of Alabama, 352 ... Fay v. Noia, 372 U.S. 391, 83 S.Ct. 822, 9 L.Ed.2d 837 (affirming 2 Cir., 300 F.2d 345). Lynumn v. Illinois, 372 U.S. 528, 83 S.Ct. 917, 9 L.Ed.2d 922 (21 Ill.2d 63, 171 N.E.2d 17). Haynes v. ......
  • People v. Starling
    • United States
    • United States Appellate Court of Illinois
    • 10 Febrero 1971
    ...... (People v. Arnold, 2 Ill.2d 92, 116 N.E.2d 882; People v. Pride, 16 Ill.2d 82, 156 N.E.2d 551; People v. Lynumn, 21 Ill.2d 63, 171 N.E.2d 17.) Here it was the province of the court, who was no doubt aware of the interest of the opposing witnesses in the ......
  • People v. Monoson
    • United States
    • United States Appellate Court of Illinois
    • 10 Agosto 1979
    ......v. United States (1920), 251 U.S. 385, 40 S.Ct. 182, 64 L.Ed. 319 and People v. Lynumn (1960), 21 Ill.2d 63, 171 N.E.2d 17. It contends that the order of July 26 was not a product of, and in fact had nothing to do with the results of ......
  • Lynum v. State of Illinois
    • United States
    • United States Supreme Court
    • 13 Noviembre 1961
    ......Cf. Loftus v. People of State of Illinois, 334 U.S. 804, 68 S.Ct. 1212, 92 L.Ed. 1737; Herb v. Pitcairn, 324 U.S. 117, ......
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