Rosengarten v. United States

Decision Date10 May 1929
Docket NumberNo. 5250.,5250.
Citation32 F.2d 644
PartiesROSENGARTEN et al. v. UNITED STATES.
CourtU.S. Court of Appeals — Sixth Circuit

Lester S. Moll, of Detroit, Mich. (Douglas, Barbour, Moll & Wing, of Detroit, Mich., on the brief), for appellants.

Donald B. Frederick, Asst. U. S. Atty., of Detroit, Mich. (John R. Watkins, U. S. Atty., of Detroit, Mich., on the brief), for the United States.

Before DENISON, HICKS, and HICKENLOOPER, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM.

Appellants Sam Kert and Sam Cohen were convicted under both counts of an indictment, charging in the first count the unlawful possession of intoxicating liquor and in the second count the maintenance of a nuisance, both as in violation of the National Prohibition Act. Appellant Joseph A. Rosengarten was convicted upon the nuisance count only.

The record contains numerous exceptions to individual items of evidence upon the ground of irrelevancy, the contention being that these items, standing alone, in no way tend to disclose the commission of crime or to connect the defendants therewith. The major premise being conceded, irrelevancy is plainly a non sequitur. Each item to which objection was made was directly relevant to some separate phase of the proof necessary to the prosecution, the general nature and use of the premises, the sale of intoxicating liquor therein, the connection of the several defendants with the maintenance of the establishment, etc. The ensemble convincingly disclosed the commission of the crime charged. As in all cases requiring proof by circumstantial evidence, the conclusion of guilt must follow beyond reasonable doubt from the facts and circumstances proved; but where there is, as here, substantial evidence to support every essential ingredient of the crime charged, the question is for the jury.

One of such exceptions was especially stressed. Upon search of the premises and vicinity, beer only was found, but whisky taken from a safe cabinet and locker located "about 50 feet down the alley" or "down about two doors" from the rear of the premises, was admitted in evidence without proof of ownership. There was proof, however, of sales of whisky upon the premises and of possession and sales of beer in violation of law. The evidence objected to was merely cumulative and offered a possible explanation of the source of supply of the whisky sold, and its weight was, we think, for the jury. There was no denial of nor evidence to indicate other ownership, and in this, as well as in the...

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3 cases
  • American Tobacco Co. v. United States
    • United States
    • U.S. Court of Appeals — Sixth Circuit
    • March 26, 1945
    ...is substantial evidence to support every essential ingredient of the crime charged, the question is for the jury. Rosengarten v. United States, 6 Cir., 32 F.2d 644, 645. Upon a consideration of the proofs in the case, and an application thereto of the appropriate legal principles previously......
  • Morton v. United States
    • United States
    • U.S. Court of Appeals — District of Columbia Circuit
    • January 22, 1945
    ...L.Ed. 958; Sanford v. United States, 69 App.D.C. 44, 98 F.2d 325; United States v. Manton, 2 Cir., 107 F.2d 834, 839; Rosengarten v. United States, 6 Cir., 32 F.2d 644. 2 See Perovich v. United States, 205 U. S. 86, 91, 27 S.Ct. 456, 51 L.Ed. 722; cf. McAffee v. United States, 72 App.D.C. 6......
  • Conn v. Ringer
    • United States
    • U.S. Court of Appeals — Sixth Circuit
    • May 11, 1929
    ... ... protection of the laws, in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, by omitting to tax altogether large amounts of personal property, or taxing it at a much ... ...

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