United States v. Daniel

• Decision Date: 15 March 1821
• Citation: 6 Wheat. 542,5 L.Ed. 326,19 U.S. 542
• Parties: The UNITED STATES v. DANIEL
• Court: U.S. Supreme Court

19 U.S. 542

5 L.Ed. 326

6 Wheat. 542

The UNITED STATES v. DANIEL.

March 15, 1821

THIS was an indictment in the Circuit Court of South Carolina against Lewis Daniel, charging him with having knowledge of the actual commission of the crime of wilful murder, committed on the high sea, by John Furlong; and with unlawfully, wickedly, and maliciously, concealing the same, &c.

The indictment set forth, at large, the indictment and conviction of John Furlong, for wilful murder on the high seas, and then charged Lewis Daniel with the knowledge and concealment of that murder, and with not having disclosed the same, in the words of the act of Congress. The prisoner was tried on the plea of not guilty. It was proved that some of the persons present on board, when the principal felony was committed, had in conversation stated the fact of the murder to the defendant, who advised them to escape, promised secrecy, offered them the means of escape, and actually assisted one of them in escaping; but there was no evidence that the defendant knew of any fact, which would have constituted legal evidence on the trial of the principal felon. The judge charged the jury, that the concealment, under the circumstances, was sufficient to convict the defendant, and the jury found a verdict of guilty. The defendant then moved in arrest of judgment, and for a new trial, on the following grounds. That a person is not liable to be indicted and convicted under the 5th section of the act of April, 1790, c. 36. for the punishment of certain crimes against the United States, unless he has such knowledge of the felony as will enable him to testify in Court, at the trial of the principal felon, and particularly that in this case the evidence did not prove the defendant guilty of misprision of murder, according to the terms of the said act. The motion was also supported by an alleged misdirection of the Court to the jury. The judges being divided in opinion on this motion, it was ordered to be certified to this Court.

March 6th.

Mr. Hunt, for the prisoner, (1.) argued, that to constitute the offence of misprision of felony, under the 5th section of the Crimes Act of 1790, c. 36. the accused must be proved to have had such a direct and positive knowledge of the actual commission of the felony, as would be legal evidence on the trial of the principal felon. Here the offence is, what in law is termed negative misprision. 4 Bl. Com. c. 9; 3 Inst. 140. All the definitions of misprision imply such a personal knowledge of the fact as would be legal evidence. 4 Jac. Law Dict. 295; Staundf. P. C. lib. 1, c. 19; Hawk. P.C. c. 20, § 4; 1 Hale's P. C. 375; Termes de la Ley 291; 3 Inst. 36; 1 Chitty's Crim. Law, 2. But here there was no such knowledge; and if the Court, upon a review of the whole case, is satisfied that the m defendant has not been found guilty of any legal offence, the judgment will be arrested. 1 East's P. C. 146; 1 Chitty's Crim. Law 663; 1 Hargr. St. Tr. 290. In order to bring a case within the intention of a statute, its language must include the case; it is not sufficient that it is within the reason or mischief, or that the crime is of equal atrocity, and of an analogous character. United States v. Wiltberger, 5 Wheat. 96. The prisoner could not have been a witness against the principal felon. The law never credits the bare assertion of any one, however high his rank or pure his morals, but always requires the sanction of an oath: and it also requires his personal attendance in Court, that he may be examined and cross-examined by the different parties. The few instances in which this rule has been departed from, and in which hearsay evidence has been admitted, will be found on examination to be such as from their very nature are incapable of positive and direct proof. (2.) This Court has decided, that the refusal of the Circuit Court to grant a new trial, is not matter for which a writ of error lies. But in those cases the judges of the Court below were unanimous in refusing the new trial: here a division of opinions is certified, and this Court is bound to decide by the express words of the judiciary act of 1802, c. 291.

The Attorney-General, contra, (1.) insisted that there was no ground for arresting the judgment, or granting a new trial. The evidence brought the case completely within the Crimes Act of 1790, c. 36. The object of the act was the prompt detection and punishment of the crimes enumerated. The degree of knowledge required to bring a party within the misprision described, is such as is sufficient to justify an arrest; and well-founded suspicion is sufficient for that purpose. Chit. Cr. Law 10, 27; 4 Bl. Com. 290. (2.) The motion in the Court below, in arrest of judgment, combined with a motion for a new trial, is novel and unprecedented. But this combination cannot vary the legal character of these two motions, which is entirely distinct . A motion in arrest of judgment must be confined to objections which arise upon the face of the record itself, and which make the proceedings apparently erroneous: therefore, no defect in evidence, or improper proceedings at the trial, can be urged as a ground for arresting the judgment. 4 Chit. Cr. Law 539. The exceptions in arrest of judgment are to the indictment. 4 Bl. Com. 375. On the other hand, a motion for a new trial is for causes other than defects in the pleadings; and the circumstance that the verdict was obtained because the pleadings were defective, will not be permitted to operate on this motion. 1 Chit. Cr. Law 535. On inspection of the record in this case, it will be found that the only grounds assigned in support of the joint motion are such as are entirely inapplicable to the motion for a new trial. These grounds are the misdirection of the judge, and that the verdict was obtained on insufficient evidence. The Court will, therefore, throw out of view the motion to arrest the judgment, and consider this as a motion for a new trial, on which the judges of the Court below were...