17 Conn. 467 | Conn. | 1846
The statute, on which the information in this case was founded, prohibits any person from “ keeping a house of ill fame, resorted to for the purpose of prostitution or lewdness” Stat. of 1845, c. 20. p. 22. The phrase, “ house of ill fame,” used in the first branch of this description of the offence, is often, and perhaps usually, adopted in common parlance, to denote a house which is not merely reputed to be, but which is, in fact, a brothel or bawdy-house ; and if there had been nothing added to this expression in the statute, we should probably construe it in this its more popular meaning, rather than in its strict etymological sense, which refers to reputation and general belief, and not to actual character, on the ground that the legislature more probably intended to apply it, in its popular sense, to a person who was actually guilty of the offence, than to one who is generally suspected, but may be really innocent. But this part of the description of the offence intended to be prohibited, being immediately connected with another, which requires that such house should be actually a brothel or bawdy-house, we cannot construe it according to its popular signification, without imputing to the legislature the most palpable tautology. This, as a general principle, is to be avoided; and it is, moreover, a well estab
It is next objected, that it was not competent for the prosecutor to prove, that the house in question was reputed to be a house of ill fame, before the statute on which the information was founded took effect. The information alleges the offence to have been committed after the act went into operation. We have no doubt that testimony to show what the reputation of the house was, before the act went into effect, conduced to prove that it sustained the same reputation afterwards ; and that it was therefore admissible for that purpose. Evidence of the reputation of the house previous to a particular time, fairly conduces to show its reputation afterwards. Nor do we perceive, that the circumstance that the act went into effect after it had acquired a bad reputation, has any effect upon the relevancy of the testimony upon the question whether it sustained that reputation at a subsequent time. If the character of the evidence is such that it would ordinarily be rele
It is urged, that the admission of this testimony gives the act on which the accused is prosecuted, an ex post facto, and therefore an unconstitutional, operation. It is not liable to this objection, on the ground that any new rule of evidence is introduced on the subject, since the law took effect; because such evidence has always been admitted : nor on the ground that its admission had the effect either of making an act criminal, which was innocent at the time of its commission ; or an act which was then criminal, more severely punishable than when it was committed ; because it does not appear, that there was any claim or attempt, in this case, to convict the defendant below, on the ground that before the act took effect, his house either sustained the reputation of a brothel, or was in reality a house of that description. On the contrary, the prosecutor claimed to have proved, that the house both sustained that reputation, and was also a house of that description, after the act went into operation. The effect given to the act on the trial, was, therefore, prospective only.
The remaining question respects the admissibility of Cham-berlin’s testimony. He was offered as a witness to prove, that one Eunice Roberts, and divers other persons of lewd and dissolute character, for two years or more next previous to the time when the said act took effect, resorted to the house in question, for the purpose of prostitution and lewdness, and among others, that one Maria Alford, a lewd woman, resorted there, about two years before the trial, for the same purpose.
The superior court is therefore advised, that the judgment complained of should be affirmed.
Judgment affirmed.