Commonwealth v. Neal, 10 Mass. 152

Curia.

The general doctrine is, that a feme covert incurs no legal guilt by the commission of ‍​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‍civil offences, by the coercion of her husband, or even when in his presence. To this general rule, there are certain exceptions, as of crimes forbidden ‍​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‍by the law of nature, which are mala in fe, and some where the wife may be presumed the principal agent. The case at bar is not within ‍​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‍the exceptions, and Elizabeth Neal is not guilty, and must therefore be discharged, (a)

*163ADDITIONAL NOTE.

[A married woman, living apart from her husband, may be indicted alone, and pun ished, ‍​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‍for keeping a house of ill fame.— Com. vs. Lewis, 1 Metc. 181. — F. H.]

Notes

[In Sikes vs. Johnson M., (16 Mass. Rep. 389,) it was held, that a feme covert *163might be charged as a trespasser for having procured ‍​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‍the trespass to be committed, though not present when it was done. — Ed.]

Case Details

Case Name: Commonwealth v. Neal

Court Name: Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

Date Published: May 15, 1813

Citation: 10 Mass. 152

Court Abbreviation: Mass.