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Commonwealth v. ParkerCommonwealth v. Parker

Allegheny County Court of Oyer and Terminer
Jan 4, 1892
No. 42
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Cubiam
Pee Cubiam :

The defendant was charged with rape. The jury acquitted him ‍‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‍of the rape, but convicted him of fornication. We have held in a recent case, Commonwealth v. Lewis, 140 Pa. 561, that rape, ‍‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‍and fornication and bastardy may be joined in an indictment, and that fornication is an incident of rape. The appellant contends that he ‍‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‍cannot be convicted “ of an incident to a fact, and at the same time acquitted of the fact.” But the law ‍‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‍is well settled that a man may be acquitted of an offence charged, and yet be convicted of a constituent offence involved ‍‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‍within it. This principle does not need the citation of authority.

Judgment affirmed.

Case Details

Case Name: Commonwealth v. Parker
Court Name: Allegheny County Court of Oyer and Terminer
Date Published: Jan 4, 1892
Citations: 146 Pa. 343; 23 A. 323; 1892 Pa. LEXIS 1227; No. 42
Docket Number: No. 42
Court Abbreviation: Allegheny Cty. Ct. Oy. Term.
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