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Commonwealth v. RolandCommonwealth v. Roland

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Nov 15, 1867
Reporters:
By the Court.

The accidental mutilation of the indictment by cutting it into ‍‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‍several pieces does not destroy its identity or prevent its being restored to a condition in which it can be rendered intelligible and substantially ‍‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‍complete in all essential particulars. When the parts are united, as can readily be done without danger of mistake, by joining together words which ‍‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‍have been severed, there will be no material omission of any averment, or even word, contained in the indictment as presented in court by ‍‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‍the grand jury. This is manifest from inspection. It cannot therefore be properly said that the indictment is destroyed or in such condition as ‍‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‍to be rendered unfit to be the basis of further proceedings. Exceptions overruled.

Case Details

Case Name: Commonwealth v. Roland
Court Name: Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Date Published: Nov 15, 1867
Citation: 97 Mass. 598
Court Abbreviation: Mass.
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