midpage

Commonwealth v. StevensCommonwealth v. Stevens

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Nov 15, 1804
Reporters:
,
The Court

(Dana, C. J., Sedgwick, Sewall, and Thacher, justices) ruled that the number of the bill, and the words “ thirty dollars ” at the ‍​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‍head of it, were not parts of the bill, and, therefore, not necessary to be set out; and they mentioned the case of Robert Bailey, at the last September term in Hampshire, in which the ‍​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‍Court were’ unanimously of the same opinion. [Ante, p. 62.]

The defendant’s counsel then objected to the bill going in evidence, because in the first count there was no allegation of an ‍​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‍intent to defraud, and in the second count, a part of the date, viz., the words and figures, “ the 24th day of J” were omitted in the indictment.

The Court said the first objection would be proper ‍​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‍in arrest of judgment, and that the second was fatal as to giving the bill in evidence, the word tenor binding the party to a strict recital.

The defendant consented to an amendment of the second ‍​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‍count, and pleaded guilty to that count; the Attorney-General consenting to enter a nolle prosequi on the first count in the indictment.

Case Details

Case Name: Commonwealth v. Stevens
Court Name: Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Date Published: Nov 15, 1804
Citations: 1 Mass. 203; 1 Mass. 154
Court Abbreviation: Mass.
Log In