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Higginbotham v. StateHigginbotham v. State

Supreme Court of Florida
Jul 14, 1919
Reporters:
,
Before:
Browne
Per Curiam.

— Higginbotham was charged with the larceny of “one bull, one steer, one ‍​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‍cow, of the property of Richard Windham.” The jury found him “guilty of larceny of one bull belonging to Richard Windham.” Writ of error was taken to a ‍​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‍penitentiary sentence.

The evidence is that the defendant below was discovered skinning a cow; and there is no evidence that the defendant committed larceny of a bull. Even if the evidence ‍​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‍is sufficient to support a finding of larceny of a cow belonging to Richard Windham, the verdict is “guilty of larceny of one lull,” when the only evidence relates ‍​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‍to a “cow” or to an “animal,” no reference being made to a lull in the testimony.

*115The verdict has no legal basis in the evidence and the judgment is reversed ‍​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‍for a new trial.

Browne, C. J., and Taylor, Whitfield and Ellis, J. J., concur.

Case Details

Case Name: Higginbotham v. State
Court Name: Supreme Court of Florida
Date Published: Jul 14, 1919
Citations: 82 So. 601; 78 Fla. 114
Court Abbreviation: Fla.
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