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Kitter v. PeopleKitter v. People

Illinois Supreme Court
Apr 15, 1860
Reporters:
Before:
Breese
Breese, J.

No argument can sustain this judgment and verdict. The agreement of the parties to ‍​​‌‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‍try all the cases pending against the plaintiff in error, by one and the same jury, did not remove the necessity of swearing the jury in each case ‍​​‌‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‍and making a separate entry of record of each case. There were six cases pending, of the same character — selling spirituous liquors without a license — each indictment ‍​​‌‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‍containing two counts only. The jury were sworn to try but one case, or one of the indictments, and they “find the defendant guilty on seventeen counts of the ‍​​‌‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‍indictment and not guilty on the eighteenth count,” and judgment was entered accordingly. This is absurd. The finding should have been on each indictment as under the agreement, ‍​​‌‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‍or on the counts thereof, and separate judgments entered on each.

The judgment is reversed.

Judgment reversed.

Case Details

Case Name: Kitter v. People
Court Name: Illinois Supreme Court
Date Published: Apr 15, 1860
Citation: 25 Ill. 42
Court Abbreviation: Ill.
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