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Morgan v. CommonwealthMorgan v. Commonwealth

Supreme Court of Virginia
Jun 6, 1850
Reporters:
Before:
By The Court.

At the March term for 1848, of the Circuit court of Chesterfield county, Peter K. Morgan was indicted, ‍‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‍for that he, on the 15th of February 1848, at the county c., without a license, did sell by retail, to be drank in his house, rum, wine, brandy or other spirituous liquors, to be drank where sold, c.

The defendant demurred to the indictment, ‍‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‍on the ground that the charges were laid in the disjunctive: But the Court overruled the demurrer. The defendant then pleaded “not guilty,” and on the trial demurred to the evidence; and the Commonwealth joined in the demurrer. Whereupon the jury found ‍‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‍a verdict of guilty, subject to the demurrer to evidence.

The evidence consisted of the testimony of a single witness, who deposed, that on the 15th of February 1848, he and John Perry drank spirits at the house of the defendant; which ‍‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‍said spirits were called for by Perry, and by him paid for; the purchase having been made of, and the payment made to, the defendant.

The Court gave judgment upon the demurrer to evidence, against the defendant, for a fine of 30 dollars ‍‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‍and the costs. Whereupon he applied to this Court for a writ of error, which was allowed. The judgment is affirmed.

Case Details

Case Name: Morgan v. Commonwealth
Court Name: Supreme Court of Virginia
Date Published: Jun 6, 1850
Citation: 48 Va. 592
Court Abbreviation: Va.
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