46 Iowa 447 | Iowa | 1877
The objection taken to the indictment is, that it is not averred the referee by whom the oath was administered had authority to administer the same. That no such averment is contained in the indictment is clear. Is this a fatal defect?
In 2 Wharton’s Precedents of Indictments, 577, note (d), it is said this averment should always appear by specific averment. See, also, 2 Wharton’s Criminal Law, Secs. 2239 to 2242, and authorities cited in the notes.
It is provided by statute, “ In an indictment for perjury, * * * * it is sufficient to set forth the substance of the controversy, or matter in respect to which the offense was committed, and in what court or before whom the oath alleged to be false was taken, and that the court or person before whom it was taken had authority to administer the same * * *.*.»» Code, Sec. 4312.
It certainly was necessary to prove on the trial that the person who administered the oath had authority to do so. If necessary to be proved, it should have been averred, unless such averment was dispensed with by statute. So far from this being true, such an averment is required. The indictment was, therefore, bad, and no legal conviction could be had thereunder.
Many other questions are presented in the record which we deem it unnecessary to determine. We venture, however, to suggest that in any future indictment it be averred clearly and distinctly that the defendant swore “falsely,” as such word is used in the statutory definition of the crime. The State v. Morse, 1 G. Greene, 503.
Affirmed.