Wood v. State

Jun 5, 1912
4040
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Russell
Russell, J.

1. While in criminal cases the question of ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​‍intent is one entirely for the jury, yet where, from all of the facts and circumstances ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​‍in the case, an intent to defraud is not reasonably deducible, there can be no conviction of ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​‍an offense of which an intent to defraud is necessarily an essential element.

2. Applying to the facts ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​‍of the present case the principle above stated, the conviction of the accused was not authorized, ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​‍and a new trial should have been granted. Judgment reversed.