Hurt v. State
Hurt v. State
Opinion of the Court
Tbe only evidence in this record, of tbe time when tbe offense was committed, places it in 1871, or 1872. Tbe indictment was found in January, 1876; necessarily more than three years after tbe last possible clay in 1872. Burglary is not one of tbe offenses mentioned in either of tbe sections 3949 and 3950 of tbe Bevised Code. Hence, it is not governed by them. Being a felony, and not being specified in said two sections, it falls within tbe influence of section 3951, which declares that tbe prosecution of all other felonies “must be commenced within three years next after tbe commission of tbe offense.” Postulating all tbe ingredients of tbe statutory crime of burglary, except that of tbe three years bmitation, tbe court charged tbe jury, that if they find the defendant committed tbe offense “before the finding of this indictment,” then they must find him guilty as charged, in tbe indictment. This authorized and required tbe jury to convict, no matter bow long tbe offense was committed before tbe indictment was found. This was clearly an error. If there was a warrant of arrest, or tbe prisoner bound over, before tbe three years expired, and the indictment was but a continuation of such prosecution, and not tbe commencement of it, this should have been shown, and a proper charge, based on it, should have been given. — Foster v. The State, 38 Ala. 428; Ross v. The State, at present term.
Tbe judgment of tbe Circuit Court is reversed, and tbe cause remanded. Let tbe prisoner remain in custody, until discharged by due course of law.
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