State v. Collins
State v. Collins
Opinion of the Court
“It would seem to follow from these authorities that, when a count is in the alternative, with some of the averments good, and others charged in the alternative are bad, and no objection is taken to the indictment, a general verdict will be referred to the good averments, and a judgment on conviction will be sustained. Under any other rule no attorney of any skill would interpose a demurrer or other objection when an indictment was defective, by reason of having bad counts or insufficient averments. He would simply take the chances of acquittal, and, failing in this, would move in arrest of judgment, and thereby secure the discharge of the defendant, or a new trial; To sustain a judgment of conviction, there must be a good count in the indictment; or, if there is but one count containing charges in the alternative, there must be one or more good and sufficient averments. There may be some decisions not altogether consistent with the rule here laid down; but we think this the better practice, and in harmony with the principles of law declared in the cases cited supra.”
The above quotation indicates that the court had in mind that there were previous decisions not in harmony with the Hornsby Case, and it in effect overruled the case of Raisler v. State, 55 Ala. 64, which was followed by the Court of Appeals in the case at bar, and said Raisler Case is expressly overruled in so far as it held that the defect was fatal in the appellate court, though not taken by demurrer in the trial court.
The case of the State v. Nix, 165 Ala. 126, 51 South. 754, is not opposed to the present holding. There the indictment was held good, and the court, in discussing same, which consisted of but one count, did say in discussing alternative averments that, if one or more of them charged no offense, “then the indictment would be bad in toto,” meaning, of course, upon demurrer, but the court did not hold that the indictment would be void and would not support a conviction if there was a good alternative averment, notwithstanding the *504 defect was not raised by a demurrer before conviction.
The case referred to in the opinion of the Court of Appeals as Brown v. State, 73 South. 36, which was evidently meant for Brooms v. State, 73 South. 36, is not opposed to the present holding, and does not support the opinion of the Court of Appeals, as the point here was not involved, and that case related to the right of defendant to require an election.
The Court of Appeals erred in holding that the defect in the indictment was error to reverse, notwithstanding no demurrer had been interposed thereto, ahd the cause must be reversed, and remanded to said Court of Appeals for further consideration.
Writ awarded, and reversed and remanded to Court of Appeals.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Ex Parte State. State v. Collins.
- Cited By
- 17 cases
- Status
- Published