People v. Poggi
People v. Poggi
Opinion of the Court
Field, C. J. and Cope, J. concurring.
The defendant was indicted for the crime of grand larceny in converting to his own use, with intent to steal, certain gold dust of which he was alleged to be bailee. A demurrer to the indictment being overruled, and a judgment of conviction being had, the defendant has appealed.
The indictment states that the defendant “was the bailee of one hundred and thirty ounces of gold dust,” which he converted to his own use with intent to steal the same ; “ the said gold dust being then and there the property, goods and chattels of one Francisco Gallardo.” There are no other averments showing the character or circumstances of the bailment, or that the defendant was in fact a
For the defect in not stating the facts showing the bailment, the demurrer should have been sustained.
Judgment reversed and cause remanded.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- THE PEOPLE v. GUISEPPI POGGI
- Cited By
- 12 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- A bailee who converts the property of which he is bailee to his own use, with intent to steal the same, may be indicted under the seventy-first section of the Act of 1850, concerning Crimes and Punishments. • (Wood’s Dig. art. 1931.) An indictment under this section must state, with directness and certainty, the facts and circumstances necessary to constitute a complete offense, and among them, the circumstances constituting the bailment. Such indictment may state the fact of conversion, with intent to steal, in the language of the statute, without specifying any particulars as to the mode of conversion. People v. Cohen, (8 Cal. 42) so far as it holds that the term “ bailee,” in the seventy-first. section of the Act of 1850, concerning Crimes and Punishments, is used in the limited sense of a bailee “ to keep, to transfer or to deliver,” overruled. People v. Green (15 Cal. 512) overrules People v. Cohen, (8 Cal. 42) so far as the latter holds that an indictment under this statute, stating that the property was of the value of so many dollars, without saying “ of the coin of the United States,” is sufficient.