People v. Oreileus
People v. Oreileus
Opinion of the Court
— The information charges the defendant with, and he was convicted of, an assault with a deadly weapon upon the person of one Trinidad Sanchez. He appeals from the judgment, and from an order denying him a new trial.
In addition to a plea of not guilty, appellant also pleaded a former acquittal and once in jeopardy; and upon these two last-named pleas, the jury, under the insti’uctions of the court, found for the people. Upon these pleas and the verdict thereon the only point made by appellant arises.
It appears that a former information had been filed against appellant, charging him with an assault with a deadly weapon upon one Fernida Lunies, at the time and place alleged in the second information. Upon his trial on the first information, it appeared that the assault was committed on Trinidad Sanchez; and it did not appear that the latter was ever known or called by the name of Fernida Lunies, or by any other name than Trinidad Sanchez. When the prosecution rested “ upon motion of defendant’s counsel, and under instructions of the court, the jury rendered the appended verdict: ‘We, the jury, find the defendant not guilty, by reason of a variance between the information and the proof.’ ” Thereupon the court ordered that the defendant be detained in custody, to the end that a new information or indictment might be preferred against him. Under this state of facts, appellant contends that the verdict at the second trial, on the special pleas, should have been “ for the defendant.”
Section 1021 of the Penal Code provides that “ if the defendant was formerly acquitted on the ground of variance between the indictment or information and the proof, .... it is not an acquittal of the same offense.” And section 1165 provides that if there be an acquittal for such variance, which may be obviated by a new information, the court may order the detention of the
Really, the most important underlying question in the case (not discussed by counsel) is, whether the provisions of sections 1021 and 1165, above referred to, are in violation of the provision of the constitution that “ no person shall be twice put in jeopardy for the same offense.” But they were held in People v. McNealy, supra, not to be in conflict with the constitution.
Judgment and order affirmed.
Works, J., Sharpstein, J., Beatty, 0. J., Paterson, J., and Thornton, J., concurred.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- THE PEOPLE v. BERNAL OREILEUS
- Cited By
- 9 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Criminal Law—Assault with Deadly Weapon—Misnomer—Pleading —Former Acquittal — Once in Jeopardy. — When, upon the trial of an information for an assault with a deadly weapon, the defendant is acquitted on the ground of a material variance between the information and the proof as to the name of the person injured, such acquittal cannot he pleaded as a former acquittal of the same offense, nor as putting the defendant again in jeopardy, upon a new information correctly naming the person injured. Id. — Certainty in Description of Offense—Construction of Penal Code. —It may be possible to describe an offense with sufficient certainty, without correctly naming the person injured, so that an erroneous allegation as to the person injured may be immaterial under the provisions of section 956 of the Penal Code; but that section does not apply where there is no such sufficient certainty. Id. — Constitutional Law — Twice in Jeopardy. — The provisions of sections 1021 and 1165 of the Penal Code are not in conflict with the provision of the constitution that no person shall be twice put in jeopardy for the same offense.