Davis v. State
Davis v. State
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court:
In April, 1886, the defendant was indicted for burglariously breaking and entering a dwelling house with intent to ravish a young lady. Another count charges the burglarious entry for the purpose of committing larceny of the goods and chattels of William E. Wood. Another count charges the entry for the purpose of taking the goods and chattels of one Ida G. Wood. The cause was tried at the April term of the court and the jury found “ the prisoner guilty of breaking and entering the dwelling house of William E. Wood in the night time as charged, with intent to commit the crime of rape, so say we all.”
The defendant moved for a new trial on the following grounds:
1. The verdict was contrary to law.
2. The verdict was contrary to the evidence.
3. The verdict was unsupported by evidence.
The court overruled the motion and counsel for defendant excepted.
The court then sentenced the defendant to imprisonment in the State penitentiary for the term of three years.
The defendant brings the case here on writ of error.
The errors assigned are the same as on the motion for a new trial, and none other.
The only evidence in the case bearing on intent was that of Miss Ida G. Wood, who testified in substance as follows: “ My father’s name is William Wood, and I live with him in the house he has just testified about. On the night of
This is all the evidence in the record as to the intent charged.in the indictment. The only question in this case, under the verdict of the jury, is, does this evidence of this witness show any acts of the defendant which point to an intent to commit the crime of rape ? Why not equally prove the intent to commit either of the other offences
The count in the indictment in this case upon which the verdict of the jury was based charges that the defendant “ feloniously and burglariously did break and enter, with intent, one Ida Q-. Wood in said building then and there being, then and there violently and against her will, feloniously to ravish and carnally know, contrary to the form
We think that the evidence is insufficient to support the verdict.
The judgment is overruled and a new trial awarded.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Herbert Davis, in Error v. The State of Florida, in Error
- Cited By
- 5 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. Where a defendant is indicted for the commission of an offence with intent to commit another, as for instance, rape, it devolves upon the prosecution to prove some act or deed evidencing such intent in order to warrant conviction of the defendant. 2. Material averments in an indictment must be proved. If a variance occurs between a material averment and the proof, the prosecution, upon whom the burden lies of establishing such averment, will he defeated. 8. The plaintiff in error was indicted, and such indictment contains three counts : First, for breaking and entering a dwelling house with intent to ravish and carnally know a young lady. Second, for breaking aud entering with intent to steal and carry away property of one person. Third, for breaking and entering with intent to steal and carry away goods and property of another person. The jury found the defendant guilty upon the first count; Hein, To be error, as there was no evidence of any such intent. 4. The allegation of the intent in this case was an essential and material allegation, and it was necessary for the prosecution to prove facts in order to show beyond a doubt what that intent was. 5. Where there is no evidence to warrant the finding of the jury, this court will overrule the judgment.