Golding v. State
Golding v. State
Opinion of the Court
In February, A. D. 1890, the plaintiff in error was indicted during a term of the Circuit Court held in Suwannee county, for murder in the first degree, and during the same term of the court ivas convicted of murder in the second degree. Upon a writ of error brought to this court at its June term, A. D. 1890, the judgment of the Circuit Court upon the conviction of murder in the second degree was reversed and a new trial awarded, Golding vs. State, 26 Fla., 530, 8 South. Rep., 311. Upon the return of the mandate of this court to the Suwannee Circuit Court, the plaintiff in error'was again tried during a term of court held in February, A. D., 1891, upon the same indictment, and convicted of murder in the first de
The conviction of the accused-of murder in the second degree on the first trial had the effect in law to acquit him of the higher degree of the offense charged in the indictment, and he could not legally again be put upon trial for murder m the first degree. This court has settled this point in the case of Johnson vs. State, 27 Fla., 245, 9 South. Rep., 208, and it is not necessary to go over the discussion again. It may be noted that when the second trial occurred in .the case before us, the decision in the Johnson case had not been promulgated.
The only question that can arise on the record before us is in reference to the manner in which the accused sought to avail himself of the former acquittal of the higher offense charged in the indictment. He did not file any plea of the former acquittal, and, so far as we know, did not make any objection to being
It is therefore ordered that the judgment of the Circuit Court be reversed, and that -the cause be remanded fov such further proceedings as may be consistent with law. Ordered accordingly.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Willie Golding, in Error v. The State of Florida, in Error
- Cited By
- 10 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. The conviction of an accused of murder in the second degree upon an indictment charging him with murder in the first degree, has the effect in law to acquit him of the’ higher offense charged in the indictment, and he can not legally be put upon trial a second time for the higher offense. Following Johnson vs. State, 27 Fla., 245, 9 South. Rep., 208. 2. A motion in arrest of judgment reaches only such defects as are apparent upon the record, but in a case where a judgment rendered has been reversed and a new trial granted, and a second trial is had upon the same indictment in the same court, the entire proceedings constitute one record, and a motion in arrest of judgment on the ground of a former acquittal of a higher offense charged in the indictment, will be good where such fact appears upon the record.