Bigby v. State
Bigby v. State
Opinion of the Court
The defendant was indicted for the offense of fornication. It is alleged in the indictment, that “said Nancy Bigby, an unmarried woman, on the 11th day of February, 1871, in the county aforesaid, did then and there unlawfully and with force and arms, cohabit and have sexual intercourse with one James A. Foster, then and there being lawfully married to. another woman, contrary to the laws of said State,” etc. There was a demurrer to the indictment, on the ground that an unmarried woman cannot commit fornication with a married man. The Court overruled the demurrer, and the defendant excepted. The 4460th section of the Code declares, that “any man and woman who shall commit adultery or fornication, or adultery and fornication, shall be severally indicted,” etc. This section of the Code contemplates three distinct offenses: adultery, fornication, adultery and fornication. If a married man and married woman, unlawfully co
Judgment reversed.
Dissenting Opinion
dissenting.
This Court is, I think, committed to the position that the facts set out in this indictment, constitute, under the statute, the offense of “ fornication and adultery,” and not the offense of fornication. I do not, therefore, put my dissent on the ground that the facts stated do make a case of fornication. My judgment is, that the indictment sets forth all the facts necessary to constitute an offense by the laws of Georgia. It charges that on a certain day, in a certain county, the defendant being then and there an unmarried woman, did have carnal connection with James Foster, a married man. Under section 4458 of the Code, this constitutes a crime, for which the section fixes a penalty. The Code gives no “name” to this offense ; it simply says, that any man and woman, who shall commit adultery, or fornication, or adultery and fornication, shall be,” etc. It does not
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Nancy Bigby, in error v. The State of Georgia, in error
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Published