State v. Shawbeck

Supreme Court of Iowa
State v. Shawbeck, 7 Iowa 322 (Iowa 1858)
Woodward

State v. Shawbeck

Opinion of the Court

Woodward, J.

The objection to the indictment taken by the demurrer, is based upon section 2952 of the Code, and is supported by section 11 of article 1 of the constitution, adopted in August, 1857, which ordains that all offenses less than felony, and in which the punishment does not exceed a fine of one hundred dollars, or imprisonment for thirty days, should be tried summarily before a justice of the peace, on information, without indictment, or the intervention of a grand jury. This offense is alleged to have been committed subsequently to the adoption of the constitution.

In the case of The State v. Walters, 5 Iowa, 507, it was held that offenses of this nature, and under the act above mentioned, came within this provision of the constitution ; and that they are cognizable, originally, only by a justice of the peace, and not by a grand jury. Eor this reason, we are constrained to hold that the court erred in overruling the demurrer, as is alleged in the assignment of errors. The State v. Koehler, 6 Iowa, 398.

The judgment of the district court is reversed, and the defendant is discharged.

Reference

Full Case Name
The State of Iowa v. Shawbeck
Status
Published