Ran v. Commonwealth
Ran v. Commonwealth
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
It is averred in the indictment that William Ran unlawfully sold and furnished malt liquor, to wit, ale and beer, to Joe McKendrick, a minor, without the written consent of the father or guardian of
In the case of Commonwealth v. Kenner, 11 B. Mon. 1, cited by counsel, there was nothing unreasonable in the conclusion, not negatived by the indictment, that the defendants may have at the time of the alleged offenses been entitled by contract with the owner to the services of the slaves to whom the liquor was sold or given, or may have had the permission of their master to sell or give it to them.
In that case the court said, in substance, that all the circumstances or specifications contained in the statute and which were descriptive of the offense, must “be negatived either in terms, or in substance, in charging an offense under the statute.” We think the indictment in this case does, in substance, negative the qualification in the statute under which it was found. Judgment affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.