State v. Guy
State v. Guy
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
The defendant, sentenced to imprisonment at hard labor, under Sec. 792 of the Revised Statutes, prescribing that punishment for an assault with intent to murder, prosecutes this appeal.
Th'e assault charged on the accused was committed upon a peace officer engaged at the time in an effort to arrest the accused. The second bill of exceptions is to the questions allowed to be propounded to show the official character of the person assaulted. It is contended on behalf of the accused that not indicted for resisting an officer, no such testimony should have been received. It is not easy to see how showing testimony that the assaulted party was the town marshal could have prejudiced the accused. It would be a refinement at the expense of public justice to set aside verdicts, because a fact is elicited which, even if not pertinent, could have worked no harm to the accused. Besides the testimony tended to show that the assault was on a person in the peace of the State, a formal averment in all indictments. On this ground such testimony was held admissible in State vs. Warren Denkins, 24 An. 29.
The third bill of exceptions was to the charge of the court that a peace officer — i. e., a town marshal, may enter a disorderly house to suppress the disorder and arrest the disorderly persons without a Warrant. It is the qualification of the duty that the arrest shall not be for past, but for offences under the view of the officer. 1 Arch-bold’s Criminal Practice and Pleadings, Ohap. 2, Sec. 1. The charge
Lastly, our attention is directed to bill of exceptions No. 4 — to the refusal of a new trial. We have no power to review the facts on which the new trial was sought, except so far as they appear in the bill of exceptions. State vs. Nelson, 32 An. 842. The defendant submits this bill without argument, only invoking a careful examination of the law. On the facts stated by the judge with great -detail, importing that the offence was committed and fully proved, we see no ground for the new trial.
It is therefore ordered, adjudged and decreed that the sentence of the lower court be affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- The State of Louisiana v. John Guy
- Status
- Published