United States v. Phelan

District Court, D. Massachusetts
United States v. Phelan, 250 F. 927 (1917)
1917 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 802

United States v. Phelan

Opinion of the Court

MORTON, District Judge.

[1] If the plea of former jeopardy or former acquittal is on its face insufficient, a demurrer lies. Brothers v. State. 22 Tex. App. 447, 3 S. W. 737; Jones v. State, 61 Ark. 88, 32 5. W. 81; Hite v. State, 9 Yerg. (Term.) 357; Shubert v. State, 21 Tex. App. 551, 2 S. W. 883; Wortham v. Commonwealth, 5 Rand. (Va.) 669. The practice of demurring to a plea of former conviction has been recognized in the state courts of Massachusetts. Commonwealth v. Bosworth, 113 Mass. 200, 18 Am. Rep. 467.

[2, 3] An acquittal by reason of a variance is not a bar to further prosecution. for the substantive crime attempted to be described, but not accurately described, in the first indictment. U. S. v. Riley (C. C.) 74 Fed. 210; Commonwealth v. Chesley, 107 Mass. 223. The Massachusetts statute relied on by the defendant (Rev. Laws, c. 218, § 22), providing that a misdescription of a written instrument is not a variance, does not apply to criminal proceedings in the federal courts. Rogan v. U. S., 144 U. S. 263, 300,_ 12 Sup. Ct. 617, 36 L. Ed. 429. The offense described in the present indictment is not the same as that described in the former one, a copy of which is annexed to the defendant’s plea.

[4] The facts stated in the pleas are, upon demurrer, of course, to be taken as true. So considered, I am of opinion that the pleas are insufficient, and that the facts therein alleged are not a bar to the prosecution of the present indictment.

The demurrers to the pleas are sustained.

Reference

Full Case Name
UNITED STATES v. PHELAN
Cited By
4 cases
Status
Published