Commonwealth v. Roberts
Commonwealth v. Roberts
Opinion of the Court
This complaint is insufficient as charging an offence under the Rev. Sts. c. 47, <§> 1, by which the offence of being a common seller of wine, ifcc., is created and made punishable. There is nothing in the complaint to authorize the inference of such charge. Comm'th v. Stowell, 9 Met. 569, is decisive on this point. The question then is, whether the complaint is sufficient as a charge of an offence under the third section of the same chapter. Rejecting, as we may, the former part of the complaint, as surplusage, the residue contains a direct charge of a sale of spiritous liquors to the complainant, in a less quantity than twenty-eight gallons. This is a sufficient charge of a sale under the third section ; and, if nothing more were requisite, the complaint might be supported under that section, and judgment be rendered against the defendant, as was done in the case of Comm'th v. Leonard, 8 Met. 530.
But it is urged, that there is no sufficient allegation in the complaint, that the defendant was not duly licensed to make
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.