State v. Cornwall
State v. Cornwall
Opinion of the Court
This cause is here on the record proper, only. There are two counts in the information. One for embezzlement, the other for larceny. The thing alleged to have been embezzled is the identical thing alleged to have been stolen, to-wit: a framed picture of the value of five dollars.
Defendant was tried by the court sitting as a jury, who, after hearing the evidence and argument of counsel — to quote the record — “doth find the defendant guilty of said charge.” The punishment was assessed at a fine of one hundred dollars.
The contention of appellant is, that the verdict should have specified on which of the two counts defendant was found guilty and that it is not ascertainable from the verdict whether defendant was found guilty of embezzlement or of larceny. Section 2367, Eevised Statutes 1899, provides, that one in-dieted for larceny may be convicted of embezzlement, and vice versa, where the evidence in the one case shows the defendant not guilty of larceny but of embezzlement, and in the other where the evidence shows he is not guilty of embezzlement but is guilty of larceny. The statute does not authorize a conviction of embezzlement on an indictment for larceny, nor of larceny on an indictment for embezzlement, unless the evidence war
A conviction of larceny works a forfeiture of citizenship (section 1991, Revised Statutes 1899), while a conviction of embezzlement, if the punishment be other than by imprisonment in the penitentiary, does not. Eor this reason, if for no other, the appellant was entitled to a special verdict, specifying on which of the two counts he was found guilty. Pie is entitled to know whether, by the conviction, his citizenship is forfeited, or whether he is, notwithstanding the conviction, entitled to vote, to hold any office of honor, trust or profit in this State, or whether he is competent as a juror.
The judgment is reversed and the cause remanded.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.