State v. Miller
State v. Miller
Opinion of the Court
Appellant was informed against for the crime of importing into this state intoxicating liquors for sale or gift as a beverage. It appears from the evidence that appellant received 1 gallon of whisky and one case of beer by express on November 3d, 1909, and a consignment of a like kind and quantity on November 5th. Appellant explained the proximity of the second shipment to the first by offering evidence tending to prove that a larger portion of the first
Appellant assigns twelve errors, but they can be classified into two groups, — one on the admission of testimony, and the other on the court’s instructions to the jury. The state relied for a conviction upon the importation of intoxicating liquors for sale or gift as a beverage, and after the importations of November 3d and 5th were proven, the witness Hall, who had worked for appellant on a threshing rig during the fall of 1909, over the objection of appellant that the evidence was incompetent and irrelevant, in that it tends to prove the commission of another offense than that charged in the information, and as calling for a conclusion, testified in substance that he and Miller drove around the country for five or six days with Miller’s team, with boxes of liquor in the rig; that there was an agreement between him and Miller to go out and sell liquor; this agreement was made after they got through threshing; in pursuance of such agreement he, Hall, went out and sold liquor. Did not know as Miller sold any liquor, could not say whether he did or not. Appellant paid witness for some liquor. Did not know that appellant handed out any boxes to persons, but thought he did; witness ordered his liquor from Moorhead; it came in his name, except one case, which came in appellant’s name, with his permission; would not swear that appellant made more than one sale. He either made a sale or drank it himself. On cross-examination the witness testified that he did not see appellant make a sale; did not see him take any money; the agreement was that witness should do the selling. The agreement was made in September, about the 15th or possibly the 25th; thought they went first to Anselm; did not remember whether they drove back to Lisbon or Sheldon from Anselm; attended a dance at Ed. Thompson’s; had liquor with them at the time; did not remember to whom he sold ; did not remember to whom Miller sold; did not see him make a sale. He gave witness some money, but witness did not remember how much. The reason he thought appellant made sales was that he said so. Ap
This 'evidence was introduced not to convict the defendant, but to show the intent of the defendant in importing liquor. The rule seems to be that similar offenses in cases of this kind may be shown, first, to prove the intent; second, when they are part of one criminal scheme or system. The defendant was charged with the crime of importing intoxicating liquors into this state for sale or gift as a beverage. When it was proved that he had imported the intoxicating liquors, as charged in the information, then the fact that he had, previous to that time, made sales, and that he and the witness ITall had an agreement to make sales; that they drove around the country together with whisky in the buggy, — was admissible to show the intent of appellant in importing the intoxicating liquors.
Courts have almost uniformly held that proof of a collateral crime could not be introduced, unless there was such a logical connection between the collateral offense and the offense charged that the proof of the collateral offense furnished some legal evidence tending to establish some fact necessary to be established in proving the crime charged. The testimony of Hall tended to directly establish the fact that he and the defendant were engaged in selling intoxicating liquors; that most of the liquor had come in the name' of witness Hall, but one shipment at least had come in the name of appellant, previous to the importation for which he was convicted. Pearce v. State, 40 Ala. 720; State v. Lapage, 57 N. H. 245, 24 Am. Rep. 69, 2 Am. Crim. Rep. 506; People v. Molineux, 168 N. Y. 264, 62 L.R.A. 193, 61 N. E. 286; State v. Fallon, 2 N. D. 510, 52 N. W. 318; State v. Kent (State v. Pancoast), 5 N. D. 516, 35 L.R.A. 518, 67 N. W. 1052; State v. Murphy, 17 N. D. 48, 17 L.R.A.(N.S.) 609, 115 N. W. 84, 16 A. & E. Ann. Cas. 1133.
On this phase of the case the court charged the jury as follows: “Gentlemen of the jury, there has been some evidence introduced here that the defendant did, prior to the time set out in the information, but within one or two months prior thereto, sell intoxicating liquors to divers persons. This evidence is before you simply for the purpose of aiding you in coming to your conclusion as to the purpose for •“which these liquors were imported. Before you can convict, you must
The charge as a whole states the law correctly, and was as favorable to the defendant as he could expect.
Finding no prejudicial error the judgment appealed from is affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA v. FLOYD MILLER
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published