State v. Kelly
State v. Kelly
Opinion of the Court
Defendants were jointly informed against for keeping and maintaining a common nuisance, a misdemeanor, at a designated time and place. Their arraignment was had on the charge on July 9, 1912, and they were given until the next day to answer, when they appeared by counsel and demurred to the information, which demurrer was sustained. The.state’s attorney thereupon immediately asked leave to file a new information, charging the same crime but curing the defect in the original one, which motion was forthwith granted and was complied with by an amended information being immediately filed on July 10th. Thereupon counsel for defendants made the following request r “AYe ask our day to plead; I think we will be ready by 2 o’clock.” To‘ which the court replied: “We are not going to delay any further in this matter.”' Then to the state’s attorney: “Read the information.” Thereupon arraignment upon the amended information was duly had,
“(1) It was error for the court to overrule defendants’ motion for time to plead. (2) It was error for the court to overrule defendants’ request for time to prepare for trial. (3) It was error for the court to order the entry of a plea of not guilty for the defendants and each of them over their objection. (4) It was error for the court to overrule the defendants’ exception to the impaneling of a jury or the taking of any steps looking to the prosecution and conviction of these defendants.”
The first assignment of error is based upon the alleged noncompliance with statutory provisions providing: “Sec. 9889. If, on the arraignment, the defendant requires it, he must be allowed until the next day, or such further time may be allowed him as the court may deem reasonable, to answer the information or indictment. Sec. 9890. If the defendant does not require time as provided in the last section, or if he does, then on the next day or at such further day as the court may have allowed him, he may, in answer to the arraignment, either move
As to the second assignment, alleging error because of the overruling of the defendants’ request for time to prepare for trial, the record fails to show any such request. It is true that, after the jury had been called for examination as to their qualifications to sit as jurors in the cause, an exception to further proceedings was entered on the grounds of the denial “of their legal right of time to plead or demur to the information or to prepare for trial.” This objection was not based upon any request within the terms of § 9935, Bev. Codes 1905, Providing: “After his plea the defendant, if he requests it, is entitled to at least one day to prepare for trial.” After the entry of plea, no request whatever was made, except permission to prepare and serve a demurrer to the informa
The judgment appealed from is accordingly ordered affirmed.
Concurring Opinion
(concurring specially). I concur in the result of the above opinion for the reason that I do not think that the defendant made a request after the arraignment for any further time to prepare for trial or to plead, and because I believe that the demurrer, if interposed, would have been unavailing. In other words, I think that the amended information charged an offense. I, however, am inclined to believe that permission to interpose such -demurrer should have been granted, and that the mere fact that the court asked the defendant the question: “Do you refuse to enter a flea at this time?” which was answered by, “Yes, sir,” — did not preclude the defendant from asking and insisting upon the right to file a demurrer. I think, in short, that there was error, but that under the state of the record it was error without prejudice.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- STATE v. KELLY
- Status
- Published