New York Court of Common Pleas, 1822

People v. Rowland

People v. Rowland
New York Court of Common Pleas · Decided April 15, 1822
1 Wheel. Cr. Cas. 286

Counsel

M'Ewing, counsel for the defendant,, Maxwell, District Attorney,

People v. Rowland

Opinion of the Court

The Court observed that it was unnecessary the public peace or the neighborhood, should be disturbed by a house, to constitute it disorderly. It was sufficient if it was the resort of people for any immoral purposes. A gambling-house, is not always noisy, and no person denies it to be a disorderly hou^e. A house where people go to drink and tipple, is not always a noisy house, and yet it is a very disorderly one. A house where people meet for the purpose of assignation is a disorderly house, because it is a violation of the laws of decency and morality. And left it to the jury to say whether, from the evidence before them, the defendant was guilty of keeping a disorderly house.

The jury found her guilty.

Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.