Smile v. State
Smile v. State
Opinion of the Court
Abraham Smile was placed on trial under an indictment charging murder in the first degree in the killing of one Lucy Smile, otherwise known as Lucy McDyer, on the 21st day of June, 1912, after defendant had filed a motion to quash and a demurrer to the indictment, both of which were overruled, and had entered a plea of “not guilty” to the indictment against him as Abraham Smile, and after the jury had been impaneled and sworn and all of the evidence heard, at the request of the defendant the suggestion was made that the real name of the defendant was Abraham “Smiley,” and at his request the clerk was directed to make the change accordingly in the proceedings. De
Two errors are relied upon by plaintiff in error:
First. A failure of proof as to the name of the deceased.
Second. The verdict does not find defendant guilty of any offense under the laws of Ohio but amounts to a verdict of not guilty.
It is claimed that each of these errors entitled the defendant to his discharge.
The only questions that can be raised on motion for arrest of judgment are those set forth under Section 13748, General Code. Myers v. State, 4 C. C., 570; Carper v. State, 27 Ohio St., 572.
Objection is made by counsel to the use of numerals in describing the degrees of the crime-of murder. If the form of this verdict was drawn by the clerk, as was stated in argument, it certainly is to be reprobated, as the words “first” and “second” should have been written out in full in any form so prepared; and we observe that the transcript of the record shows an indiscriminate use by the clerk, in making up such record, of numerals and words which is not to be commended. In view, however, of the provisions of Section 13581, General Code, that “an indictment shall not be invalid” because “dates and numbers are represented by figures,” we think that the use of figures in the verdict as in this case can not be prejudicial to the defendant, as there is no uncertainty as to
Judgment below will therefore be affirmed.
Judgment affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.