Mitchell v. State
Mitchell v. State
Opinion of the Court
The plaintiff in error, Thomas H. Mitchell, was prosecuted before the mayor of the village of Cedarville, Greene county, for a violation of the act of February 23, 1906, entitled: “An act to provide for the' enforcement of local option laws prohibiting the sale of intoxicating liquors as a beverage,” and incorporated in the Revised Statutes as sections 4364-30» to 4364-30zh, inclusive. Affidavit was' filed March 29, 1906, and the trial, beginning April 17, 1906, terminated April .26, 1906, with a finding of guilty by the mayor and a sentence of a fine of $200 and costs and to stand committed to the workhouse at Xenia and labor at the rate of sixty cents per day until the fine and costs should be paid or he be otherwise discharged according to law. From this judgment and sentence error was duly prosecuted by the accused to the court of common pleas of Greene county by which court the judgment of the mayor was affirmed. Within thirty days after the said judgment of affirmance the accused, after proper notice to the state, duly presented his peti
At the April term, 1907, of said circuit court, the cause coming on to be heard upon the petition in error, pleadings and transcript of the order and judgment of the court of common pleas, the court, upon consideration, dismissed the petition in error for want of jurisdiction in the court to try and determine the errors complained of for the reason that leave to file the petition in error had not been first obtained as required by law.
• It will be seen, therefore, that the question here is whether or not the allowance by a judge of the circuit court of leave to file a petition in error presented by a person convicted under the sections of the statute hereinbefore referred to, made by such judge in vacation, gives to that court jurisdiction to try and determine the errors complained of; and that is the only question.
It is argued by counsel for plaintiff in error that they took, in the interest of their client, all steps then possible to obtain a review in the circuit court, and ought not to be forbidden opportunity for such review simply because that court was not
It must be conceded that there is much force in this contention, for, to the judicial mind, especially to old-fashioned people, it will create surprise to find, if it be true, that the opportunity to obtain a review of a judgment of conviction of violation of the liquor laws, which is a misdemeanor, is hedged about with more difficulties, and more impossible conditions, than in a case of felony, burglary or arson for instance, and any court would reach the
“4364-300 g. No petition in error shall be filed in any court to reverse any conviction for violation of any law prohibiting the sale of intoxicating liquors in any territory or district or to reverse any judgment affirming such conviction except after leave granted by the reviewing court and no such leave shall be granted except after good cause shown at a hearing of which counsel for the complainant in the original case shall have had actual and reasonable notice.”
“4364-30^/1. Such petition in error must be filed with such reviewing court in not more than thirty days after the judgment complained of, and the case shall be heard by the reviewing court within thirty days from such filing, provided that nothing in this or the preceding section shall be construed to confer any right of review in such cases in addition to that which is now provided bv law.”
Of course it is apparent at a glance that this legislation introduces an incongruous element, which, as counsel insist, does neutralize the ’ benign spirit of the general provisions of our law as to reviews on error, for the existence of which it is difficult to perceive any sufficient reason. It may be, and probably is, important in all liquor legislation, to make requirements as to the conduct of this business which seem arbitrary at first blush but which may be necessary to neutralize and de
Giving effect to the specific provisions of sections 4364-30^ and 4364-3ozh, we are constrained
Judgment affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.