Commonwealth v. Werner

Superior Court of Pennsylvania
Commonwealth v. Werner, 5 Pa. Super. 249 (1897)
1897 Pa. Super. LEXIS 227
Beaver, Reeder, Rice, Smith, Wickham, Willard

Commonwealth v. Werner

Opinion of the Court

Opinioh by

Wickham, J.,

The indictment in this case shows, on its face, that it was found *251more than two years after the commission of the offense charged, and fails to allege, that the defendant had not been an inhabitant or usual resident of this state at any time before he was indicted.

It should therefore have been quashed as being fatally defective : Com. v. Bartilson, 85 Pa. 482; Com. v. Owens, 3 Kulp, 230.

We cannot agree with the learned trial judge, that the defendant’s agreement to support the prosecutrix and her child, estopped him from relying on the statute of limitations. His conduct in refusing to perform the agreement may have been dishonest and dishonorable, but neither it, nor the agreement, interfered with the running of the statute nor lifted its bar.

To hold otherwise would lead to extraordinary results. Thus one guilty of assault and battery, or embezzlement, and agreeing to make compensation or restitution, by instalments, might be .indicted twenty years or more after the commission of the offense, if he defaulted on any of his promised payments.

Judgment reversed and defendant discharged from his recognizance.

Reference

Full Case Name
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. William F. Werner
Cited By
12 cases
Status
Published
Syllabus
Criminal law — JCefeclive indictment — Bar of the statute. An indictment is fatally defective which shows, on its face, that it was found more than two years after the commission of the offense, and fails to allege that defendant had not been an inhabitant or usual resident of this state at any time before he was indicted. Criminal law — Estoppel—Plea of the statute. An agreement for support does.not work as an estoppel to setting up the statute of limitations, on an indictment for fornication and bastardy.