State v. Commissioners of Cross Roads
State v. Commissioners of Cross Roads
Opinion of the Court
Curia, per
The defendants were indicted for obstructing a public street, and also for obstructing a public square, commonly called and known by the name of Wragg square. Whether the street is distinctly separate from, or forms a part of, the square, is not established by the verdict of the jury, that found the defendants guilty on the second count; neither does it appear from the testimony, with sufficient clearness to enable the court to form a satisfactory judgment on the whole pase. It may be that the street forms a part of the square, or it may be ¡that it is defined by marked and recognized limits, so as to make the offences essentially different to obstruct one or the other. The issues made by the indictment may be so connected that it is necessary to find on both, before there could be a final judgment on either; and if so, the verdict found by the jury was imperfect, and a venire facias denovo should have been awarded ; so that a new jury might have found on all the issues, and established all the facts. The defendants were found guilty only on one count, and upon appeal, the verdict was set aside, and a new trial .ordered. The verdict was set aside in favor of, and at the instance of, the defendants, who were found guilty. There is nothing on the record that could avail them by way of plea in bar to another prosecution. If-the verdict of guilty had remained, it would have protected them, perhaps, against another indictment for the same offence. As long as the verdict of guilty remained on the record there was a finding; but what proceeding is there now on it?. '-I consider all the proceedings on the indictment, since the finding by the grand jury, to be spt aside; and set aside at the
The present motion is dismissed.
I am of opinion that the verdict of guilty pronounced in this case, on the second count, was'an acquittal o'n the first count in the indictment, and that the new trial ordered at the instance of the defendants found guilty on the second count, involved the subject matter of charge in that count only, and will not authorize a re-investigation'of the offence set forth in the first count, on which the defendants had' been acquitted.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.