State v. Woods
State v. Woods
Opinion of the Court
The defendants, Wood) and wife, were convicted in the superior court of Snohomish county upon an information charging them with the offense of unlawfully having in their possession intoxicating liquor other than alcohol, and appeal from the judgment and sentence pronounced against them.
At the time of their arraignment upon the information, the defendants, in addition, to a plea of not
The case of State v. Burgess, 111 Wash. 537, 191 Pac. 635, cited and relied upon by the defendants, rather supports than militates against the conclusion
Nor does the case of State v. Spillman, 110 Wash. 662, 188 Pac. 915, support a contrary view. We were there considering the clause of the statute relating to bootleggers—persons who carry about with them intoxicating liquor for the purpose of unlawful sale— and held that the offense of unlawful possession of intoxicating liquor was necessarily included in the offense of bootlegging, as a person could not well carry about with him intoxicating liquor for the purpose of unlawful sale without having unlawful possession of such liquor. But the holding does not require the further holding that the offense of unlawful possession is necessarily included in the offense of being a jointist.
The appellants requested the court to give to the jury the following instruction:
“You are further instructed that even though you should be convinced beyond a reasonable doubt, that the defendants did, at the time and place set forth in the information, have in their possession intoxicating liquor, yet I instruct you that if you believe that said defendants came into lawful possession of said liquor during the time when, under the laws of this state, it was lawful to have possession of intoxicating liquor, or should you have a reasonable doubt as to such fact, then you must acquit the defendants.”
This instruction .the court refused and the second error assigned is predicated thereon. But the question suggested does not require extended discussion. It was before us in the case of the State v. Giaudrone, 109 Wash. 397, 186 Pac. 870, where we determined, in harmony with the view here taken by the trial court, that
Finally, it is contended that the statute under which the appellants were convicted is superseded by the Federal statute, commonly known as the Volstead act,, enacted pursuant to the Eighteenth amendment to the Federal constitution (see 41 U. S. Statutes at Large, p. 305). But this question was likewise before us in State v. Turner, 115 Wash. 170, 196 Pac. 638, where a conclusion contrary to the contention was reached. The question there involved, it is true, related to the other provisions of our act—the provisions relating to “jointists” and “bootleggers”—but the principle announced is determinative here.
The judgment is affirmed.
Parker, C. J., Holcomb, Mackintosh, and Bridges, JJ., concur.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- The State of Washington v. Fred E. Woods
- Cited By
- 10 cases
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- Syllabus
- Criminal Law (55)—Former Jeopardy—Intoxicating Liquors— Different Offenses in Same Act. An acquittal of the offense of opening up, conducting and maintaining a place for the sale of intoxicating liquors would not be a bar to a subsequent prosecution for unlawfully having in possession intoxicating liquors, though the two prosecutions were based upon substantially the same evidence, since the one offense is not included within the other under the provisions of the statute relating to intoxicating liquors. Intoxicating Liquors (30)—Offenses—Illegal Possession. Under a statute making the possession of intoxicating liquor unlawful, it is no defense to a prosecution therefor that defendants came into possession thereof during the time when, under the laws of the state, such possession was lawful. Same (6)—Prohibition—Possession of Intoxicating Liquor— Eighteenth Amendment. The Volstead Act, passed pursuant to the 18th amendment to the constitution of the United States, does not supersede the state statute relating to the unlawful possession of intoxicating liquors.