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103 Cal. 497

Ex parte Thomas

California Supreme Court

Decided August 4, 1894

California Supreme Court · decided 1894-08-04

<p>Hearing in the Supreme Court upon writ of habeas corpus.</p> <p>The facts are stated in the opinion of the court.</p>

Cited by 1 later decisions — most recently July 1963

1 state decisions

Relies on People v. Gates

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1894-08-04

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The Court.

¶1The return to the writ of habeas corpus issued herein shows that the petitioner was convicted in the police court of the city and county of San Francisco of the crime of adultery, and thereupon sentenced to be imprisoned in the county jail for one year, and that he is now held in custody under commitment based upon said judgment.

¶2The judgment is void. Adultery is not made a crime by any statute of California. It is the living together in open and notorious cohabitation and adultery that is made criminal by the statute (Stats. 1871-72, p. 380), and it has been rightly held that mere adultery without the notorious cohabitation does not constitute the offense. (People v. Gates, 46 Cal. 52.)

¶3The judgment being void the imprisonment is necessarily unlawful, and the prisoner must be discharged. It is so ordered.

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