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175 N.C. 773

94 S.E 721

State v. . Lance

Supreme Court of North Carolina

Decided December 22, 1917

Supreme Court of North Carolina · decided 1917-12-22

INDICTMENT for unlawfully and willfully obstructing a cartway, tried before Lane, J., at November Term, 1917, of Buncombe, the bill of indictment charging that the said cartway had been “duly dedicated as such for public use and enjoyment.” The defendant was convicted and from the judgment of the court appeals.

Decided 1917-12-22

Beown, J.

¶1 It is stated in the brief for the State that “the evidence does not show any dedication of the obstructed cartway to the public use, nor any adverse use of the cartway by the defendant which would give him an easement.”

¶2 An examination of the record corroborates the conclusion of the Attorney-General. If there is no evidence of dedication to the public, or any evidence of an adverse continuous user by the prosecuting witness for the period required by law to give him an easement, then the defendant could not be guilty of unlawfully and willfully obstructing the road, as the obstruction was on that part of the road where it crosses the defendant’s land.

¶3 The case is governed by what is said in S. v. Norris, 174 N. C., 808.

¶4 Reversed.

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