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20 Del. 31

State v. Cook

New York Court of General Session of the Peace · decided 1902-02-07

<p> Criminal Law—Female Child ; Lasciviously Playing With—Indict- </p> <p> ment Must Specifically Inform Defendant of the </p> <p> Offense—Evidence—Other Lascivious Acts of </p> <p> Defendant Not Material. </p> <p>1. The indictment must definitely and specifically inform the defendant of the offense which he is to meet.</p> <p>2. In a trial for lasciviously playing with a female child it is not competent for the State to ask the prosecuting witness it there was anything the matter with her after the date of the alleged offense.</p> <p>3. Nor is it competent or material for the State to show that the defendant committed other acts of a lascivious nature with the prosecuting witness.</p>

Cited by 1 later decisions — most recently December 1925

1 state decisions

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1902-02-07

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Pennewill, J.,

¶1charging the jury:

¶2Gentlemen of the jury:—The respective counsel have not asked the Court to instruct you upon any question of law, for the reason, we presume, that there are no questions of law involved in this case. The question to be determined is simply one of fact, and it is for your determination alone.

¶3Robert Cook, the defendant, is charged in this indictment with unlawfully and lewdly and lasciviously playing with Gracie Ellen Sandy, she, the said Gracie Ellen Sandy, being then and there a female child under the age of 16 years. The indictment is based upon a statute of this State, which was passed February 21,1881, being Chapter 545, Vol. 16, Laws of Delaware [Rev. Code, 956), which— as amended by Chapter 126, Vol. 20, Laws of Delaware—provides that if any person shall lewdly and lasciviously play with any female child under the age of 16 years, he shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor.

¶4If you should believe, from the testimony in this case, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Robert Cook, the defendant, committed the *34offense charged in this indictment, your verdict should be guilty, If you should not so believe your verdict should be not guilty.

¶5Verdict, guilty.

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