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202 Ky. 710

Potter v. Commonwealth

Court of Appeals of Kentucky

Decided April 22, 1924

Court of Appeals of Kentucky · decided 1924-04-22

Cited by 1 later decisions — most recently October 1925

1 state decisions

Relies on Spriggs v. Commonwealth

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1924-04-22

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¶1Opinion op the Court by

Judge Clay

¶2Reversing.

¶3The grand jury of Pike county returned an indictment against Ira Potter charging him with the “offense of unlawfully manufacturing, selling, ’bartering, possessing, giving away, keeping for sale and transporting intoxicating liquor.” He demurred to the indictment and the Commonwealth elected to try him “for operating a moonshine still.” The court instructed the jury to find him guilty if they believed from the evidence to the exclusion of a reasonable doubt that he, in Pike county and within twelve months before the finding of the indictment, “operated a moonshine still, or engaged in the manufacture of whiskey, or helped to manufacture whiskey.” He was found guilty and his punishment fixed at *711a fine of $100.00 and sixty days in jail. From, tire judgment based on tbe verdict this appeal is prosecuted.

¶4Under the present statute there is no such offense as operating a moonshine still. Spriggs v. Commonwealth, 200 Ky. 559, 255 S. "W. 108. As the Commonwealth elected to try appellant, and the instruction authorized his conviction for an offense unknown to the law and not even charged in the indictment, the judgment cannot be upheld. On the return of the case the Commonwealth will be permitted to make another election.

¶5Judgment reversed and cause remanded for proceedings consistent with this opinion.

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