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21 La. Ann. 442

State v. Muston

Supreme Court of Louisiana

Decided May 15, 1869

Supreme Court of Louisiana · decided 1869-05-15

<p>The bill of indictment for the orimo of embezzlement must designate the thing embezzled. Charging the accused -with the embezzlement of the sum of eleven dollars is insufficient to hold the prisoner.</p>

Decided 1869-05-15

Ludeling, C. J.

¶1This record shows that George Muston was convicted of embezzlement, that he was sentenced to eighteen months’ imprisonment at hard labor, and to pay the cost of the prosecution.

¶2Our attention has been directed to several alleged errors apparent upon the face of the record. It will he necessary to notice only one of them.

¶3The indictment recites “ that the prisoner did receive and take into his possession for and on account of the said O. E. Hall the sunn of eleven dollars so received as aforesaid, the said George Muston then and there fraudulently and feloniously did wrongfully use, conceal, dispose and otherwise embezzle contrary to the form of the statute.”

¶4*443The defect is, the thing embezzled is not indicated. The statute declares “that in prosecutions for embezzlement or larceny of bank notes, checks, bills of exchange, promissory notes, gold or silver money, or of any other property of that kind, it shall not be necessary to set forth in the indictment a minute and detailed description thereof, but a general allegation of the amount, and the thing embezzled or' stolen1 shall be sufficient.” It is necessary to designate the thing embezzled. What is the prisoner charged in the indictment with embezzling ?■ The sum of eleven dollars. But the indictment does not inform us in what “the sum of eleven dollars” consisted; it is not alleged that the sum embezzled consisted in gold or silver dollars or in currency- — whether in two or more coins or treasury notes or bank bills. The defect is one of substance and not of form, and the omission vitiates the indictment. Acts of 1855, 5 82; 10 An. 230 ; 20 An. 49.

¶5It is therefore ordered, adjudged and decreed that the judgment1 of the lower court be avoided and reversed, that the verdict of the jury be set aside, and that the case be remanded to be proceeded in according to law.

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