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27 Vt. 317

State v. Leach

Supreme Court of Vermont

Decided February 15, 1855

Supreme Court of Vermont · decided 1855-02-15

Indictment. Indictment por subornation op perjury which set forth that a certain issue was joined in a suit pending in the Rutland county court, between Jeremiah C. Powers and Artemas C. Powers, plaintiffs, and the respondent as defendant; that the respondent solicited, suborned, instigated and endeavored to persuade one Charles Lee to be and appear as a witness at the trial of said issue and falsely swear and give in evidence that at a certain time and place mentioned, he…

Cited by 1 later decisions — most recently May 1934

1 federal appellate ·

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Decided 1855-02-15

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¶1The opinion of the court was delivered by

Bennett, J.

¶2We think the motion in arrest must prevail, and it is only necessary to consider a single objection to the indictment. There is no averment in it, that Lee testified to a given statement of facts, there being an omission, though, no doubt, by mistake, of the verb. But can this omission be supplied or cured by intendment. We think not. No latitude of intention is allowed to include anything more than what is expressed. 1 Chitty’s Crim. Law, 172. The office of an intendment is to help out a defective averment, and not to supply the want of one. The averment that Lee testified so and so, setting out his testimony in substance, is of vital importance ; and the insertion of the verb is necessary to imply any action on the part of Lee.

¶3The judgment then, of this court, is that the judgment of the county court upon the motion in arrest is reversed, and judgment that the indictment is insufficient.

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