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29 Tex. Ct. App. 452

Edwards v. State

Court of Appeals of Texas

Decided April 22, 1891

Court of Appeals of Texas · decided 1891-04-22

Tried below before Hon. D. E. Barrett. This appeal is from a judgment final upon a forfeited recognizance ■entered into by Ed. Geer as principal, with appellants as his sureties. Appellants excepted to the sufficiency of the recognizance because it did not show that their principal was accused of an offense against the laws of this State, which exception was overruled, and judgment final was rendered upon said recognizance for the sum of $500 and costs.

Cited by 3 later decisions — most recently March 1959

1 district · 2 state decisions

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1891-04-22

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WHITE, Presiding Judge.

¶1This is an appeal from a judgment final on a forfeited recognizance. It is argued there is only one question to be determined, and that is whether the recognizance recites an offense against the law.

¶2As set out in the recognizance, the condition is that the principal •shall make his personal appearance before the District Court at the specific time named, “and there remain from day to day, and term to term, of said court, to answer the State of Texas upon a charge by indictment duly presented and pending in said court, wherein the said Ed. Geer is accused of the offense of theft of a horse in the Indian Territory, and afterward bringing the said horse into Cooke County, State ■of Texas.”

¶3To render a person guilty of bringing property into this State which was stolen by him in any foreign country, State, or Territory, it is expressly provided that it must appear that by the law of the State or Territory from which the property was taken and brought into this .State the act committed would also have been theft. Penal Code, arts. 798, 799.

¶4*454The law of the foreign country or State is an element of the offense and an issuable fact to be alleged in the indictment for this offense, and a fact essential to be proved, and it must be averred that the act was an offense under the laws of such foreign country or State. Morales v. The State, 21 Texas, 298; Carmisales v. The State, 11 Texas Ct. App., 474; Cummins v. The State, 12 Texas Ct. App., 121; Fernandez v. The State, 25 Texas Ct. App., 538; Clark v. The State, 27 Texas Ct. App., 405.

¶5It would be no offense under our statute to bring stolen property into this State unless the offense of theft had been committed under the laws of the country, State, or Territory from which the property was taken. To simply aver that the party “ is accused of theft of a horse in the Indian Territory, and afterward bringing the said horse into the State of Texas,” does not charge the offense denounced by our law.

¶6It is true that if an offense is one eo nomine, then it is only necessary in the recognizance to recite it by its name, as “theft,” etc. Willson’s Crim. Stats., sec. 2650.

¶7Bringing stolen property into this State, “or theft of property in another State and bringing it into this State, is not eo nomime an offense. Where an offense is not one eo nomine, then the rule is well settled that the recognizance must state the essential elements of the offense, so that it will appear that a particular offense against the law is charged against the principal.” Willson’s Crim. Stats., sec. 1791; Brown v. The State, 28 Texas Ct. App., 65; Cresap v. The State, Id., 529.

¶8It is clear that the recognizance in this case states no specific offense against our law, and therefore it will not support any judgment of forfeiture.

¶9The judgment is reversed and the prosecution is dismissed.

¶10Reversed and dismissed.

¶11Judges all present and concurring.

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