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5 Pa. Super. 249

Commonwealth v. Werner

Superior Court of Pennsylvania

Decided July 23, 1897

Superior Court of Pennsylvania · decided 1897-07-23

<p>Appeal, No. 156, April Sess., 1897, by defendant, from sentence of Q. S. Allegheny Co., Dec. T., 1896, No. 57, on verdict of guilty.</p> <p>Indictment for fornication and bastardy. Before White, J.</p> <p>It appeared from the record that information was made October 6, 1896, charging the offense to have been committed October 13, 1894. A preliminary hearing was waived by defendant October 14, 1896, and bail given for his appearance. On December 8, 1896, the grand jury found a true bill charging fornication and bastardy on October 14, 1894. Plea, non cul et de hoc, filed by defendant December 18, 1896. Verdict of guilty. Defendant appealed.</p> <p>Errors assigned were (1) In overruling defendant’s motion to quash. (2) In overruling defendant’s motion in arrest of judgment. (3) In imposing sentence on the verdict.</p>

Cited by 3 later decisions — most recently March 1960

2 federal appellate ·

Relies on Commonwealth v. Bartilson

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Reversed · Decided 1897-07-23

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¶1Opinioh by

Wickham, J.,

¶2The indictment in this case shows, on its face, that it was found *251more than two years after the commission of the offense charged, and fails to allege, that the defendant had not been an inhabitant or usual resident of this state at any time before he was indicted.

¶3It should therefore have been quashed as being fatally defective : Com. v. Bartilson, 85 Pa. 482; Com. v. Owens, 3 Kulp, 230.

¶4We cannot agree with the learned trial judge, that the defendant’s agreement to support the prosecutrix and her child, estopped him from relying on the statute of limitations. His conduct in refusing to perform the agreement may have been dishonest and dishonorable, but neither it, nor the agreement, interfered with the running of the statute nor lifted its bar.

¶5To hold otherwise would lead to extraordinary results. Thus one guilty of assault and battery, or embezzlement, and agreeing to make compensation or restitution, by instalments, might be .indicted twenty years or more after the commission of the offense, if he defaulted on any of his promised payments.

¶6Judgment reversed and defendant discharged from his recognizance.

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