Public-domain · open source
OpenJurist

66 Mass. 501

Commonwealth v. Pattee

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

Decided November 15, 1853

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · decided 1853-11-15

This was an indictment upon Rev. Sts. c. 50, § 17, alleging that the defendant “ did for hire, gain, and reward, permit, suffer, and allow divers persons, whose names are to the jurors unknown, to resort to a certain building there situate, of him, the said Pattee, for the purpose of playing at a certain unlawful game called cards; said building being then and there actually used and occupied by the said Pattee, he not being licensed as an innholder, or common victualler, or…

Decided 1853-11-15

Thomas, J.

¶1In this case the exceptions are overruled, the indictment being sufficient, and the instructions to the jury correct, as the law then stood.

¶2No judgment, however, can be entered. The St. of 1853, c. 399, passed since the verdict was rendered, in effect repealed the provisions of the Rev. Sts. c. 50, § 17, under which the indictment was found, so far as they relate to the keeping of 11 cards, billiards, bowls, quoits, and other like instruments, for amusement merely, or for any other purpose than gaming for money or other property.” The indictment does not charge the keeping of the cards or props for the purpose o. gaming. It charges the doing of a thing unlawful when done, and when the indictment was found and the verdict returned, but not unlawful now. No exception is made in the St. of 1853, of cases where proceedings have already been instituted. The result is that judgment must be arrested.

¶3Judgment arrested.

/66/mass/501 · .json · Public domain