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9 Ky. Op. 283

Commonwealth v. Compton

Court of Appeals of Kentucky

Decided January 19, 1877

Court of Appeals of Kentucky · decided 1877-01-19

<p>Criminal Law — Indictment.</p> <p>An indictment under Sec. 8, Art. 28, Chap. 29, Gen. Stat., is sufficient which charges the defendant with unlawfully and wilfully cutting and pealing a lot of fruit trees, ornamental trees and shrubs standing on the land of Arch Borders, and being his property, the indictment also stating that the trees, etc., cut and pealed were injured and killed by the acts of appellee.</p>

Decided 1877-01-19

¶1Opinion by

Judge Elliott:

¶2This was an indictment of the Lawrence Criminal Court against the appellee, charging her with unlawfully and wilfully cutting and peeling a lot of fruit trees, ornamental trees and shrubs standing on the land of Arch Borders, and being his property. The indictment states that the trees, etc., cut and peeled, were injured and killed by the acts of the appellee.

¶3The appellee’s demurrer to the indictment was sustained, and the indictment dismissed, and the commonwealth has appealed. This indictment was found for a supposed violation of Sec. 8, Art. 28, Chap. 29, Gen. Stat., which is as follows:

¶4If any person shall wilfully and unlawfully cut down or destroy by belting, topping, or otherwise, any fruit or shade trees of another, or quarry stone on the land, pull down or open fences or gate, destroy or injure the vegetables, trees or shrubbery of any other person, he shall be fined not less than five nor more than five hundred dollars. It seems to us that the indictment states all that the statute requires to make out a complete public offense.

¶5It charges the wilful and unlawful cutting the trees and states to whom the property belonged, and the injury done, in apt language, and we are of opinion that the court erred in sustaining the demurrer and dismissing the indictment.

¶6Wherefore the judgment is reversed and cause remanded for ifurther proceedings consistent herewith.

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