Public-domain · open source
OpenJurist

98 Tenn. 323

State v. Fry

Tennessee Supreme Court

Decided March 5, 1897

Tennessee Supreme Court · decided 1897-03-05

<p>1. Criminal Practice. Former acquittal available without formal plea.</p> <p>Former acquittal oi one of several offenses embraced in an indictment resulting by implication from a verdict of guilty upon a former trial as to other offenses charged, is available on a subsequent retrial without a formal plea, as it fully appears from the record in the particular case. (Post, p. 325.)</p> <p>2. Same. Former acquittal and once in jeopardy.</p> <p>A general verdict of “guilty of arson,” upon an indictment charging, in two distinct counts, the burning of a dwelling ' house and the burning of a barn, as parts of one transaction, does not operate as an acquittal upon -the count charging the burning of the barn so as to protect the accused from a retrial thereon upon the reversal of the first verdict, as both counts charged arson, and the conviction covered both. (Post, pp. 325-329.</p> <p>Cases cited and distinguished: Hallu State, 3 Lea, 553;' Lawless v. State, 4 Lea, 177.</p> <p>3. Federal Question. Does not arise.</p> <p>And the denial of the benefit of a former acquittal in such case does not raise any federal question. Such proceeding- constitutes due process of law, and the State Court’s decision on this point is final and conclusive. (Post, p. 329.)</p> <p>Cases cited: 139 U. S., 462; 141 U. S., 209; 110 U. S., 516; 149 U. S., 645; 143 ü. S., 442; 46 Fed. Rep., 388; 54 Fed. Rep., 334.</p>

Cited by 6 later decisions — most recently August 1978

2 federal appellate · 4 state decisions

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1897-03-05

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

Wilkes, J.

¶1Defendant was indicted at the September term, 1894. There were two counts in the indictment. The first charged the defendant with burning a barn, the property of Stroud, in the possession of Bailey. The second charged him with burning the dwelling house of Stroud, in the possession of Bailey.

¶2The verdict of the jury was returned at the January term, 1896, and was, in form, that they found the defendant guilty of arson, as charged in the indictment, and sentenced him to five years in the State penitentiary.

¶3On appeal to the Supreme Court the judgment rendered upon this verdict was reversed and the case remanded for a new trial. A mistrial was had at the May term of the Court, and at the September term another trial was had, and the jury returned a verdict that the defendant was guilty of barn burning, as charged in the indictment, and he was sentenced to two years in the penitentiary, and he has again appealed.

¶4It is insisted that the verdict of arson, on the first trial, without any special finding upon the charge of barn burning, was equivalent to an acquittal upon the latter charge, and that whether he set up the former acquittal by plea or not, he *325could not, on the last trial, be convicted of barn burning.

¶5If we concede the premises that he has once been acquitted in the same case of the charge of barn burning, we do not think it absolutely necessary that he should set this up by plea, inasmuch as it appears fully to the Court in the course of the same prosecution. But, the question is, was the verdict of the first trial equivalent to an acquittal of the charge of barn burning ? That verdict found him guilty of arson, in general terms, and did not specify whether of the barn or dwelling. It was applicable, and may have been applied, to either. Originally, the crime of arson, at common law, was applicable only to dwellings. By statute, however, its scope has been enlarged until it embraces not only dwellings, but outhouses as rvell. In this case the dwelling and barn were burned in the same fire, at the same time, and by the same means, and the verdict, being general, was applicable to either or both. This is not similar to a charge of murder, which embraces within it the different degrees of homicide, and where the conviction for a lower grade necessarily carries with it an acquittal of the higher offense. We do not think, therefore, that the first verdict, by its terms or by implication, is an acquittal of either offense, but, on the contrary, was a conviction, upon both or either, the sentence in that case being five years, and within the penalty prescribed in each *326statute. Upon the case being remanded, therefore, the defendant was triable, as at first, upon the indictment as a whole. Upon the latter trial the finding is for barn burning, and the punishment is within the limits fixed for that offense. Upon the merits of the case, the record shows a motive, with threats and malice on the part of defendant. There is also evidence as to similarity of footprints. The only real defense set up is that of an alibi, and this is attempted to be made out by Williams. Defendant, however, admits that he was, during the whole night of the fire, in company with Hickerson. Hickerson has already been found guilty, by this Court, of the same offense, and is now in the penitentiary.

¶6Suffice it to say, we do not consider the alibi as made out, and the judgment of the Court below must be affirmed.

/98/tenn/323 · .json · Public domain