Case ID: scl_30/html/0188-01.html
Source: Caselaw Access Project
Author: {"author": "\n      Curia, per O’Neall, J.", "license": "Public Domain", "url": "https://static.case.law/"}
Date Created: 2024-08-24T03:29:51.129683

The State vs. John Williams. The Same vs. C. Voss. The Same vs. H. VanGlahn. The Same vs. The Same.
    
    When, an objection to a record can be shewn in no other way than by inspection, the original, under the 83d. rule of court, may he carried up to the Court of Appeals.
    A writ of venire, without the seal of the court, is void.
    The writs of venire, by which the grand and petit juries were summoned, are parts of the record of conviction, and if they are void, the judgment will he arrested.
    
      Before Frost, J. at Charleston, Fall Term, 1844.
    These were indictments for different offences. The prisoners were found guilty, and they now moved in arrest of judgment, on the ground, that the grand jury who found the bills, and the petit juries who convicted the prisoners, were summoned by wirts of venire without the seal of the court.
    
      Yeadon & Dukes, for the motion,
    submitted the original venires for the inspection of the court, with the certificate of the clerk, that they were the original venires, and that they had not been sealed.
    
      Bailey, Attorney General, contra,
    asked leave to be heard, against the rule, laid down in the case of the Stale vs. Dozier, 2 Sp. 211, that a venire is a part of the record of conviction ; which the court after consultation refused. Mr. Bailey then contended that under the rule of court, certified copies of the venires should have been brought up, and not the originals themselves.
   Curia, per O’Neall, J.

In these cases the original records were produced. According to the rule 83d. (of December, 1837,) copies are not to be brought up to this court, except in cases where inspection is necessary. ' In such case the original may be brought up ; that is the case here. The existence of the seal on a writ can most generally be shewn in no other way than by the appearance of the impression on the paper, or something used for it. Here the originals of the supposed writs of venire, certified by the clerk to be genuine, have no trace whatever of a seal. Indeed the clerk’s certificate admits that no seal was affixed. According to the case of the State vs. Dozier, 2 Speers, 211, the papers called writs of venire, not having any seal, are illegal, and the result is the judgments must be arrested. The motions to arrest the judgments are granted, and the prisoners are remanded, to answer to fresh bills of indictment to be preferred against them at the next Term.

Richardson, Evans, Butler and Frost, JJ. concurred. .