Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1852-05-12
CRIMINAL LAW.

The following act is now the law Of the
State, and as it goes into effect from tn date
Of lis passage, it is proper that the Circuit
Courts and the Attorneys in the counties
should be made aware of its provisions.
.Act for The amendment o fthe Law in Crimi.
nal Cases.
Section /. Be it enacted by the General
Assembly of Maryland Tha. in any indict-
ment for any felony or misdemeanor where
in ii shall be rennsile 10 state the ownership.
or possession, OF any property whatsoever,
whether real, or personal, which shall be-
long to, or be in the possession Of more
than one person, whether such persons be
partners in trade, joint tenants, parceners,
tenants in common, or trustees, i! shall be
sufficien. to name one Of such persons, and
to state such property to belong to, or be
and another, or others, as the case may be;
and whenever in any indictment, for any
felony, or misdemeanor, it shall be neces-
sary to mention for any purpose whatever,
any partners, jolnt tenants, parceners, tenants
in common, or trustees, il shall be sufficient
to describe them in the manner aforesaid.
Sec. 2. And be il enacted, That no in
Indictment, or presen,ment for felony, or
misdemeanor, and no coroner's inqusl,ion
in cases of homicide, shall be quashed, nor
shall any judgment upon any indictmen, for
any felony, or misdemeanor, or upon any
presenment, whether after verdict, by con-
fesson, default, or otherwise, be stayed, or
reversed for want of proper or perfect
venue, when the cour, shall appear, by The
indictment, inquisilion or pIesentment or
by the statement Of the venue in the margin
thereof, TO have had jurisdiction over the
offence, nor for The omission, or mIsstate-
menl of the title, estate, occupation or de-
gree Of the defendant, or other person or
persons, named in the said indictment, in
QUESTION or presenlmenI, nor for the want
Of the ave!men, of any matter unnecessary
TO be proved, nor for the omission Of the
words 'appears by the record" or the words
"wilh force and arms,' nor for the insertion
of the words ''against,he form Of the statute"
instead Of against the form ofstatutes," or,
vice versa-nor for emitting 10 state the time
at which the offence was committed, In any
case where time is not Of the essence of The
offence nor for stating the time imperfect
Ily; nor for stating the offence 10 have been
committed on a day subsequent to the find
ing of the indictment, or inquest, or making
The presentment, or on an impossible day
that never happened, or by reason of any
mere defect, or imperfectlon of matters Of
form, which shall not tend to the preju-
dice of the defendant, nor for any matter or
cause which might have been subject Of
demurrer TO the Indictment, coroner's inqui-
sition or presen,ment, as the case may be.
Sec 8. And be it enacted, That all IN
dictments for offences forbidden by any sta
tute or statutes, or for offences, the punish
men, of which is contained in the same
clause OF any statute with the prohibition
of the offence, may conclude as for offences
al common law, and where any offence,
which is a misdemeanor at common law,
NAV have been or shall be made felony
bv statute, the misdemeanor shall not be
merged in the felony, but the indictment
NAV contain counts for the said felony;
and also for the misdemeanor.
Sec. 4. And be i, enacted, That this act
shall take effect from its passage.