Source: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/284/390/
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 04:55:12+00:00

Document:
1. Where no question was raised in the courts below with respect to the sufficiency of an indictment, and no such question is presented here, its sufficiency will be assumed. P. 284 U. S. 392.
(1) The evidence on the nuisance count was sufficient to warrant a verdict of guilty. P. 284 U. S. 392.
(2) Consistency in the verdict was not required. P. 284 U. S. 393.
(3) The verdict may not be upset by speculation or inquiry into whether it was the result of compromise or mistake on the part of the jury. P. 284 U. S. 394.
3. Where offenses are separately charged in the counts of a single indictment, though the evidence is the same in support of each, an acquittal on one may not be pleaded as res judicata of the other. P. 284 U. S. 393.
Compare Horning v. District of Columbia, 254 U. S. 135.
Two federal prohibited agents testified that, about 7:30 o'clock in the afternoon of June 26, 1930, they and two unknown men, whom they referred to as "pick-ups," entered the rear room and found petitioner behind the bar; that one of the agents bought from petitioner "three whiskys and one beer," and paid him a dollar, which he rang up on the cash register; that the other agent bought from him two more drinks of whisky, and that all such liquor was consumed on the premises by the agents and their companions. No other sale was shown. No arrest, search, or seizure was then made or attempted. Marron v. United States, 275 U. S. 192. Eight days later, federal officers, having a warrant for arrest, accompanied by one of the prohibition agents, raided the place and arrested petitioner. There was no evidence that any liquor was found. Petitioner testified and introduced other evidence to show that he was absent from Eureka and not in the place until some time between 8 and 8:30 o'clock that evening.
The facts alleged in the first count are not sufficient to constitute nuisance. They amount only to a charge of unlawful possession. The count contains nothing as to the character of the place. No practice or course of business maintained or intended is alleged. The facts set forth are not distinguishable from those alleged as constituting the unlawful possession charged in the second count. It is of no legal significance that the pleader cited § 33 in the first count and § 12 in the others, and referred to the offense as "nuisance" and failed to characterize or name those charged in the others. Williams v. United States, 168 U. S. 382, 168 U. S. 389; Hammer v. United States, 271 U. S. 620, 271 U. S. 625; People v. Aro, 6 Cal. 207; State v. Murray, 41 Iowa, 580.
By finding petitioner not guilty under the second and third counts, the jury conclusively established that the evidence was not sufficient to prove the unlawful possession or sale there alleged. Since the first count charged nothing more than unlawful possession, this amounted to contradictory findings on the same fact. But, even if that count charged a nuisance, the unlawful keeping of that liquor for sale was essential to the offense -- in fact the corpus delicti -- and the verdict of guilty necessarily included a finding of the very possession that was conclusively negatived by the verdict under the second count. If the finding of guilt on the first count were not contradicted by another finding contained in the same verdict, or if it stood alone, a judgment would properly be entered thereon convicting petitioner of the unlawful possession. 18 U.S.C. § 565. Samlin v. United States, 278 F. 170; Sparf & Hansen v. United States, 156 U. S. 51, 156 U. S. 62; Wallace v. United States, 162 U. S. 466, 162 U. S. 476.
This is not a failure of the jury to pass on all the counts submitted to them, as in Selvester v. United States, 170 U. S. 262, and Latham v. The Queen, 5 B. & S. 635, cited in the opinion here. In this case, the jury responded to all the issues, but the findings cannot be reconciled. Possession was alleged in the second count and negatived by the jury. Nothing remains to support the opposite finding under the first count. The repugnancy is such that, if the first is accepted, the second must be rejected. I am of opinion that this record plainly requires an express and unqualified decision that these findings conflict and are completely repugnant.

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 § 565
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