Case Name: The People of the State of New York ex rel. Gaetano Damato, Respondent, v. Otto Kempner, City Magistrate, etc., and the People of the State of New York, Appellants
Court: New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1914-06
Citations: 163 A.D. 966
Docket Number: 
Parties: The People of the State of New York ex rel. Gaetano Damato, Respondent, v. Otto Kempner, City Magistrate, etc., and the People of the State of New York, Appellants.
Judges: 
Reporter: Appellate Division Reports
Volume: 163
Pages: 966–966

Head Matter:
The People of the State of New York ex rel. Gaetano Damato, Respondent, v. Otto Kempner, City Magistrate, etc., and the People of the State of New York, Appellants.

Opinion:
As the complaining witness, Zrake, had long carried on dentistry in violation of statute, relator's alleged payments for five months in 1913, and the twenty dollar monthly payments thereafter, could be found to have been in order to buy silence and protection for offenses already committed, as well as for future infractions. Therefore, the question to what extent such payments were induced by fear so as to make out the offense of extortion was for the jury. (People v. Gardner, 144 N. Y. 119.) The order is, therefore, reversed, and the relator remanded, the bail bond given by relator reinstated and the writ of habeas corpus dismissed. Jenks, P. J., Burr, Carr, Rich and Putnam, JJ., concurred.
See Public Health Law (Consol. Laws, chap. 45; Laws of 1909, chap. 49), § 303.—[Rep.