Case Name: STATE v. BOBBY WILSON
Court: Supreme Court of North Carolina
Jurisdiction: North Carolina
Decision Date: 1951-11-28
Citations: 234 N.C. 552
Docket Number: 
Parties: STATE v. BOBBY WILSON.
Judges: 
Reporter: North Carolina Reports
Volume: 234
Pages: 552–554

Head Matter:
STATE v. BOBBY WILSON.
(Filed 28 November, 1951.)
1. Criminal Law § 17d: Indictment § 13—
Defendant interposed a written plea alleging that tbe indictment charged tbe same offense as that charged in a prior indictment upon which defendant had been acquitted. Held: The sustaining of the plea on the theory alleged is sustaining a plea of former acquittal, and provision in the order calling the plea a motion to quash will be disregarded, since the law regards the substance and not the form.
2. Criminal Law § 68a—
The State has no right of appeal from an order sustaining a plea of former acquittal. G-.S. 15-179.
Barnhill, J., concurring.
Appeal by State from Sinlc, J., at tbe June Term, 1951, of tbe Superior Court of Gaston County.
Plea of autrefois acquit in criminal prosecution for willfully failing or refusing to provide adequate support for illegitimate child.
Tbe facts are these:
1. Tbe defendant, Bobby Wilson, was placed on trial before Judge George B. Patton and a jury at the March Term, 1951, of tbe Superior Court of Gaston County upon a first indictment charging that “on tbe 5th day of February, 1951, . . . (be) did unlawfully and willfully fail and refuse to provide adequate support for bis illegitimate child born to Elzonie Forney.” Judge Patton dismissed tbe prosecution on tbe first indictment on a compulsory nonsuit under G.S. 15-173. He gave this reason for bis ruling: “There is sufficient evidence to be submitted to tbe jury on tbe question of the paternity of tbe child, but tbe evidence is insufficient to be submitted to tbe jury on tbe question of willful failure or refusal of tbe defendant to support tbe child.”
2. Tbe grand jury subsequently returned a second indictment against tbe defendant charging that on an undesignated “day of March, 1949, . . . (be) did unlawfully and willfully fail and refuse to provide adequate support for bis illegitimate child born to Elzonie Forney.”
3. When tbe solicitor undertook to put tbe defendant on trial on tbe second indictment at tbe June Term, 1951, of tbe Superior Court of Gaston County, tbe defendant interposed a written plea, alleging, in substance, that both indictments charged tbe same offense, and pleading bis former acquittal in tbe first prosecution as a bar to tbe second prosecution. Judge H. Hoyle Sink, who presided, thereupon inspected tbe two indictments and sustained tbe defendant’s plea in an order, which called such plea a motion to quash.
4.Tbe State excepted to tbe order and appealed.
Attorney-General McMullan, Assistant Attorney-General Bruton, and Charles G. Powell, Jr., Member of Staff, for the State, appellant.
Wade H. Sanders for defendant, appellee.

Opinion:
Eevin, J.
Since tbe law looks at substance ratber than form, tbe misnaming of tbe defendant's plea cannot blot out tbe reality that Judge Sink sustained a plea of former acquittal. He evidently concluded tbe plea to be good on tbe theory that an inspection of tbe two indictments disclosed that tbe facts alleged in tbe second indictment, if given in evidence, would have sustained a conviction under tbe first. S. v. Hicks, 233 N.C. 511, 64 S.E. 2d 871.
Tbe validity of such conclusion cannot be reviewed by us, for tbe very simple reason that tbe State cannot appeal from an order sustaining a plea of former acquittal. S. v. Lane, 78 N.C. 547.
Tbe right of tbe State to appeal to tbe Supreme Court from adverse rulings of tbe Superior Court or to tbe Superior Court from adverse rulings of an inferior court is governed by tbe statutory provision that '"an appeal . . . may be taken by tbe State in tbe following cases and no other":
1. Upon a special verdict.
2. Upon a demurrer.
3. Upon a motion to quash.
4. Upon arrest of judgment.
5. Upon motion for a new trial on tbe ground of newly discovered evidence, but only on questions of law.
6. Upon declaring a statute unconstitutional. G-.S. 15-179; 1945 Session Laws, Cb. 701.
Appeal dismissed.