Case Name: State vs. Fred Damerest
Court: Maine Supreme Judicial Court
Jurisdiction: Maine
Decision Date: 1919-03-20
Citations: 118 Me. 86
Docket Number: 
Parties: State vs. Fred Damerest.
Judges: Sitting: Cornish, C. J., Spear, Hanson, Wilson, Deasy, JJ.
Reporter: Maine Reports
Volume: 118
Pages: 86–87

Head Matter:
State vs. Fred Damerest.
Knox.
Opinion March 20, 1919.
Jurisdiction of Municipal Courts.
Complaint and warrant under R. S., Chap. 45, Seo. 34, alleging the offense to have been committed at Swans Islaud, in the County of Hancock. The complaint was before the Municipal Court of the City of Rockland, Knox County. Objection was raised to-the jurisdiction of the Court in Knox County.
Held:
The jurisdiction of a court in criminal matters is confined to offenses committed . in the county, unless a special statute extends it beyond.
Complaint and warrant under R. S., Chap. 45, Sec. 35. Respondent filed demurrer with right to plead anew if demurrer was overruled. Presiding Justice overruled demurrer and respondent filed exceptions. Exceptions sustained. Demurrer adjudged good.
Case stated in opinion.
Henry L. Withee, County Attorney, for State.
A. S. Littlefield, for respondent.
Sitting: Cornish, C. J., Spear, Hanson, Wilson, Deasy, JJ.

Opinion:
Spear, J.
This is a complaint against the defendant for having in his possession a certain number of short lobsters, and comes up on demurrer. The offense is alleged to have been committed at Swans Island in the County of Hancock. The complaint was before the Police Court of the City of Rockland, and is now pending in the Supreme Court in the County of Knox.
Objection is raised to the jurisdiction of the court in Knox County. We think it valid. R. S., Chap. 45, Sec. 34, provides that the several municipal and police courts have jurisdiction under the seventeen preceding sections, and further, that "any warrant issued by any such court shall cover offences occurring in the county where such court is established, or in any adjoining county."
The offense for the unlawful possession of short lobsters is found in Sec. 35, of Chap. 45. The jurisdiction of a coürt in criminal matters is confined to offenses committed in the county unless a special statute extends it beyond. The special provisions in this chapter, extending jurisdiction, apply to the seventeen sections preceding section 34, but do not apply to section 35.
It is accordingly apparent upon the face of the papers that the court in Knox County has no jurisdiction.
Demurrer sustained.