Case Name: VIRGINIA v. LEAP
Court: United States Circuit Court of the District of Columbia
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 1801-04
Citations: 28 F. Cas. 1225
Docket Number: 
Parties: VIRGINIA v. LEAP.
Judges: 
Reporter: Federal Cases
Volume: 28
Pages: 1225–1225

Head Matter:
Case No. 16,964.
VIRGINIA v. LEAP.
[1 Cranch, C. C. 1.]
Circuit Court, District of Columbia.
April Term, 1801.
Criminal Law—Arrest •of Judgment.
If upon a special verdict it does not appear that the offence was committed before the filing of the information, the judgment must be arrested.
Information [against Jacob Leap] for selüng spirituous liquors contrary to the act of assembly of Virginia. 2Gth December, 1702, § 4 (Pleasant & Pace’s Ed. of 1803, p. 203).
Mr. Simms, for defendant,
moved in arrest of judgment, because it did hot appear by the ver-diet that the fact was committed before the information was filed; and in support of his motion cited 2 Hawk. P. C. 334, and 4 Burrows, 2471. The verdict found the defendant guilty of retailing spirituous liquors in the month of March, without naming the day, and expressly found that there was no evidence of his retailing liquors on the day laid in the information. The information was filed in the same month of March. He admitted that the jury may find a general verdict, although the fact be not proved to have been done on the day laid in the information; but if the jury find specially, the court are bound to take notice of the fact as found.
Mr. Mason, for the United States.
The day is not material. 2 Hawk. P. C. 335, § 81. A different day may be proved. 1 Hale, P. C. 361; 3 Inst. e. 104, Syer’s Case. 230; Gilb. Ev. (Lofft, Dublin Ed. 1795) 870. The time laid in an indictment may be falsified to avoid a forfeiture.

Opinion:
THE COURT
arrested the judgment on the ground that it did not appear by the verdict that the fact was committed before the information was filed.