Case Name: The Commonwealth of Virginia v. Jacob Leap
Court: United States District Court for the District of Columbia
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 1801-04
Citations: 1 Cranch 1
Docket Number: 
Parties: The Commonwealth of Virginia v. Jacob Leap.
Judges: 
Reporter: Reports of cases argued and determined in the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia (District of Columbia - reported by Mackey)
Volume: 1
Pages: 1–1

Head Matter:
The Commonwealth of Virginia v. Jacob Leap.
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 for selling spirituous liquors contrary to the act of Assembly of Virginia, 26th December, 1792, § 4; (Pleasant & Pace’s ed. of 1803, p. 203.)
Mr. Simms, for the defendant,
moved in arrest of judgment, because it did not appear by the verdict that the fact was committed before the information was filed; and in support of his motion cited 2 Hawk. P. C. 334, and 4 Burr. 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, Attorney for the United States.
The day is not material. ' 2 Hawk. P. C. 335, § 81. A different day may be proved. 1 Hale’s P. C. 361; 3 Inst. c. 104, Syer’s case, 230; Gilb. L. E. (Lofft,) Dublin ed. 1795, 870. The time laid in an indictment may be falsified to avoid a forfeiture.

Opinion:
The Court
arrestad the judgment on the ground that it did not appear by the verdict that the fact was committed before the information was filed.