Case Name: J. T. Maroney v. The State
Court: Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
Jurisdiction: Texas
Decision Date: 1903-06-14
Citations: 45 Tex. Crim. 524
Docket Number: No. 2629
Parties: J. T. Maroney v. The State.
Judges: 
Reporter: Texas Criminal Reports
Volume: 45
Pages: 524–532

Head Matter:
J. T. Maroney v. The State.
No. 2629.
Decided June 14, 1903.
1.—'Judge—Legal Authority-Change of District.
L. was duly elected judge of the Forty-second Judicial District, com’ posed of the county of C. and others; thereafter the Legislature created the Fifty-second Judicial District, composed of said county of C. and two more not contained in the said Forty-second District and provided in the act creating the Fifty-second District, that the said L. should continue to be the judge of the last named district; no' judge was elected in said Fifty-second District and said L. has not taken the path of office since said last named district was formed. Held, that the Legislature did not attempt to appoint said L. as judge of said Fifty-second District, but simply changed the dis trict for which he was elected, and his title to the office or his duties as judge are not affected.
2. —Evidence—Perjury.
Under an indictment for perjury, the accused may be convicted upon circumstantial evidence.
ON REHEARING.
February 14, 1904.
3. —Same—Materiality of Issue—Indictment—Proof.
In an indictment for perjury it was alleged that it was material in a certain civil suit whether or not the transfer of a certain fire insurance policy to the accused, and upon which the suit was based, was made for a valuable consideration, and that in truth and fact it was not made for a valuable consideration, but was made with the intent to hinder, delay and defraud the creditors of the assignor of said policy, and that the accused swore as a witness in said suit that the said transfer was made for a valuable consideration, well knowing that it was not so made. Held, that it was necessary under said allegations to prove that the testimony in said civil suit showed the fact that said assignor was indebted and that said transfer by him was with the intent to defraud his creditors, otherwise it became immaterial whether the said transfer was for a valuable consideration.
4. —Same—Allegata and Probata.
Under the allegation of want of consideration and to defraud creditors in the transfer of a fire insurance policy as the material issue in an indictment for perjury, the prosecution can not shift its proof and be permitted to show that the insured who assigned the policy to the accused burned the insured property, and that the alleged false testimony of the accused with reference to the valuable consideration of said transfer tended to show such burning and thereby became material, the indictment not being predicated upon a general assignment of perjury.
Appeal from the District Court of Comanche. Tried below before Hon. FT. R. Lindsey.
Appeal from a conviction of perjury; penalty, two years imprisonment in the penitentiary.
The case is sufficiently stated in the opinion.
Joiner & McMillan, for appellant.
Howard Martin, Assistant Attorney-General, for the State.

Opinion:
BROOKS, Judge.
Appellant was convicted of perjury, and his punishment assessed at confinement in the penitentiary for a term of two years.
Appellant insists that the judge who tried this case had no legal authority to do so. The bill shows the following facts: That FT. R. Lindsey was duly elected judge of the Forty-second Judicial District of Texas, which district at the time of his said election and up to the time of the creation of the Fifty-second Judicial District was composed of the counties of Comanche, Eastland, Shackelford, Jones, Callahan, Stephens and Taylor; and that was the district of which FT. R. Lindsey was. elected district judge. Thereafter the Twenty-eighth Legislature at its regular session created an additional judicial district in the State of Texas, to wit, the Fifty-second Judicial District, composed of the coun ties of Coryell, Hamilton and Comanche; that no district judge had been elected by the people of these counties in said district, and no election had been held therefor, and no appointment had been made by the Governor of the State. The said N. R. Lindsey, the present judge, acting alone by reason of the fact that said Legislature enacted that he should continue and be the judge of the Fifty-second Judicial District of Texas. Said judge has not taken the oath of office since his appointment as judge of the Fifty-second Judicial District. We do not understand the Legislature to have attempted anything except to change the district for which the said FT. R. Lindsey was elected; nor did they attempt to appoint said Lindsey judge. The mere fact that they changed the district and changed the name or the number of the district would not in any sense affect his title to the office or his duties as district judge. We understand the law and Constitution of this State to authorize the Legislature to change the district, as was done in this case. Without going into a further discussion of the matter, we hold that the Hon. FT. R. Lindsey was judge of the district court that tried this case.
Appellant complains of the introduction of certain evidence on the trial, and his objections are embodied in several bills of exceptions. But under the qualification of the court appended to each bill, we hold there was no error in the ruling of the court.
- The only remaining question is as to the sufficiency of .the evidence. Appellant insists that in a case of perjury he can not be convicted upon circumstantial evidence. To this we can not agree. Since the decision in Main v. State, 26 Texas Crim. App., 14, this court has held that a conviction could be had upon circumstantial evidence in this character of prosecution. See also Anderson v. State, 24 Texas Crim. App., 705; Beech v. State, 32 Texas Crim. Rep., 240; Plummer v. State, 35 Texas Crim. Rep., 202; Rogers v. State, 35 Texas Crim. Rep., 221. The indictment is sufficient. The evidence amply warrants the verdict of the jury. The judgment is affirmed.