Case Name: The State vs. Martha Young
Court: Tennessee Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Tennessee
Decision Date: 1867-12
Citations: 5 Cold. 51
Docket Number: 
Parties: The State vs. Martha Young.
Judges: 
Reporter: Tennessee Reports
Volume: 45
Pages: 51–52

Head Matter:
The State vs. Martha Young.
1. Retailing Liqtjoks. When a presentment is good. A presentment averring that the defendent, did, on the 1st day of May, 18(36, in said Gounty, unlawfully sell, vend and retail, spiritous liquors, to wit: "Whisky, to one J. E. McDonal, and divers other persons, in quantities less than a quart, she, the said defendant, not having taken out a license, is a good presentment.
2. Same. The law regulating the sale of liguors, to he construed liberally. The law regulating, and preventing the sale of liquors, is to he construed liberally, so as to effectuate the objects had in view, by their passage.
EB0M OVERTON.
On motion of the defendant in error, at the January Term, 1867, the presentment was quashed. From the action of the Court, there was an appeal by the District Attorney-General. Judge W. W. Goodpasture, presiding.
Thomas H. Coldwell, Attorney-General, for the State.
JOHN P. Maury, for Martha Young.

Opinion:
HARRISON J.,
delivered - the opinion of the Court.
The defendant was presented at the September Term, 1866, of the Circuit Court of Overton, for retailing. The presentment charging, that, she did, on the 1st day of May, 1866, in said County, unlawfully sell, vend, and retail, spiritous liquors, to wit: Whisky to one J. E. McDonald, and divers other persons, in quantities, less than a quart, she, the said defendant, not having taken out a license. The presentment is signed by twelve grand jurors.
At the January Term, 1867, she moved the Court to quash the indictment, which motion was sustained, the indictment quashed; and the District Attorney prosecuting for the State, appealed to this Court. There is no ground stated, as a ground, upon which the Court was asked to quash the presentment. The presentment is a good one under sec. 4857. The article in the Code, for, regulating, and preventing the sale of liquors, is to be construed liberally, so as to effectuate the objects had in view: Code, sec. 4860.
We cannot discover any grounds for quashing the indictment, and the judgment must be reversed, and the cause remanded, for the trial of the defendant on the presentment.