Case Name: The State of Ohio, Appellee, v. Latham, Appellant. (Two cases.)
Court: Ohio Court of Appeals
Jurisdiction: Ohio
Decision Date: 1964-01-21
Citations: 120 Ohio App. 176
Docket Number: Nos. 7436 and 7437
Parties: The State of Ohio, Appellee, v. Latham, Appellant. (Two cases.)
Judges: Bryant, Duffey and Troop, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Ohio Appellate Reports
Volume: 120
Pages: 176–178

Head Matter:
The State of Ohio, Appellee, v. Latham, Appellant. (Two cases.)
(Nos. 7436 and 7437
Decided January 21, 1964.)
Mr. John C. Young, city attorney, and Mr. Jack L. Johnson, for appellee.
Mr. Henry Clay Scott, for appellant.

Opinion:
Per Curiam.
This is an appeal from two convictions, in the Municipal Court of Columbus, of the crime of indecent exposure under Section 2905,30, ftpyised Code,
The first assignment relates to the admission of a West Virginia birth certificate. The foundation for admission was clearly insufficient but the evidence was merely cumulative.
The second complaint is that in one case the witness testified only to seeing the defendant's "private person." We think that the testimony taken in context has a clear and definite meaning.
The third complaint relates to a cross-examination question on a detail of a previous conviction. The question was obviously improper, but, on the record as a whole, the error was not prejudicial.
The court also permitted a police officer to testify to the identification of the defendant by other persons in a police line-up. This was hearsay and inadmissible. However, it was on the record merely cumulative on a point abundantly well established by proper evidence.
The remaining assignments relate to the sufficiency of the affidavits. The affidavits allege that the accused "being over the age of fourteen," did commit the offense. The statute applies only to a person eighteen or over. That minimum age is an essential element of the crime. See State v. Daniels (1959), 169 Ohio St., 87, and State v. De Camillo (1961), 86 Ohio Law Abs., 432. The affidavit does not state that the accused was eighteen or over, nor does it state facts from which this could be inferred. Cf. State v. Daniels, supra. The omission of an essential element is not amendable, and the curative and procedural provisions of Section 2941.30, Revised Code, do not apply to such a defect. State v. Cimpritz (1953), 158 Ohio St., 490. See, also, State v. Presler (1960), 112 Ohio App., 437. Since the omission is of an essential element, the case of City of Cleveland v. Ely (1963), 174 Ohio St., 403, is inapplicable. The objection here was made before conviction and was timely.
The judgments of the Municipal Court are reversed and vacated and the causes are remanded for dismissal of these particular affidavits.
Judgments reversed and causes remanded.
Bryant, Duffey and Troop, JJ., concur.