Case Name: United States v. Abraham Faw
Court: United States District Court for the District of Columbia
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 1807-11
Citations: 1 Cranch 456
Docket Number: 
Parties: United States v. Abraham Faw.
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: 456–457

Head Matter:
United States v. Abraham Faw.
Neither at common law, nor by the Statute of Virginia, is the coroner bound to put in. writing the effect of the evidence given upon an inquisition, unless the offence be found to be murder or manslaughter.
The indictment charged, that the defendant, being coroner of the county of Alexandria, and having, upon view of the dead body of one Curran, taken an inquest, stating that, while opposing the lawful orders of a justice of the peace, the said Curran was killed by a brickbat thrown by some unknown person, but not finding the killing to be murder nor manslaughter, he, the defendant, “wilfully, injuriously, and unlawfully made a false statement of the evidence in writing, and suppressed material parts of the same ; and annexed to the inquisition a false, color-able, and unfair statement, in writing, of the said evidence, under the false and colorable pretence of putting in writing and annexing .to the said inquisition fairly and truly the effect of the said evidence, being material, in contempt of the laws of the United States, in violation of the duties and dignity of his office, and against the peace and government of the United States.”
Mr. E. J. Lee, and Mr. F. L. Lee, for the defendant,
moved the Court to quash the indictment. The coroner is not bound at common law to put down the effect of the evidence, in writing, in any case; and by the law of Virginia, p. 125, <§> 11, (29th November, 1792,) he is required to do it only in case the inquisition shall charge some person with murder or manslaughter, which this inquisition does not. 1 Bl. Com. 346; 2 Inst. 31; 4 lb. 271. This is an indictment at common law, and if he was not bound at common law to state the evidence in writing, it is no offence to state it imperfectly or incorrectly. And if it states no offence at common law, it may and ought to be quashed on motion. Rex v. Page, 1 Lev. 304 ; Rex v. Sellars, 3 Mod. 167; Rex v. Griffith, 3 lb. 201; Rex v. Whitehead, Salk. 371; Rex v. Hotch, Str. 552; Rex v. Lister, 2 Str. 788.
Mr. Jones, for the United States, contra.
The coroner, at common law, has a right to take evidence in writing, and if he undertakes to do it, and does it unfaithfully, wilfully, and falsely, it is an offence at common law. The depositions may be used for various purposes, as in a question of bail, or to justify an arrest of some person, or to discredit a witness upon the trial.

Opinion:
The Couet,
at July term, 1808, quashed the indictment, being of opinion that it did not set forth an offence at common law, or under the statute; inasmuch as by the common law, the coroner was not bound to put down in writing the evidence, or the effect of it, and the statute required it to be done only when, by the inquisition, some person is indicted for murder or manslaughter.