Case Name: STATE v. NELSON
Court: Louisiana Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1912-02-26
Citations: 130 La. 356
Docket Number: No. 19,249
Parties: STATE v. NELSON.
Judges: 
Reporter: Louisiana Reports
Volume: 130
Pages: 355–357

Head Matter:
(57 South. 1003.)
No. 19,249.
STATE v. NELSON.
(Feb. 26, 1912.
On Application for Rehearing, March 25, 1912.)
(Syllabus by the Court.)
Criminal Law (§ 872%*) — Capital Offense —Verdict.
Capital cases must be tried by juries of 12, all of whom must concur to render verdicts; hence where in such case the jury returns a verdict »f guilty, but, when polled, one of the jurors answers “that it was not his verdict,” there has been, no conviction, and can be no sentence.
[Ed. Note. — For other eases, see Criminal Law, Dee. Dig. § 872%.*]
Appeal from First Judicial District Court, Parish of Caddo; Thomas F. Bell, Judge.
H. F. Nelson was convicted of arson, and appeals.
Reversed, and defendant discharged.
Scheen & Blanchard, for appellant. Walter Guión, Atty. Gen., and J. M. Foster, Dist. Atty. (G. A. Gondran, of counsel), for the State.

Opinion:
MONROE, J.
Defendant was charged with having, in the nighttime, feloniously, willfully, and maliciously set fire to and burned a house in which there was, at the time, a certain human being; and, having been tried by a jury of 12, a verdict of "guilty as charged" was returned; but, when the jury was polled, one of the jurors answered "that it was not his verdict." Defendant was, however, sentenced to imprisonment at hard labor, and he has appealed.
Under the statute (R. S. 841), the crime charged is punishable with death; and, under the Constitution (article 116), a capital offense must be tried by a jury of 12, "all of whom must concur to render a verdict."
It is therefore ordered, adjudged, and decreed that the sentence appealed from be set aside and annulled, and the defendant discharged, without day.