Case Name: State of Louisiana v. John F. C. Wells
Court: Louisiana Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1873-05
Citations: 25 La. Ann. 372
Docket Number: No. 4654
Parties: State of Louisiana v. John F. C. Wells.
Judges: 
Reporter: Louisiana Annual Reports
Volume: 25
Pages: 372–373

Head Matter:
No. 4654.
State of Louisiana v. John F. C. Wells.
"Where the exception was to the ruling of the court permitting an indictment to be amended by inserting the value of the mule alleged to have been stolen;
Held — That it was not necessary that the value of the animal should have been set forth in the iudictment. The amendment added nothing to the validity of the instrument, nor did it in any manner vitiate it. Vtile per inutile non vitiatur.
APPEAL from the Eleventh Judicial District Court, parish of Red River. Trimble, J. Criminal case.
Iiobert J. Vaughn, District Attorney, for the State. J. PI. Paxton, J. C. Proion, L. W. Connolly, for defendant.

Opinion:
Taliafeeuo, J.
The defendant was indicted for stealing a mule. He was found guilty and sentenced to the penitentiary for three j'ears. He has appealed.
The case is presented by a bill of exceptions to the ruling of the court permitting the indictment to be amended by inserting the value of the mule alleged to have been stolen. The stealing a horse, ass or mule is a. statutory offense. Revised Statutes, section 814.
"Indictments for statutory offenses must describe the offense in tbe words of tbe statute, or words certain and equivalent." 5 An. 324.
It was not necessary that tbe value of the animal should have been set forth in the indictment. The amendment added nothing to the validity of the instrument, nor did it in any manner vitiate it. Utile per inutile non vitiatur.
Judgment affirmed.