Opinion ID: 1841541
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: was the indictment subject to demurrer?

Text: In addressing appellant's claim the demurrer to the indictment should have been sustained, we begin with noting that we have twice held indictments under this statute were not subject to demurrer. Smith v. State, 107 Miss. 486, 65 So. 564 (1914), and Blakeney v. State, 228 Miss. 162, 87 So.2d 472 (1956). A copy of the indictment is set forth as an appendix to this opinion.
The first complaint is that the statute under which the indictment was returned is unconstitutionally vague. Is fraud committed in public office by a public official or public office so vague as to fail constitutional muster? Fraud, though it may embrace myriad forms of human behavior as unlimited as the human imagination, is not difficult to categorize in understandable terms. It may be discerned with reasonable certainty from dishonest conduct by one person whereby another is injured. Ordinary citizens know common honesty and know when a person has been caused to pay money not due as a result of the dishonesty of another. We concur with the general statements of law cited by appellant that a statute must be worded so that a person of ordinary intelligence has a reasonable opportunity to know what is prohibited. State v. Winslow, 208 Miss. 753, 45 So.2d 574 (1950); Grayned v. City of Rockford, 408 U.S. 104, 92 S.Ct. 2294, 33 L.Ed.2d 222 (1972). The statute in this case meets the test. Fraud committed in public office, as we have interpreted this statute, connotes dishonesty in public office whereby the county or state pays money which is not due. Smith v. State, 107 Miss. 486, 65 So. 564 (1914). See also, People v. Willson, 205 Mich. 28, 171 N.W. 474 (1919); and U.S. v. Bougie, (S.D.Cal. 1954) 118 F. Supp. 359.
The indictment (omitting formalities) charged Cumbest and Coleman, as a county official and county employee, respectively, between April 1, 1976, and October 31, 1979, with knowingly and feloniously defrauding Jackson County of approximately $50,753.40 in that they submitted, or caused to be submitted, false and fraudulent claims monthly from H & O for equipment rental of a bush hog with intent to cheat and defraud Jackson County of this sum of money, in violation of Section 97-11-31. The indictment further recited that attached thereto as Exhibit 1 was one of a series of false and fraudulent claims submitted by H & O. The indictment gave the statute under which the defendants were charged, and followed its language, which generally is sufficient. Anthony v. State, 349 So.2d 1066 (Miss. 1977); State v. Labella, 232 So.2d 354 (Miss. 1970); Love v. State, 211 Miss. 606, 52 So.2d 470 (1951). We believe in this case, however, more was required in an indictment under the statute than the language of the statute itself. In Jackson v. State, 420 So.2d 1045 (Miss. 1982), p. 1947, we held that where the prohibited act would not clearly appear simply by using the language of the statute, then the indictment would have to be more specific. An indictment which simply charged the defendants with fraud in public office would not have met this requirement. The state fully met this requirement. The indictment is plain and the defendants were fully informed of the nature of the offense.