Court Opinion

ID: 9810531
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 21:52:35.746209+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:39:59.421792
License: Public Domain

Clark, J.
(dissenting) : In the dissenting opinion of Brother Montgomery and myself, in State v. Ostwalt, 118 N. C., 1217, we pointed out many of the inconveniences and inconsistencies which would follow the departure from the long-settled legislative and judicial recognition of bastardy as a police regulation and therefore a quasi civil proceeding. The present adds an additional instance to those cited by us. It may be that on thus being called to the attention of the law making power, the evil may be remedied by unequivocal legislation. It is no benefit to add bastardy to the criminal law, when there exists already a far more efficient criminal proceeding by an indictment for fornication and adultery, and, besides, by giving to bastardy proceedings the technical advantages conferred on those put on trial for crime, it has been rendered utterly inefficient for the purposes for which it was really intended, and used for so long a period, of making the father support the child and protect the county from liability therefor.