CYCLOPEDIA OF CRIMINAL LAW VOLUME I CHAPTER 1 NATURE AND REQUISITES OF CRIME IN GENERAL § 1. Definitions. § 2. Distinction between public and private wrongs. § 3. Same act may be both a tort and a crime. § 4. Violations of municipal ordinances. § 5. Necessity for criminal act-In general. § 6. Act intended as, but not constituting, a crime. § 7. Treason, felonies and misdemeanors-In general. § 8. - Felonies-At common law. § 14. Crimes mala in se and mala prohibita. § 15. Same act may constitute several offenses. § 16. Merger of offenses. § 1. Definitions. A crime is any act or omission prohibited by public law for the protection of the public, and made punishable by the state in a judicial proceeding in its own name.1 Blackstone defines it as "An act committed or omitted in violation of a public law, either forbidding or ccmmanding it," and there are numerous other more or less similar definitions to be found in the textbooks and reports, and in the statutes of some of the states.* In its more extended sense the word "crime" comprehends every Eaton, 144 U....677,,36 L. Ed. 591, 12 Sup. Ở. 784.. Alabama Withers v. State, 36 Ala. Colorado. McInerney v. City of Denver, 17 Colo. 302, 29 Pac. 516. Connecticut. State v. Bishop, 7 Conn. 181. Illinois. Slattery v. People, 76 Ill. 217. Iowa. Bopp v. Clark, 165 Iowa 697, 147 N. W. 172, 52 L. R. A. (N. S.) 493, Ann. Cas. 1916 E. 417. Missouri. State v. Gustin, 152 Mo. 108, 53 S. W. 421; Ex parte Hollwedell, 74 Mo. 395; City of Kansas v. Clark, 68 Mo. 588. Pennsylvania. Com. v. Smith, 266 Pa. 511, 109 Atl. 786, 9 A. L. R. 922. South Carolina. State v. Collins, 1 McCord 355. Vermont. State v. Peterson, 41 Vt. 504. Wisconsin. Koch v. State, 126 Wis. 470, 106 N. W. 531, 3 L. R. A. (N. S.) 1086, 5 Ann. Cas. 389. 3" An act or conduct for the commission of which a penalty is denounced by statute." State v. Bischoff, 146 La. 748, 84 So. 41. A crime, in a general sense, implies any act done or omitted in violation of public law, and for which the person is liable to punishment by indictment, presentment, or impeachment." Smith v. Smith, 2 Sneed (Tenn.) 473. "Whenever a person does an act which is prohibited by law, which act is punishable by fine, penalty, forfeiture, or imprisonment, he commits a crime." People v. Hanrahan, 75 Mich. 611, 42 N. W. 1124, 4 L. R. A. 751. "Whatever amounts to a public wrong may be made the subject of an indictment." Respublica v. Teischer, 1 Dall. (U. S.) 335, 1 L. Ed. 163. 4 See the statutes. California. "A crime or public offense is an act committed or omitted in violation of a law forbidding or commanding it, and to which is annexed, upon conviction, either of the following punishments: 1. Death; 2. Imprisonment; 3. Fine; 4. Removal from office; or, 5. Disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, or profit in this state." Cal. Pen. Code, § 15; Ex parte Ellsworth, 165 Cal. 677, 133 Pac. 272; People v. McNulty, 93 Cal. 427, 29 Pac. 61, 26 Pac. 597, writ of error dismissed, 149 U. S. 645, 37 L. Ed. 882, 13 Sup. Ct. 959; Dyer v. County of Placer, 90 Cal. 276, 27 Pac. 197. Georgia. The code provides that "a crime or misdemeanor shall consist in the violation of a public law, in the commission of which there shall be a union or joint operation of act and intention, or criminal negli gence.' Pearson v. Wimbish, 124 Ga. 701, 52 S. E. 751, 4 Ann. Cas. 501; Jenkins v. State, 14 Ga. App. 276, 80 S. E. 688. Illinois. A violation of a public law, in the commission of which there shall be a union or joint operation of act and intention, or criminal negligence. People v. Miner, 144 Ill. 308, 33 N. E. 40, 19 L. R. A. 342. Oklahoma. A crime is an act or omission forbidden by law to which a punishment is annexed upon conviction. Stewart v. State, 4 Okla. Cr. 564, 109 Pac. 243, 32 L. R. A. (N. S.) 505. violation of public law,5 and includes treason, felonies and misdemeanors. But it is also used in a more restricted sense as embracing only offenses of a serious or atrocious character involving the possibility of long terms of imprisonment. In this sense it does not include such petty offenses as were triable without a jury at common law. The words "offense" and "crime" are generally used interchangeably, although the former may also include the violation of a penal statute for which the remedy is merely a civil suit to recover the penalty.9 Lumber Co., 24 S. D. 136, 123 N. W. 504, 42 L. R. A. (N. S.) 804. 5 Callan v. Wilson, 127 U. S. 540, 32 L. Ed. 223, 8 Sup. Ct. 1301; Low v. United States, 169 Fed. 86; Pearson v. Wimbish, 124 Ga. 701, 52 S. E. 751, 4 Ann. Cas. 501. When used without qualification it must be taken in its general sense as including any crime. State v. Henson, 66 N. J. L. 601, 50 Atl. 468, 616. 6 United States. Schick v. United States, 195 U. S. 65, 49 L. Ed. 99, 24 Sup. Ct. 826. Connecticut. Ross v. Crofutt, 84 Conn. 370, 80 Atl. 90, Ann. Cas. 1912C 1295. Georgia. State v. Savannah, T. U. P. Charlt. 235, 4 Am. Dec. 708. Illinois. Van Meter v. People, 60 Ill. 168. Michigan. People v. Hanrahan, 75 Mich. 611, 42 N. W. 1124, 4 L. R. A. 751; Slaughter v. People, 2 Dougl. 334. Minnesota. State V. Sauer, 42 Minn. 258, 44 N. W. 115. Tennessee. Smith v. Smith, 2 Sneed 473. Vermont. State v. Peterson, 41 Vt. 504. Wisconsin. Koch V. State, 126 Wis. 470, 106 N. W. 531, 3 L. R. A. (N. S.) 1086, 5 Ann. Cas. 389; In re Bergin, 31 Wis. 383. It is not limited to felonies or offenses punishable by confinement in the penitentiary, but "embraces as well some classes of misdemeanors, the punishment of which involves or may involve the deprivation of the liberty of the citizen." Callan v. Wilson, 127 U. S. 540, 32 L. Ed. 223, 8 Sup. Ct. 1301. Quoted in Low v. United States, 169 Fed. 86. A misdemeanor is a "crime," within the meaning of the clause of the Federal Constitution relating to the surrender of fugitives from justice by one state to another. Com. v. Dennison, 24 How. (U. S.) 66, 16 L. Ed. 717; Morton v. Skinner, 48 Ind. 123. 7 The word is used in this sense in the jury clause of art. 3 of the Federal Constitution. Schick V. United States, 195 U. S. 65, 49 L. Ed. 99, 24 Sup. Ct. 826; Callan v. Wilson, 127 U. S. 540, 32 L. Ed. 223, 8 Sup. Ct. 1301; Low v. United States, 169 Fed. 86. Peters, J., in State v. Doud, 7 Conn. 384, uses the word "crime" to indicate a serious degree of misdemeanor nearly allied and equal in guilt to a felony. 8 State v. Eubanks, 114 La. 428, 38 So. 407; People v. Hanrahan, 75 Mich. 611, 42 N. W. 1124, 4 L. R. A. 751; Com. v. Brown, 264 Pa. 85, 107 Atl. 676; Fetter v. Wilt, 46 Pa. St. 457. 9 Com. v. Brown, 264 Pa. 85, 107 Atl. 676; Ott v. Jordan, 116 Pa. St. 218, 9 Atl. 321. |