In re Ah You

Citations

• 88 Cal. 99
• 11 L.R.A. 408
• 25 P. 974
• 1891 Cal. LEXIS 651

Syllabus

<p>Criminal Law — Municipal Ordinance — Visiting House of Ill-fame, — So much of a municipal ordinance as permits a maximum fine of one thousand dollars, or a fine of so much as four hundred dollars, to be imposed for visiting a house of ill-fame is unreasonable, and not in harmony with the laws of the state, and is therefore void.</p> <p>Id.—Reasonableness of Municipal Ordinances — Limit of Penalty— Discretion of Court — Duty of Board of Supervisors.—Municipal ordinances must be reasonable, and although the penalties prescribed for their violation may be left to the discretion of the court within fixed, reasonable limits, the maximum limit must be reasonable, and proportionate to the offense, and must be fixed by the board of supervisors, and not left to be fixed by the discretion of the judge at the extreme limit allowed by the legislature to be fixed by the board of supervisors for any offense.</p>