Vermont v. Conlin

Citations

• 27 Vt. 318

Syllabus

<p>The tenth article of the bill of rights has reference to that class of criminal offences usually denominated “high crimes,” the punishment of which affects life, liberty and reputation, and exposes the offender to infamous corporal suffering; and has no application to those minor offences which clearly concern the regulation of the internal police of the state.</p> <p>3?he legislature may constitutionally provide that the minor offences punishable by fine only, or imprisonment in the county jail for a brief limited period, and having reference to the internal police of the state, may be tried, upon informal or merely oral complaints.</p> <p>The subject matter of the law of this state, relating to the traffic in intoxicating liquor comes within the regulation of the internal police of the state which is given, by .the constitution, to the legislature.</p> <p>Validity of certain proceedings under the 22d section of the act to prevent the traffic in intoxicating liquors for the purpose of drinking, considered and affirmed.</p> <p>In a prosecution for selling intoxicating liquor contrary to law, to a plea in bar of a former conviction, it is a sufficient replication that neither of the offences, embraced in said conviction, is the offence for which the respondent is complained of in the present prosecution.</p> <p>In such a prosecution a former conviction need not be specially plead; but it may be shown in evidence under the general issue.</p>