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People v. Williams

Supreme Court of California
Jun 24, 1890
84 Cal. 616 (Cal. 1890)

Opinion

         Department One

         Appeal from a judgment of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, and from an order denying a new trial.

         COUNSEL:

         Hugh J. and William Crawford, for Appellant.

          Attorney-General Johnson, for Respondent.


         JUDGES: Foote, C. Belcher, C. C., and Gibson, C., concurred.

         OPINION

          FOOTE, Judge

         The defendant, Harry Williams, was convicted upon an information for robbery. From the judgment rendered in the premises, and an order refusing a new trial, he appeals.

         The ground apparently relied on for a reversal of the judgment and order is, that the defendant was committed for trial after a preliminary examination before M. T. Owen, assuming to act as a committing magistrate by virtue of his being a judge of the police court in and for the city of Los Angeles, at a time when there were two justices of the peace or magistrates in and for said city who had jurisdiction to act in the premises, which it is claimed the police judge had not; that consequently the court erred in denying the defendant's motion to set aside the information based on the claim that he had never been legally committed by a magistrate.

         The record does not show by any evidence whatever that M. T. Owen, claiming to be such police judge, ever committed the defendant for trial. We must presume, in the absence of anything showing the contrary, in favor of the action of the court below, that some duly qualified magistrate had, previous to the trial in the superior court, properly committed the defendant for such trial, but who he was does not appear, for it will not be taken for granted that the facts set up in the defendant's motion are true, without any proof as to the matter.

         It follows, therefore, that the judgment and order should be affirmed, and we so advise.

         The Court. -- For the reasons given in the foregoing opinion, the judgment and order are affirmed.


Summaries of

People v. Williams

Supreme Court of California
Jun 24, 1890
84 Cal. 616 (Cal. 1890)
Case details for

People v. Williams

Case Details

Full title:THE PEOPLE, Respondent, v. HARRY WILLIAMS, Appellant

Court:Supreme Court of California

Date published: Jun 24, 1890

Citations

84 Cal. 616 (Cal. 1890)
24 P. 145

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