Pickett v. United States, 216 U.S. 456 (1910)
Please note: this case begins in mid-page. It therefore shares a citation with the last page of the previous case. If you are attempting to follow a link to the last page of 216 U.S. 449, click here.
Pickett v. United States
No. 270
Submitted January 3, 1910
Decided February 21, 1910
216 U.S. 456
ERROR TO THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF OKLAHOMA
Syllabus
On the organization of a territory into a state, Congress may -- as it did by the Oklahoma Enabling Act -- transfer the jurisdiction of general crimes committed in districts over which the United States retains exclusive jurisdiction from territorial to federal courts, and may extend such jurisdiction to crimes committed before and after the Enabling Act. See United States v. Brown, 74 F. 43.
A statute creating a court to take jurisdiction of crimes will not be construed, if another construction is admissible, so as to leave a judicial chasm, and so held that, under the Oklahoma Enabling Act, the federal court had jurisdiction of certain specified crimes committed after the Enabling Act was passed and before the state was admitted.
The reason of a law as indicated by its general terms should prevail over its letter when strict adherence to the latter will defeat the plain purpose of the law.
The granting or denying of a new trial is a matter not assignable as error. Bucklin v. United States, 159 U.S. 682.
An assignment of error that is double is bad for that reason.
Continuances are within the discretion of the trial court, and, in the absence of gross abuse, the action of the lower court will not be disturbed.
Assignments of error based on overruling objections to sufficiency of the indictment and of admission of any evidence because the indictment is bad cannot be made on writ of error for the first time.
Assignments of error for rejection or admission of evidence cannot be considered in absence of bill of exceptions. Storm v. United States, 94 U.S. 76.
The facts are stated in the opinion.