Dukes v. Clark

Clark filed his declaration in the Circuit Court, in which he charges Dukes with having spoken of Mm certain slanderous words, which, as he alleges, import a charge of incest. Plea, not guilty; verdict and judgment for the plaintiff..

On an inspection of the declaration, we find that the words, as laid, strongly imply a charge against Clark of an illicit intercourse with his sister-in-law. Such an intercourse, however, *21is not incestuous; and there are no words laid in the declaration, which imply a charge of the crime of incest In their strongest import, they imply no more than fornication or…