State v. Smith

The defendant was indicted by the grand jury of Scott County charged with the crime of libel. He demurred to the indictment on a number of grounds, one of which was that the indictment did not state facts sutficient to constitute the crime of libel; but the lower court overruled the demurrer. He then entered a plea of not guilty to the indictment, and was placed upon trial before a petit jury. A number of witnesses testified in the case, and after both the State and defendant had rested the court directed the jury to return a verdict of not guilty, which was done; and a judgment was entered…