People v. Kerns

The defendant was charged under numerous counts in an information with bribery, extortion and attempted extortion. A jury was waived and after trial defendant was found guilty of bribery upon ten counts, of extortion upon fifteen counts, and of attempted extortion upon one count. In each of the counts of bribery, the defendant was charged with " wilfully, unlawfully, corruptly, knowingly and feloniously asking ... a bribe, . . . for the purpose of influencing the opinion and action of the said Ben F. Kerns [defendant] upon official matters then pending before him and which might thereafter be…