People v. Watson
New York Court of General Session of the Peace
William Watson, alias Bill Vosburgh", was indicted for-aiding, assisting and abetting in the promotion of and carrying on of a scheme or device of offering and purporting to offer for sale and distribution counterfeit paper money of the United States (otherwise “green goods”), the indictment being as for a second offense. Defendant pleaded not guilty, with a special plea of present insanity, and he now moves to be admitted to-bail. Denied.
1Opinion of the Court
GOFF, R. (orally).
Owing to the limited time at my disposal since yesterday, I have not had time to reduce to writing my views upon the question submitted in this proceeding. Therefore I will have to express myself orally from the bench.
The right to bail in criminal oases, as in the one presented here, was never recognized in common law. The right to bail in civil cases was always recognized in common law, because there it was a breach of contract, and the bail to be given would be there for breach of contract; but in criminal cases the original principle upon which bail was first founded was…
2Cited by2 opinions
- Ex Parte CrawfordCourt of Criminal Appeals of Texas · 1938
- People v. LevyNew York Supreme Court · 1915