Doughty v. State

The plaintiff in error, here designated the defendant, was by verdict of a jury found guilty of seduction under a promise of marriage; the jury failing to assess the punishment. The judgment on the verdict fixed the penalty at confinement in the penitentiary for a term of 2 years.

To sustain a conviction for statutory seduction, every constituent element of the offense must be supported by proof. There must be substantial proof tending to establish a promise of marriage to an unmarried female of previous chaste character; there must be proof of illicit relations; there must be proof tending to…