William Howard Taft

“ That whoever shall transport or cause to be transported in interstate or foreign commerce a motor vehicle, knowing the same to have been stolen, shall be punished by a fine of not more than $5,000, or by imprisonment of not more than five years, or both. ”

“ We do not think it necessary to pass on this question for the reason that the verdict of the jury was general, that the defendant was found guilty on both the counts of each of the two indictments and that the defendant was sentenced to 18 months on each indictment and each count, the sentences to run concurrently. As the convictions can be sustained on the first count in each indictment under the verdict, there is no ground for reversing the case because of error in charging as to the second count. ”

“ St. § 1215) because the case involves the construction or application of the Constitution, in that the chief assignment of error is the invalidity of the act. The act became effective October 29, 1919 (41 Stat. 324 [Comp. St. Ann. Supp. 1923, §§ 10418b-10418f] ) , and is as follows:
'Chapter 89.-An act to punish the transportation of stolen motor vehicles in interstate or foreign commerce.
'Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, that this act may be cited as the National Motor Vehicle Theft Act. ”

“ United States, 142 U.S. 140, 146, 12 S.C.t. 169, 35 L. Ed. 966; Evans v. United States, 153 U.S. 608, 609, 14 S.C.t. 939, 38 L. Ed. 839; Abrams v. United States, 250 U.S. 616, 619, 40 S.C.t. 17, 63 L. Ed. 1173; Pierce v. United States, 252 U.S. 239, 252, 40 S.C.t. 205, 64 L. Ed. 542.
There are some objections made to the form of some questions put by the district attorney. We do not think they are shown to have been sufficiently prejudicial to justify a new trial. ”