(Download) "United States v. Laffal Et Al." by District of Columbia Court of Appeals. ~ eBook PDF Kindle ePub Free
eBook details
- Title: United States v. Laffal Et Al.
- Author : District of Columbia Court of Appeals.
- Release Date : January 23, 1951
- Genre: Law,Books,Professional & Technical,
- Pages : * pages
- Size : 53 KB
Description
HOOD, Associate Judge. An information was filed against appellees charging them with keeping a disorderly house. 1 They
moved that their arrest be quashed. 2 The court granted the motion and dismissed the information. The Government has appealed. The motion to quash the arrest was directed at alleged deficiencies in the affidavits on which the warrant of arrest was
issued. Appellees urge that the affidavits, made by two members of the police force, did not establish probable cause that
the offense of keeping a disorderly house had been committed. The affidavits set forth that the premises, a restaurant at
which beer and light wines were sold, were on three consecutive days frequented by known prostitutes who met men there, left
with them and returned unescorted after short intervals; that drunken men and women were permitted to remain on the premises;
that loud and profane language was used and obscene acts committed there. Our Code does not define disorderly house and we
must resort to the common-law definition. At common law the term disorderly house had a very broad definition 3 and we
think the facts set forth in the affidavits establish probable cause for believing the offense was being committed.