1773
TheftTrialVerdictAlexander Murdison was subject to a criminal indictment alleging that he and his herder, John Miller, stole certain sheep “or [were guilty] of receiving and having in their custody the aforesaid parcels of sheep.” Murdison was convicted, and subsequently challenged the verdict on three grounds. First, according to Murdison, the verdict did not specify whether the defendants were guilty of theft or of receiving stolen property. Second, no verdict was given on several of the specific charges in the indictment. Finally, the verdict was signed on a Sunday.
Documents in this case (1)
- Alexander Murdison v. James Montgomery — Information, 9 Feb 1773Alexander Murdison appeals a jury verdict convicting him of theft and reset of specific sheep parcels, challenging the verdict’s legal interpretation and the trial’s Sunday proceedings.
People & places in this case
People involved
- Alexander Murdison — Defender
- Sir James Montgomery, of Stanhope, Esq. — Pursuer
- Robert Blair, of Avontoun, Lord Avontoun — Advocate for Defender
- John Miller — Named in case documents
- William Gibson — Named in case documents
- Thomas Gibson — Named in case documents
- George Kello — Named in case documents
- Alexander Gray — Named in case documents
- John Tweedie — Named in case documents
- James Tweedie — Named in case documents
- James Histop — Named in case documents
- Robert Horsburgh — Named in case documents
- John Bartram — Named in case documents
- Walter Simpson — Named in case documents
- George Cranston, of Dewar — Named in case documents
- David Tweedie — Named in case documents
- John Borthwick, Esq., of Crookston — Named in case documents
Places
Where this case took place
Published Reports
Maclaurin, Criminal Cases (1774), pg. 557
