The People of the State of New York Ex Rel. Theodore Allen v. . James J. Hagan

Summary

The Court held that the warrant of commitment was void because it failed to state the nature of the crime with reasonable certainty, and therefore the warden had no authority to detain the relators; the writ of habeas corpus was reversed and the relators discharged. Justice Gray dissented, arguing that a reference to section 351 was sufficient to identify the offense.