Wills v. Neilan
Wills v. Neilan
Opinion of the Court
Our inquiries are limited to the questions of law stated in the certificate, and these we are to decide in the light of the specific facts certified that relate to those questions. The specific facts certified are that the appellant, sitting as a police judge, found the appellee guilty of an offense over which that court had jurisdiction, and, as authorized by law, entered judgment against the appellee that he pay a fine of ten dollars, or be imprisoned in the city jail for three days. At the same time the appellant, as police judge, ordered that ten dollars of the certificate of deposit theretofore deposited by the appellee in lieu of bail be applied on the fine, and that the balance be returned to him. The appellee then “elected to take the jail part of the sentence,” but was not committed. The question certified is whether the appellant is liable to a civil action in detinue for so applying the certificate of deposit in his possession, “when the prisoner preferred.to serve the jail part of the sentence.” The appellant’s authority to receive the certificate of deposit in lieu of bail, and to order it applied as he did, is not questioned in the certificate; only his liability in a civil action in detinue for so ordering it to be applied “when the prisoner
It follows from these conclusions that the question certified must be answered in the negative, and that the judgment of the district court must be bevebsed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Wilber F. Wills v. Martin Neilan
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Published