Dwire v. Saunders
Dwire v. Saunders
Opinion of the Court
The appellant sued out a writ of habeas corpus against Saunders, who returned that he held JDwire by virtue of a writ of capias ad respondendum, issued to him, as constable, by a justice of the peace, at the suit of William McFall. Bwire replied, denying the truth of the matters contained in the affidavit on which the capias issued.
The capias was issued in accordance with the provisions of § 24, p. 454, 2 R. S. 1852. ÍSTo objection is made as to the sufficiency of the writ of capias, or the affidavit on which it issued. On the hearing, it appearing to the judge that
Dwire appeals, and makes the point that he should have been discharged, unless the matters charged in the affidavit on which the capias issued were proven.
The section of the statute above referred to makes the writ of capias returnable forthwith. Section 26 provides that ' The defendant shall be entitled to a trial within twenty-four Hours after being brought before the justice; and if the trial shall not commence within that time, the defendant shall be discharged from custody.”
Section 111 of the code provides, that<£ "When any person shall be committed to prison on an order of arrest, for want of special bail, he may sue out a writ of habeas corpus, * * * and on the return thereof, the plaintiff shall be compelled to show that the facts alleged in the affidavit, on which the defendant is held to bail, are true, or the defendant shall be discharged.
The defendant insists that this section of the code, by § 75 of the Justices’ Act (2 R. S. 1852, p. 465), is made applicable to proceedings before justices, and that the provision therein made should apply to arrests on mesne process issued by justices. Whether this proposition be tenable or not, we need not, for the purposes of the case before us, decide, as the provision in the code has no application to this case, even if applicable to arrests made on process issued by justices. The provision extends only to cases where the party is committed to prison for want of special bail. Special bail, in cases, before justices, is only given where the defendant obtains a continuance of the cause. We have seen that the writ is returnable forthwith, and that the defendant is entitled to a trial within twenty-four hours, or to be discharged from custody. Until appearance before the justice, and a continuance of the cause, no special bail can he given, and then if not given the defendant is to be committed to jail. 2 R. S. 1852, § 41, p. 458. Where a person is thus committed, perhaps the provisions of § 111 of the code apply. But such is not
We find no error in the order made below, wherefore the judgment must be affirmed.
The judgment below is affirmed, with costs.
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