Monroe v. Mc Micken
Monroe v. Mc Micken
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court. This case commenced by injunction. The plaintiff states, that the defendant as curator of the vacant succession of Taliafero Reno, recovered judgment against the peti
The petition contains further allegations. That McMicken, the defendant, has nor faithfully and legally discharged his duties as curator, and that there is now a suit pending before the court of probates to remove him.
That the plaintiff, as agent of Aaron Bird, former curator of the succession of Reno, paid to the firm of A. & W. Bird, in the years of 1822 and 1823, the sum of $3843 44-100
That since the rendition of the judgment, on which the execution now sought to be enjoined issued, the plaintiff has paid to one Harelson, a privileged creditor, the sum of $100.
And finally, that since the rendition of the judgment, the court of probates of the parish of West Feliciana, has ordered a further credit thereon, for the sum of $2774 56-100.
The answer admits the fact of judgment having been rendered, and execution issued, as charged in the petition, but denies the other allegations therein contained. That the payment to Harelson was not valid. That the court had not authority to liquidate claims against the estate of Reno, the same being within the exclusive jurisdiction of the court of probates.
The cause was submitted to a jury, who found for the defendant, and the plaintiff appealed.
Before the trial was gone into, the plaintiff moved for a continuance on an affidavit. The court overruled the motion, and he excepted.
We have been unable to discover the manner in which the plaintiff could have expected to profit by the decision of the court of probates, or how the pendency of the suit alluded to in the affidavit, could operate as a stay of execution. The petition for injunction, expressly states, that the defendant, in his capacity of curator of the estate of Reno, had recovered judgment against the petitioner, and other sureties of the former curator of the estate. The time to have presented their matters in defence, was before that judgment was rendered. It is too late now. Causes would never terminate, if injunctions could stop execution, and try matters over again which might have been offered in defence before judgment was given. We therefore think the court did not err, in refusing a continuance on the grounds set forth in the affidavit.
It appears the answer was not endorsed by clerk, as filed, but the evidence no doubt satisfied the judge below, that it had been placed among the papers of the cause, several days before. We think the weight of the evidence is in favor of that conclusion. Admitting there is no doubt of the fact, the difficulty still remains. The 463d article of the code of practice, provides, that “as soon as the answer has been filed in a suit, the clerk shall set down the cause on the docket of the court, in order that it be called in its turn, and a day fixed for its trial.”
From this provision, we think it follows, the cause was irregularly set down for trial, before the answer was filed. The only doubt then, which can remain in this case, is, whether the plaintiff took advantage of the objection in proper time. The bill of exceptions, at its commencement, states, that after swearing the jury, the plaintiff moved for a continu
The plaintiff was not bound to notice the answer until filed. It was not one in the cause, until handed to the clerk, and endorsed by him, consequently no argument can be drawn, upon the implied notice which the law raises as to the knowledge of the parties to a suit, of the pleadings in it. The plain
We are always reluctant to yield to these technical objections, but we apprehend great confusion would result, if any other principle was adopted in relation to such matters. If papers can be considered as belonging to a cause, and the pleadings be made up by a party putting them in the bundle without the endorsement of the clerk, there will be constant dispute as to the time they are placed there, and that which the law contemplates to appear by record, will have to be proved as in this instance, by parol evidence. We think the safety of suitors will be promoted, and we are sure much confusion will be avoided, by adhering strictly to the rule of considering them as private, until regularly filed.
It is therefore ordered, adjudged and decreed, that the judgment of the district court
Reference
- Full Case Name
- MONROE v. Mc MICKEN
- Status
- Published