Amonett v. Nicholas
Amonett v. Nicholas
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
The bill of exceptions in this case discloses the following state of facts: Amonett obtained a judgment before a justice of the peace against one Sterling Peterson for one hundred and thirty dollars, or thereabouts. Peterson applied for a stay of execution, assuring the justice that the defendant, Nicholas, would become his bail, and accordingly, shortly afterwards, produced a letter from Nicholas, stating that he (Nicholas) would “enter himself as special bail” in the case of Amonett against Peterson. The stay was granted, and the justice after-wards inquired of defendant whether he considered himself bound for fhe principal, interest, and cost, on the judgment against Peterson, to which his reply was, that
The circuit court was clearly right in making the injunction perpetual. Whatever may be the liability of the defendant, either in law or equity, on his promise, the justice had no power to enforce that liability by execution.
The statute points out the mode of staying an execution, and the form of the recognizance which must be entered into — Rev. Code of 1836, p. 364. What right had the justice to issue an execution against defendant as bail, merely because he had promised to become bail, or because he considered himself as bail? The judgment of the circuit court is affirmed.
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