Smith v. State

Mississippi Supreme Court
Smith v. State, 86 Miss. 315 (Miss. 1905)
Whitfield

Smith v. State

Opinion of the Court

Whitfield,) O. J.,

delivered tRe opinion of tRe court.

TRe justice of tRe peace in tRis case on November 1, 1903, bound SmitR over to appear before tRe circuit court to await tRe action of tRe grand jury on tRe cRarge of conspiracy to rob. He Rad no power to do tRis, and tRe bond is void. Code 1892, .§§ 2420, 2421, provides tRat justices of tRe peace Rave final jurisdiction of misdemeanors, and must try and dispose of tRem according to law. TRe justice of tRe peace sRould Rave tried *317Smith, and acquitted him or convicted him. The only bond he could take of Smith on this charge is the one provided for in sec. 2423, Code 1892, -which is a bond for his appearance before him, the justice of the peace; and this bond he can only return to the circuit court in case the penalty exceeds $20.0; and the only forfeiture that the circuit court could take on such a bond would be on account of defendant’s default in appearing before the justice, and not on account of his default in appearing before the circuit court to answer an indictment of the grand jury. This case is not saved by Oode 1892, §§ 1394, 1395. This is a case of absolute want of power on the justice’s part to take any such bond. See Thomm v. State, 35 Ark., 327; 5 Cyc. of Law, p. 86, and authorities there cited. The demurrer of the district attorney to the plea of the defendant to the judgment nisi for $1,000 should have been' overruled. The plea was good on that ground set up in it that “the said justice of the peace had no authority to take the bond” requiring the defendant to appear to answer an indictment by the grand jury, where the charge before him was a mere misdemeanor. The demurrer to the scire facias should have been sustained, and the demurrer of the district attorney to the plea to the judgment nisi for $1,000 should have been overruled.

Reversed, demurrer to scire facias sustained, demurrer to the flea of defendant to the judgment nisi for $1,000 overruled, and the suit dismissed.

Reference

Full Case Name
Elijah Smith v. State of Mississippi
Cited By
4 cases
Status
Published
Syllabus
1. Justice of the Peace. Jurisdiction. Holding defendant to grand jury. Bail bond. Code 1892, gg 2420, 2421. Under Code 1892, §§ 2420, 2421, giving justices of the peace jurisdiction, and requiring them to try and dispose of misdemeanors, a justice of the peace is without authority to hind a defendant over to appear before the circuit court to await the action of the grand jury on a charge of having committed a misdemeanor. 2. Same. Duty of justice of the 'peace. If an accused he charged before a justice of the peace with the commission of a misdemeanor, it is the duty of the justice to try and dispose of the charge; if he fail to do so, and require the accused to give a bail bond to await the action of the grand jury on the misdemeanor charged, the bond will be void. 3. Same. Code 1892, g 1394. Nor will such a bond be saved by Code 1892, § 1394, providing that all bonds conditioned for the appearance of any person before a court in a criminal case, upon the execution of which such person was freed from custody, shall be binding, since there was no power in the justice of the peace to take such bond.