Shaw v. . Etheridge
Shaw v. . Etheridge
Opinion of the Court
We do not discover any error in the charge of his Honor except in relation to the question of damages. Upon the facts as they are stated in the bill of exceptions, his Honor was justified in instructing the jury that they might find for the plaintiff. The case of Hazard v. Robinson, 3 Mason’s Rep. 236, relied upon by the plaintiff’s counsel, is directly in point for him, and the force of it is not at all weakened by the authorities referred to on the part of the defendant.
But the charge of the Court “ that in estimating the damages, the jury might take into account the injury done since the writ, down to the trial, provided such injury flowed from the acts of defendant done before the bringing of the action, and which continued in their effects to the present time,” we hold to be erroneous. It is in direct conflict with the case of Moore v. Love, decided at the last term, and reported, ante 215, but not published until since the trial of this cause. For *303 the reasons which are fully stated in that case, and which, therefore, need not be repeated here, we must reverse the judgment and grant a venire de novo,
Judgment reversed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Henry M. Shaw v. . Thomas J. Etheridge.
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Whore the owner of a tract of land upon which there is a ditch, sells the upper part, including a portion of the ditch, he has no right to stop up, or obstruct, even partially, the ditch below, so as to throw the water back upon the other part. And this is so whether the ditch was originally made to drain this upper part of the tract or nofrpfor if it actually answered that purpose, -the purchaser was entitled to the unmolested use of it. It was error in the Court to instruct the jury in the above mentioned case, that they might give damages accruing after the issuing- of the writ down to the time of the trial. (Case of Moore v. Love, 3 Jones’ Rep. 215, cited and approved.)