Neighbour v. Trimmer
Neighbour v. Trimmer
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
It is assigned for error, 1st. That the justice after hearing the cause, took time to consider until a
In support of this objection, the counsel cited, Clark v. Read, 2 South. R. 486. Semple v. The Trustees &c. 3 Halst. R. 60; Edwards v. Hance, 7th Halst. R. 108. Pierson v. Pierson 2 Halst. R. 125. But these cases do not sustain the plaintiff. The party against whom judgment had been given, in each of those cases, had appeared at the trial, and the judgments had been after-wards rendered in their absence, without any regular adjournment of the cause, or any notice to the defendant, of the time and place when judgment would be given — Whereas in the case now before us, the defendant had been brought into court upon a warrant: when at the request of the plaintiff, the cause was regularly adjourned, in the presence of the defendant. On the day to which the cause stood adjourned, he did not appear: the plaintiff and his witnesses appearing, the justice proceeded to try the cause, and after hearing the matter, took time to consider of his judgment, until a certain day and hour named and appointed by him — Oil that day it is true, he rendered judgment, against the defendant in his absence, and without having given him any notice thereof. But he was not bound to give him notice. If the defendant had appeared at the trial, and the Justice had rendered judgment at a subsequent day, without adjourning the cause to that day, or giving the defendant notice of the time and place when judgment would be pronounced, it would have been error, according to the rule as settled in the cases cited by the plaintiff’s counsel. But if a party does not attend on the return of the process, or on a day to which a cause has been regularly adjourned in the presence of the parties and with the knowledge of the defendant, and a further adjournment becomes necessary, the justice is not bound to send after the defendant and give him notice of such further adjournment, but may proceed in his absence, Slaght v. Robbins, 1 Green R. 340. (See note p. 61.)
2dly. That the action being for a tort, it was error in the justice, to issue a warrant for the defendant. If it was necessary now to decide that matter, I should have some doubt as to the propriety of issuing a warrant in such oases. By the 8th sect, of the act, (Rev. laws 630.) it is enacted, that the process shall
Lastly; The plaintiff in Certiorari objects to the sufficiency of the state of demand. In form, it is certainly very defective, and contains much that is unmeaning and useless; but substantially, it alleges that the defendant, did with intent to deceive him, and to deprive him of his right of appealing, conceal from him, the fact that he had rendered a judgment against him, and thereby did deprive the plaintiff, of his right to appeal, to his great injury &c. For such a deceit, I think an action well lies against a justice of the peace. Let the judgment be affirmed with costs.
Ford and Ryerson, Justices, concurred.
Judgment affirmed.
Cited in Taylor v. Doremus, 1 Harr. 478; questioned in Mangold v. Thorpe, 4 Vr. 136.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- NEIGHBOUR v. TRIMMER
- Status
- Published