Court for the Trial of Impeachments and Correction of Errors, 1799

Backus v. Richardson

Backus v. Richardson
Court for the Trial of Impeachments and Correction of Errors · Decided July 1, 1799
1 Lock. Rev. Cas. 393
Backus v. Richardson

Opinion of the Court

Action for slander, and demurrer to the whole declaration containing several counts for different words, some actionable and others not. The plaintiff’s damages were assessed generally, and the Court of Errors, on writ of error, held, as in Cheeiham and Tillotson, that the damages must be considered as applying to the whole declaration, and the judgment of the Supreme Court sustaining the verdict, under those circumstances, was accordingly reversed.

It seems to have been held by the Court of Errors in *394' this case, that to say of a merchant, “ You keep false books, and I can prove it,” is actionable.-

Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.