New York Supreme Court, 1804

Overseers of Germantown v. Overseers of the Poor of Livingston

Overseers of Germantown v. Overseers of the Poor of Livingston
New York Supreme Court · Decided August 15, 1804
2 Cai. Cas. 106
Overseers of Germantown v. Overseers of the Poor of Livingston

Opinion of the Court

"Per Curiam.

The order of the sessions reversing the order of the justices must be reversed. The admission of the declarations of Philip Rockefellow, after he owned the slave, is too loose and uncertain to charge the town of Germantown, It would be of a very dangerous tendency. Better proof of the fact could be had. Was Rockefellow then in possession of the woman, it might be otherwise. The sayings of one inhabitant, to charge a whole town, might be mischievous, and would be very liable to abuse, especially if better testimony cau be had.

Order of sessions reversed.

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