Draper v. Clark
Draper v. Clark
Opinion of the Court
Both these cases are before the court on a like motion, and will be considered in their order.
And first as to the case of Draper v. Clark: By the amendment of section 6710, Revised Statutes which was adopted and took effect April 25, 1898, the jurisdiction of this court to review a judgment of a lower court, except in certain specified cases of which this is not one, is limited to a judgment or final order, “in which is involved exclusive of interest and costs, the sum or value of more than three hundred dollars.” In the action below Joseph Clark recovered of the defendants, the sum of $225, damages, for injuries received by him' while in the employment of the defendants, caused by their negligence and for which he claimed $2,000 damages. The defendants prosecuted error in the circuit court where the judgment was affirmed;, and error is prosecuted in this court to reverse the’ judgments of both the lower courts; and the defendant in error, Clark, how moves to dismiss the petition on the ground that this court has no jurisdiction. We are of the opinion that the motion should be sustained. ;
The question is, jphat is involved in the judgment complained of. To determine this question the statute must be construed with reference to the party complaining of the judgment. Either party has the right to prosecute error- in- this court for-
.. This is the construction that has been placed on the provision in the judiciary act of Congress, limiting the appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of the United States, and adhered to with great uniformity from an early day. That provision is in substance much the same as the provision now limiting the appellate jurisdiction of this court, except as to the amount adopted as the limit;
In Gordon v. Ogden, 3 Pet., (U. S.), 34, it is said by Marshall, C. J;, “The jurisdiction of the court has been supposed to depend on the sum or value
This case has been uniformly followed by the Supreme Court of the United States, as will appear from the following cases: Smith v. Honey, 3 Pet., 469; Knapp v. Banks, 2 How., 73; Pacific Express Co. v. Malin, 131 U. S., 394; Walker v. United States, 4 Wall., 163. A like construction has been given to similar statutes by the courts of the other states: Williams v. Wilson, 5 Dana (Ky.), 596; Tipton v. Chambers, 1 Met., (Ky.), 565; Winship v. Block, 96 Ind., 446; Railway Co. v. McDade, 111 Ind., 23. See also, 1 Myers Federal Decisions, from section 541 to section 614, where the decisions on the question are collected.
■' The result is, that where the plaintiff in error Will, according to his claim, from the judgment cbmplained of, sustain the loss of a sum or value greater than $300, the court has jurisdiction to review it; and as the only loss the defendant below can sustain, is the amount of the judgment against him, where this is less than $300, he cannot prosecute error to this court.
‘ We have said that our statute and that of the United States are substantially alike. There is, however,.one important difference in the language of' the two statutes, that may, so far as a plaintiff is- concerned, require a different construction. By the United States' statute the jurisdiction is determined by the amount of “the matter in dispute,”'' iff ours it is determined by the amount “involved” iff the “judgment” sought to be reviewed. Thé Federal Supreme'Couft has held, as will appear from the'cases cited, that the right of the plaintiff' to a review, depends upon the amount claimed in-his declaration. If this should • be held to be so¡
The question, however, here mooted in no way affects either of the motions before us, and is left for determination when it arises.
Hence the motion to dismiss in this case must be and is sustained.
As to the motion to dismiss for want of jurisdiction in the case of Caldwell v. Heintz, the action in the common pleas was brought by Catharine Heintz to recover of the defendants the sum of $5,000. She recovered a judgment for only $100. From this she prosecuted error in the circuit, court where the judgment was reversed and a new trial granted. The defendants prosecute error .in this court to obtain a reversal of that judgment. The motion must, we think, on the principles above stated, be overruled. By the reversal of the judg
Motion overruled.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.