Desantis v. Campbell
Desantis v. Campbell
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The plaintiff brought an action in the County Court of Allegheny County to recover damages for injuries sustained by him resulting, as he alleged, from the negligent operation by the defendant of an automobile. The case was tried before a judge and jury and resulted in a verdict for the plaintiff.
We do not find the charge of the trial judge printed in the paper books nor any evidence that a point praying for binding instructions was presented or declined.
The Act of 5th of May, 1911, P. L. 198, created the County Court of Allegheny County, defined its jurisdiction and prescribed the practice and procedure therein. Ample provision was made for a review of the decisions of the new court by the Court of Common Pleas. Two methods of taking an appeal were specifically provided. Immediately following these provisions the act declared that any party aggrieved by the judgment of said court might have a writ of certiorari to remove the record to the Court of Common Pleas “in the manner as now provided by law in regard to writs of certiorari Issuing out of said Common Pleas, etc.” The several
But it is urged upon us, that as a result of the passage of the Act of April 22,1905, P. L. 286, the order made in this case by the county court on request of the defendant made the whole of the evidence a part of the record for every purpose so that upon a writ of certiorari the Common Pleas could take the same cognizance of every question raised during the trial that it could upon an appeal properly so called. We think not. The title of the statute is “An act authorizing the courts of this Commonwealth to certify the evidence and enter judgment upon the.whole record, whenever a request for binding instructions has been reserved or declined by the trial judge, etc.” The enacting clause in its scope follows the title and after providing for a final judgment declares that “From the judgment thus entered either party may appeal to the Supreme or Superior Court as in other cases, etc.” As this statute was passed some years before the creation of the county court of Allegheny County and provides that an appeal may be taken from the judgment therein contemplated directly to the Supreme or Superior Court, it may well be doubted whether its provisions have any relation to the trial of
Judgment affirmed.
Reference
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- Courts — Allegheny County Court — Certiorari to Common Pleas —Appeals. Under the Act of May 5, 1911, P. L. 198, creating the County Court of Allegheny County, defining its jurisdiction, and prescribing the practice and procedure therein, either a certiorari or an appeal may be taken from its judgment to the Common Pleas. On a certiorari the Common Pleas cannot review alleged errors in the admission or rejection of evidence, but only errors appearing on the face of the record. Doubted whether the Act of April 22, 1905, P. L. 286, authorizing courts to certify evidence and enter judgment upon the whole record, applies to the County Court of Allegheny County created by a later act; but even if it did it would have no application to a case where there has been no prayer for a binding direction by the trial judge to the jury.