Matteson v. Choquet
Matteson v. Choquet
Opinion of the Court
This is a petition for a writ of prohibition to restrain and prohibit the respondent, justice of the district court-of the eleventh judicial district, from hearing the petition of Thomas H. Holton that he be admitted to take the poor debtor’s oath.
It appears that said Holton is imprisoned in the Providence County Jail on an execution awarded against him in an action of trespass on the case for deceit; that on March 12th, 1914, said Holton petitioned the justice of the district court of the seventh judicial district that he be allowed to take said oath and be discharged from his commitment in jail upon said execution; that at a hearing on said last named petition on March 23d, 1914, said justice of the district court of the seventh judicial district denied said petition and refused to administer the poor debtor’s oath to said Holton; that on March 30th, 1914, said Holton petitioned this respondent as justice of a district court in the county of Providence to admit him to take said oath; that on March 31st, 1914, the respondent issued a citation to the committing creditor of said Holton to appear at said jail on April 7th, *273 1914, to show cause, if any she have, why said Holton should' not have the benefit of the act for the relief of poor debtors;, that by reason of the pendency of this proceeding before-us the hearing on the last named petition of said Holton has been continued by the respondent to April 9th, 1914; that the following statement was annexed to said citation issued by the respondent to said committing creditor: “That he has already taken out citation to his committing creditor hereinafter named, but upon trial thereof was not admitted to take said oath, but that there has been a change of circumstances after taking out said citation, in this: that he has since made a general assignment for the benefit of his creditors. ”
General Laws, 1909, Chapter 326, Section 11, is as follows: “If a debtor take out a citation to his committing creditor and have the same served and subsequently withdraw the same, or if upon trial he shall -not be admitted to take the oath above prescribed, he shall not be entitled to another citation to the same creditor unless on proof of some change of circumstances after the taking out of the first citation, a statement of which change of circumstances shall be annexed to or recited in the second citation and form a part thereof. ”
This petitioner claims that there has been no change of the debtor’s circumstances as stated in the citation issued by the respondent; that the respondent is about to assume jurisdiction improperly and hear the petition of said Holton; and that a writ of prohibition should issue to restrain such unlawful assumption of jurisdiction by the respondent.
We are of the opinion that the objections of the petitioner to the form of the citation and the manner in which it was issued by the respondent are without merit and require no discussion herein.
In considering whether there had been a change of the debtor’s circumstances before a second citation was issued this court said in Burdick v. Simmons, 9 R. I. 17: “In regard to the other point, whether the facts stated constitute a sufficient change of circumstances, we are of opinion, that an assignment executed under the poor debtor’s act would constitute a change of circumstances, such as the law requires to justify the issuing of a second citation. ”
The petition for the writ of prohibition is denied and dismissed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Annie M. J. Matteson vs. Ambrose Choquet
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published