Skelton v. Baker
Skelton v. Baker
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the Court.
Skelton obtained a judgment against Hinson for $81 before a Justice of the Peace of Dickson county.
The Justice met Hinson in the neighborhood, and mentioned the matter to him. Hinson requested the Justice to ride by Baker’s on his way home, and get him to stay the execution.
Accordingly, on his way home he saw Baker, who lived' about 250 or 300 yards from his house; Baker told the Justice to put his name down as stayor to the judgment, which he did when he went home.
Upon proof of this fact before a jury in the Circuit Court, under the charge of the Judge, they found that Baker did not stay the execution.
The objection to the charge is, that he instructed the jury in effect that Baker could not be bound unless the Justice had either the papers of the case or his docket with him when he directed him to enter his name as stayor. In Brown v. Cannon, 3 Head, 356, it was held that when it is said that the agreement to become stayor must be at his office, nothing more is intended than that it must be at the place where he performs the official act of rendering or accepting confession of the judgment which is to be stayed, that is his office for that purpose and occasion; and in Cheatham v. Brien, 3 Head, 554, the Court said: “We have held in other cases at the present term, that the place where the official act is done by a Justice is his office for that particular purpose, no matter where it may be, so that it is within the territorial limits of his jurisdiction.”
It follows from the authorities that when Baker agreed to become stayor, although it was not at the
The charge of the Judge was therefore erroneous, and the judgment is reversed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.