Hall Approved Free Access to American Case Law
U.S. Circuit Court for the District of District of Columbia, 1806

Minchin v. Docker

Minchin v. Docker
U.S. Circuit Court for the District of District of Columbia · Decided December 15, 1806 · Duckett
17 F. Cas. 437; 1 Cranch 370
Minchin v. Docker

Opinion of the Court

DUCKETT, Circuit Judge,

said that persons bom free, that is, descended from a white woman, were not, in Maryland, held to be ne-groes; and were permitted to testify against white persons. And although color is prima facie evidence of slavery, yet the fact that the witness had, for a long time, publicly acted as free, turned the presumption the other way, and was prima facie evidence that he was born of a white woman.

CRANCH. Chief .Judge,, concurred.

PITZHUGH, Circuit Judge, absent.

See Acts Assem. Md. 1717, c. 13, § 2, and Acts 1796, c. 67, § 5.

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