Turnbull v. Thompson
Turnbull v. Thompson
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
The judgment of the county court against the defendant, Thompson, is objected to by him on various grounds. They will be severally considered in the order in which they are presented in the record.
The first objection is, that the original process commencing the suit was served on the defendant" the 3d. February 1862, and the judgment became final on the 3d March 1862, in violation of the statute, which declares that no judgment by default on scire facias or summons shall be valid if it becomes final within one month after the service of such process. The month indicated by the statute is of course a calendar month, and if the 3d day of February, the day of the service of process is to be included in computing the time, then the judgment did not become final within a month after the service of process.
Without undertaking now to discuss the doctrines of the common law in respect to the days to be included or excluded in the computation of time under statutes, it is sufficient to say that every difficulty in regard to that question has been removed by the provisions of the 8th clause of section 16, chapter 16, page 115, Code of 1860.
The second objection is, that the process was served on the defendant by his deputy, the defendant himself being then the sheriff of the county. This objection doubtless is founded upon the 20th section, chapter 49, Code of 1860, which declares that “when for any cause it is unfit for a sheriff or sergeant to serve any process, such process shall be directed to and served by a coroner of the county or corporation.”
One of the objects of this statute was of course to prevent the execution of process by officers interested in the subject matter of the suit; and the plaintiff’ might well object that the defendant is not a proper person to execute the process. But if the plaintiff is willing that the process shall go into the hands of the defendant, and the defendant is willing to receive it and accept service, the latter cannot afterwards be heard to make any objection on the ground of irregularity. And so if the defendants’ deputy receive the process and serve it upon the principal, and the latter •does not make the objection in limine, he should not be permitted afterwards to say that his deputy had done an illegal act.
The third and main ground of objection is, that the judgment was taken against the defendant while he was in the military service. It appears that the defendant first enlisted as a volunteer in the service of the state as early as May 1861, and that he was subsequently transferred to the confederate army; but at
In Prentis v. Commonwealth, 5 Rand. 697, the defendant was presented for unlawful gaming, process, served upon him, and a judgment by default entered. He applied for a writ of error coram vobis, upon the-ground that he was exempt from arrest or process as. a member of the general assembly; and by operation of law all proceedings against him stood suspended during the continuance of his privilege.
The general court after a very careful examination of the authorities bearing upon the question, was of opinion, that the exemption claimed was in the nature of a personal privilege; that from its character it was such that the courts could not ex officio take notice of it, and that it ought to be claimed whenever-relied on.
The court was further of opinion, that the privilege was not an incapacity like infancy and coverture, where consent cannot give jurisdiction; and there was not an example of the allowance of the privilege, but upon plea, or motion tendered or made at the proper period, to the court where proceedings are sought to be abated or suspended; and therefore the-failure of the defendant to claim the exception until after judgment, was a waiver of his privilege. •
Much of this reasoning applies to persons in the
In the case before us the defendant was at home on furlough, both when the summons was received by him, and when the judgment became final. It would have been very easy for him to claim his exemption. It was not necessary he should attend the court, or even employ counsel to do so. His own deputy served the process upon him: a simple notification to him, or an endorsement on the writ at the time, would no doubt have affected the object. A letter to the clerk, or to the court, at any time before the judgment became final, would have been sufficient. The defendant knew that the other obligors were joined in the suit with him. It may have been a matter of vital importance to the plaintiff to obtain judgment against them. In doing so, he was bound to include the defendant also in the suit. If the defendant had claimed his exemption, the action would have proceeded against the others, as it does not appear they were sureties;
For these reasons the judgment of the circuit court' must be reversed, with costs; and that of the county court affirmed.
Judgment reversed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.