Morrell v. Glasspoole
Morrell v. Glasspoole
Opinion of the Court
The defendant is seeking to take advantage of a mistake made in a proceeding instituted by him to remove the case from the justice before whom this action was commenced. The statute (see. 3616, Stats. 1898) provides that if the defendant shall “make oath that, from prejudice or other cause, he believes that such justice will not decide impartially,” the justice shall transmit the papers to some other magistrate. Burns v. Doyle, 28 Wis. 460, decides that this statute does not require the party to make an affidavit, but only an oath. The record of the justice recites that the “ defendant appeared in person and delivered to the court an affidavit for a change of venue on the ground of prejudice.” The case was accordingly removed, was tried in county court, and appealed to the circuit court, where the proceedings mentioned in the statement were duly taken. The question is raised whether the order of the circuit court permitting the amendment of the affidavit was such a one as this court might review under section 3070, without its being brought into the record by a bill of exceptions. Upon the authority of Hewitt v. Follett, 51 Wis. 264, we shall assume that the order mentioned is one properly reviewable on an appeal from the judgment.
“ This view of the question is founded upon the assumption that the oath and the affidavit are two separate and distinct things, which is not true. The affidavit includes the oath, and may show what facts the affiant swore to, and thus be available as an oath, although it may be entirely unavailable as an affidavit.”
Other language in this opinion is applicable to the facts in this case, but need not be here repeated. "We are satisfied that the record transmitted by the justice to the county court was sufficient to show jurisdiction, and that the defect in the affidavit was properly cured under the terms of the statute cited.
By the Court.— The judgment is affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.