Law Commons^™

Recent Important Decisions

Michigan Law Review

A collection of recent important court decisions.

Relations Between Equity And Law, Wesley Newcomb Hohfield

Michigan Law Review

At the last annual meeting of the Association of American Law Schools, Professor Walter W. COOK contributed an interesting address on Equity and its relation to Law. Taking as his more specific subject, "THE PLACE OF EQUITY IN OUR LEGAL SYSTEM," the speaker began his discussion with an extensive quotation from MAITLAND'S LECTURES ON EQUITY,--a work cordially welcomed by that distinguished scholar's many admirers upon its posthumous publication in the fall of 1909.

The Law In The United States In Its Relation To Religion, Edwin C. Goddard

Michigan Law Review

Man is a religious being. To him, everywhere and always, religion and religious institutions have been and, will be of prime concern. He is also a social being. As such he has always found it necessary to live in an organized society, under some form of government. Man never has lived to himself alone. Government is not an invention, a necessary evil, to which men submit. On the contrary, from the most primitive beginnings it has been man's natural though imperfect instrument for controlling and developing the social estate so essential to his very existence. And universally this government has …

Process, Edson R. Sunderland

Book Chapters

Professor Sunderland's chapter on Process: "Process, in the sense in which it is employed in the present title, means the writ, notice, or other formal writing, issued by authority of law, for the purpose of bringing defendant into a court of law to answer plaintiff's demands in civil action, although in a more technical and limited sense the term is frequently applied only to those writs or writings which issue out of a court." The chapter features an 8-page outline introductory.

Pleading, Edson R. Sunderland

Book Chapters

Professor Sunderland's 780-page chapter on Pleadings: "Pleadings are statements, in logical and legal form, of causes of action and grounds of defense, terminating in a single proposition affirmed on one side and denied on the other. They are intended to form the foundation of the proof to be submitted on the trial, and should advise the parties to an action what the opposite party relies upon either as a cause of action or defense or objection as the case may be." Preceded by a 41-page outline.

The Public Policy Of Contracts To Will Future Acquired Property, Joseph H. Drake

Articles

The general subject of wills upon consideration seems to have given courts and jurists a good deal of trouble, not only in England and America, but also in the continental countries. The Code Napoleon appears in terms actually to prohibit the making of reciprocal or mutual wills in the same instrument.

Note And Comment, Harry B. Hutchins, Stephen W. Downey, Francis B. Keeney, Clyde A. Dewitt

Michigan Law Review

Suits Against Trustee; Bills and Notes--Nonnegotiable Notes--Liability of Indorser; Bonds--Joint Stock Association--Negotiability; Carriers--Free Transportation as a Penalty; Carriers--Waiver of Stipulations as to Suits; Constitutional Law--Due Process of Law--Indeterminate Sentence Law; Constitutional Law--Corporations--Foreign Corporations--Exclusion For Removal of Cause to Federal Courts; Constitutional Law--Powers of Constitutional Convention; Criminal Law--Capital Offense--Bail--When Granted; Criminal Law--Murder--Elements of Murder; Damages--Action by Husband for Loss of Wife's Services; Damages--Failure to Deliver Telegram--Mental Suffering--Near Relative; Deeds--Joinder of Infant Husband; Divorce--Temporary Alimony and Counsel Fees--Appeal--Decisions Reviewable; Equity--Sworn Answers as Evidence--Proof to Overcome; Evidence--Opinion Evidence in Action for Libel; Evidence--The Best Evidence Rule; Fraudulent Conveyances--Delivery and Change of Possession of …

Amenability Of Military Persons To The Laws Of The Land, Charles E. Smoyter

Michigan Law Review

I. To. United States Courts. 2. To State Courts. 3. To Military Courts. General Principles of Amenability-Courts and text writers not unfrequently enunciate as a general principle that military authority is subordinate to civil law. Accepted literally, the broad statement can be sustained by neither law nor precedent. The federal constitution provides for three kinds of military jurisdiction: (a) That known as Military Law, designed to be exercised both in time of peace and war and acquiring its authenticity from the acts of Congress prescribing army regulations and the rules and articles of war, as well as from the established …

Note And Comment, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

The Law Review; Citizenship and Identity of Corporations Incorporated in Two States; Duty of Court to Limit by Instruction the Effect of Evidence; Land Records as Notice of Chattel Mortgage; Appeal from a Satisfied Judgment to Avoid Estoppel; When Government Surveys are not Conclusive; Jurisdiction over the Ohio River;

French Jury System, Simeon E. Baldwin

Michigan Law Review

France has never adopted the principle of jury trials in civil cases. For criminal trials, it was introduced during the Revolution in 1790, and by a law of the next year any qualified elector: could be chosen as a juror. It has never, however, been extended beyond the decision of the issue between the accused and the public. If (as is permitted) when the offense for which the prosecution is brought has caused pecuniary injury to some private individual, he joins himself to the cause, as a party (partie civile), and claims judgment in his favor for the damages which …

Recent Important Decisions, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

Bankruptcy--Preferential Payment--Recovery by Trustee; Carriers--Passengers--Derailing of Train; Constitutionality of Statute--Guaranty of Freedom of Speech--Immigration--Exclusion of Anarchists; Constitutional Law--Civil Rights--Power of Congress-Conspiracy Against Negroes; Corporations--Execution of Corporate Conveyances; Damages--Assault and Battery--Inadequacy of Verdict; Damages--Recovery for Mental Anguish Caused by Suffering of Another; Deeds--Statutory Words--Implied Covenants; equity--Injunctions--Restraint of Trade--consideration and Clearness of Contract; Equity--Injunction--Restraint of Trade--Consideration and Clearness of Contract; Foreign Administrator--Collection of Assets--Rights of Domestic Administrator; Highway--License--Defective Bridge--Liability of Owner; Husband and Wife--Bills and Notes--Intermarriage of Parties; Husband and Wife--Separate Property of Wife--Mortgage--Validity; Insurance--Mutual benefit Societies--forfeiture of Membership in a Religious Order; Judgments--Judicial Errors--Correction at Subsequent Term; Justice Court Judgment--Execution--Transcript--Filing in …

Illustrative Cases On Equity Jurisprudence, Harry B. Hutchins, Robert E. Bunker

Books

This second edition (1904) retains the same arrangement and chapters of the previous edition (1902) about which was written, in a contemporary review: "These cases cover the entire subject of Equity Jurisprudence, and are classified according to the arrangement that is followed in Eaton on Equity….”

Recent Important Decisions, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

Action to Quiet Title--Venue--change of Venue; Agency--Secret Commission--recovery of both Secret and Stipulated Commission; Attorney and Client--Attorney's Lien--Fund in Court; Bankruptcy--Discharge--New Promise; Bankruptcy--Exemptions--discharge; Bankruptcy--Judgment in Bastardy--Discharge; Banks and Banking--Trust funds--Misappropriation--Subrogation; Contracts--Agreement for Advertising in Street Cars--Breach While Executory--Measure of Damages; Contracts--Agreement to Build with Materials Furnished by Owner--Destruction by Vis Major; Conveyance of Pretended Title--Maintenance--Adverse Claimant--Real Party in Interest; Corporations--Fiduciary Relation Existing Between Directors and Stockholders; Corporations--Fiduciary Relation Existing Between Stockholders and Directors; Courts--Limited Jurisdiction--Effect of Counterclaim; Criminal Law--Burden of Proof--Reasonable Doubt--Insanity--Contradictory and Inconsistent Instructions; Criminal law--Evidence--competency of Wife--Manner of Showing Incompetency--Suppression of Evidence; Damages--Exemplary Damages Where Actual Damage Purely …

Recent Important Decisions, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

Acknowledgment--Who May Take--Stockholder; Agency--Notice to Agent--Liability of Principal; Carriers--Express Messengers--Contracts Exempting from Liability--Validity--Public Policy; Carriers of Passengers--Elevators--Negligence--Degree of Care; Code Pleading--Allegation of Duty; Conflict of Laws--Wills--Execution of Power; Constitutional Law--Liberty--Police Power--Use of Trading Stamps; Corporations--Legaility of Voting Trust--Power to Revoke Authority; Covenants--Benefits and Burdens--Privity of Estate; Damages--Breach of Contract--Mental Suffering; Damages--Breach of Contract--Mental Suffering; Damages--Pleading--Special Injury--Admissibility of Evidence; Elections--Right of Board of Aldermen to Judge of Election of its own Members--Construction of Charter; Equity--Mortgages--Redemption by Co-Tenant--Improvements--rents and Profits--Executors' and Administrators' Liability for Unpaid Claims; Evidence--Competency--Wife's Testifying Against Husband--Mock Marriage; Insolvency--Partnership--Secured Creditors--Mortgage on Exempt Property--Mortgage on Property of Individual Partner; Insurance--Benefit …

Note And Comment, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

The Law School; the Mostly Edicuation Commission; Penal Statute--"medical Attendance"--Devine Healing--Constitutional Law; Validity of a Note Given to an Unlicensed Practitioner of Medicine for Medical Services When the Note has Passed Before it is Due to a Bona Fide Purchaser for Value and Without Notice; Parties--Joining Representative of Deceased Joint Obligor--Survivors; Code Pleading--Amendment--Forms of Action; Conflict of Laws--Public Policy--Agreement ot Stifle Prosecution;

Recent Important Decisions, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

Agency--Liability of Principal for Money coming into his Possession as Proceeds of Wrongful Sale of His Property by his Agent to Plaintiff; Appeal--Effect upon Power of Lower Court ot Modify Judgement Appealed From; Attorney and Client--Attorney's Lien--Priority; Carriers--tort--Ejection of Passengers--Exemplary Damages; Constitutional Law--Judgment--Full Faith and Credit--Statute of Limitations; Constitutional Law--classification of Cities--Special Acts Conferring Corporate Powers; Corporation--Sinsolvent--Preferring Creditors; Damages--Evidence of Pecuniary Condition; Damages--Exemplary Damages for Gross negligence or Where Actual Loss Purely Nominal; damages--General and Special--Pleading; Deed--Acknowledgment; elections--Ballots--Rights of Nominee to have his Name Appear More than Once Upon the Ballot; Equitable Interests--Assignability; Evidence--X-Ray Pictures; Fraud--Misrepresentation by Cashire of Bank; …

Recent Important Decisions, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

Adverse Possession--Color of Title-Deed Void for Indefinite Description; Agency--Broker--Damages for Terminating Authority Without Giving Reasonable Time to Sell; Agency--Liability of Agent to Principal for Acts of Sub-Agent; Agency--Ratification; Attachment--Ground For--Removal of Debt--Situs; Bankruptcy--validity of Bankruptcy Act of 1898; Conflict of Laws--Conveyance--Covenants; Constitutional Law--Fourteenth Amendment--Blacklisting Statute; Constitutional Law--Retroactive Legislation--Curative Act; Constitutional Law--Statute Prohibiting Discharge of Members of Labor Unions; Contract--Performance to the Satisfaction of the Promisee; Damages Sale--duty to Minimize Loss; Mandamus--Jurisdiction to Issue Write Against the Governor; Mandamus Against Officer--Abatement by Change of Officer; Master and Servant--Act Within the Scope of the Employment; Master and Servant--Contract to Employ--Duty of Master …

Note And Comment, Floyd R. Mechem

Michigan Law Review

The Law School; Trade-Mark -- Invented Word -- Words Expressing Character or Quality; State Quarantine Laws as Affecting Inter-State or Foreign Commerce; Druggist - Liability for Negligence; Constitutional Law -- Inter-State Commerce -- Charging More for Shorter Than for Longer Haul; Malicious Prosecution of Purely Civil Action Without Arrest of Person or Seizure of Property; is it Fraud for a Plaintiff to Conceal Defenses to his own Action?; Wills--Withnesses Signing Before Testator, Effect; Impeachment of Witness--Privileged Communication; Evidence--Dying Declaration; Partnership by Estoppel in Tort Cases; Color Distinctions--Separations of Passengers upon Street Cars; Mortgage of Furture Offspring of Animals owned by …

Illustrative Cases On Equity Jurisprudence, Harry B. Hutchins, Robert E. Bunker

Books

“‘Hutchins & Bunker’s Illustrative Cases on Equity Jurisprudence” is a recently published collection of 286 cases, selected by Dean Harry B. Hutchins and Prof. Robert E. Bunker, both of the University of Michigan. These cases cover the entire subject of Equity Jurisprudence, and are classified according to the arrangement that is followed in Eaton on Equity….” -- American Law School Review 1, no.1 (1902): 30, “Recent Legal Publications.”

Cases On Equity Jurisprudence, Harry B. Hutchins

Books

“The following cases have been printed at the request of Prof. H. B. Hutchins, Dean of the Law Department of the University of Michigan, for use in connection with his lectures in that law school. They have been chiefly selected from Fetter’s Cases on Equity Jurisprudence and Pattee’s Cases in Equity.” -- Title page.

Davey V. Aetna Life Ins. Co., Henry W. Rogers

Articles

Professor Rogers considers a case where a life insurance policy appears to be voided by the use of alcoholic beverages by the insured, to the degree of cause of death. Rogers notes: "In the particular case the court was asked to give the following instruction: Th expression in the policy, 'became so far intemperate as to impair his health,' does not mean habitual intemperance; but an act of intemperance producing the impairment of health is within the condition of the policy, and renders the policy null and void except as therein provided...."

In the Application for Rule to Show Cause …