Civil Procedure Commons^™

Federal Practice - Appeal And Error - Single Appeal From State Court Involving Consolidated Suits

Michigan Law Review

Three national banks brought separate suits in a state court against the same defendants to annul a tax assessment, claiming that the act authorizing such assessment violated a federal statute. The suits were consolidated for the trial of this main issue but a separate judgment was rendered in favor of each bank. The defendants took three separate appeals to the state supreme court, but only one transcript was sent up and the appeals were docketed and argued as one case. In a single opinion the court annulled the judgments appealed from. The plaintiffs took a single appeal to the Supreme …

Equity- Contempts - Purgation By Sworn Answer - Doctrine Of Variance

Michigan Law Review

At the suit of X Traction Company defendants had been enjoined from operating busses along streets upon which plaintiff operated its cars. The latter .filed an information in the name of the State charging the defendants with wilful violation of the restraining order, and moved for an attachment for contempt, and for the infliction of "such penalties as are or may be necessary to compel observance." Defendants filed motions to discharge, and also answers for the purpose of purging themselves of the alleged contempt. Upon trial, at which evidence was received, the court found defendants guilty, and levied fines. Defendants …

Federal Practice - Appeal And Error - Dismissal Of Counterclaim Because Of Improper Venue Appealable As Interlocutory Order Denying Injunction

Michigan Law Review

To plaintiffs' suit for patent infringement defendants counterclaimed upon an unrelated patent asking for an injunction and an accounting. Plaintiffs' motion to dismiss on the ground of improper venue was sustained by the district court. Defendants appealed and plaintiffs moved to dismiss on the ground that dismissal of a counterclaim was not a refusal of an injunction and therefore not appealable under Sec. 129, Judicial Code. The circuit court of appeals allowed the appeal and this decision was affirmed by the Supreme Court. General Electric Co. et al. v. Marvel Rare Metals Co. et al., 287 U.S. 430, 53 …

Equity-Intervention

Michigan Law Review

A Kansas statute forbids the operation of theatres on Sunday. Appellee obtained an interlocutory injunction restraining "the Attorney General of the State of Kansas, and his subordinates . . . and every other person acting or attempting to act for said defendants" from enforcing the statute. Following this temporary injunction the appellee continued to operate his theatres on Sunday, and when the municipal authorities of Winfield and Eldorado threatened to enforce municipal ordinances prohibiting Sunday shows, the appellee served them with copies of the preliminary order against the attorney general, and warned them that contempt proceedings would be instituted if …

Procedure Under The Uniform Declaratory Judgment Act, Bernard C. Gavit

Indiana Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Practice And Procedure - Conditional Judgments At Law - Validity And Advantages

Michigan Law Review

Some modern courts have asserted and many lawyers have assumed that in common law actions a court can not render a judgment conditional in form. It is argued that the court is without jurisdiction so to decide a case, and that in any event the common law has never recognized such a form of judgment as valid. The first point is not so difficult to disprove, and the second, so far as actual decision is concerned, is clearly incorrect." In several early cases common law courts were willing not only to stay execution of judgments until conditions were performed, but …

Practice And Procedure - Declaratory Judgments In The Federal Courts

Michigan Law Review

The declaratory judgment by that name is comparatively new in legal procedure in this country. But it is in reality simply an extension of an old process. The power to declare the rights of the parties is inherent in courts of equity and has been exercised since ancient times in action to quiet title, to declare marriages valid or void, to annul divorces, to declare legitimacy or illegitimacy or determine heirship, to construe wills and trusts, and in other actions. A suit for a declaratory judgment in no wise differs from other suits save in the single respect of the …

Writ Of Error Coram Nobis, Lester B. Orfield

Indiana Law Journal

This comment is reprinted from the Nebraska Law Bulletin with the permission of the editors of that periodical.

Torts - Malicious Prosecution - Termination Of Previous Proceeding In Favor Of Plaintiff

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff gave a note with power of attorney to confess judgment, to X who assigned to defendant. Plaintiff paid the note before maturity. On maturity, defendant got a judgment by confession and levied on plaintiff's property. Thereupon plaintiff asked the court to set aside the judgment, and a hearing was granted for the purpose, but the evidence showed that instead of proceeding to a hearing the parties agreed that defendant should mark the judgment satisfied. This was done. Plaintiff later sued for malicious prosecution. Held, that since the prior suit did not terminate in his favor plaintiff could not …

The Right To Comment On The Failure Of The Defendant To Testify, Andrew A. Bruce

Michigan Law Review

In 1931 the American Law Institute adopted a resolution to the effect that "The judge, the prosecuting attorney and counsel for the defense may comment upon the fact that the defendant did not testify."

In the same year the American Bar Association resolved: "That by law it should be permitted to the prosecution to comment to the jury on the fact that a defendant did not take the stand as a witness; and to the jury to draw the reasonable inferences."

Pleading-How To Raise The Issue Of Payment

Michigan Law Review

On rehearing in an action on contract for money two questions were presented to the court, to wit: first, is an allegation of non-payment essential in order that this complaint might state a cause of action; and second, can the issue of payment be raised by the defendant's general denial? Held, in Hughes v. Wachter an allegation of non-payment is necessary in the complaint, and the defendant may prove payment under a general denial.

Federal Injunction Against Proceedings In State Courts: The Life History Of A Statute, Edgar Noble Durfee, Robert L. Sloss

Michigan Law Review

The Judicial Code provides, in section 265, that "the writ of injunction shall not be granted by any court of the United States to stay proceedings in any court of a State," except where authorized by the Bankruptcy Act. This provision, minus the bankruptcy exception, first appeared in an act of 1793, amending the Judiciary Act of 1789. We know next to nothing of the parliamentary history of this statute. We do, however, know that the basic political issue in the framing of the Constitution was that of states' rights, the question how far the new government should be a …

Trial Practice - Questioning On Voir Dire As To Relation To Insurance Company

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff's counsel was permitted, over the objection of defendant's counsel, to ask on voir dire examination whether the jurors or the members of their families were stockholders in any insurance company. Held, proper under the circumstances, there being no showing of want of good faith, or persistent course or effort to impress on the jury that the defendant's liability was insured. Raines v. Wilson (Iowa, 1931) 239 N. W. 36.

Civil Pleading In Scotland, Robert Wyness Millar

Michigan Law Review

Said Lord Chancellor Loreburn, in his answers to the questions addressed to him by Mr. Justice Lurton, preparatory to the drafting of the Federal Equity Rules of 1912: "It may be worth while for Mr. Justice Lurton and his coadjutors to consider the Scottish method of pleading which, in my opinion, is the best." This can only mean that the Lord Chancellor regarded the method in question as superior to that obtaining under the English Rules - certainly a high testimonial coming from such a quarter. Whether the opinion is justified or not is a question which may be left …

What Price Jury Trials, Jeff B. Fordham

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Courts-Power To Direct Verdicts Where Forbidden By State Constitution

Michigan Law Review

ln a suit for personal injuries the district court of the United States for the district of Arizona directed a verdict for the defendant on the ground that the plaintiff was guilty of contributory negligence. The constitution of Arizona, sec. 5, art. 18 provides: "The defense of contributory negligence or of assumption of risk shall, in all cases whatsoever, be a question of fact and shall, at all times, be left to the jury." Held, that this section is not binding on a federal court sitting in Arizona, and does not prevent such court from directing a verdict when …

Reform Of Legal Procedure: Rulemaking Power For Courts, Sveinbjorn Johnson

Indiana Law Journal

An address delivered to the Indiana State Bar Association at Indianapolis, Thursday, December 18, 1930.

The New Michigan Court Rules, Edson R. Sunderland

Michigan Law Review

There are two features of general interest connected with the revised system of practice which went into operation in Michigan on January 1, 1931. The first is the manner of employing the rule-making power, and the second is the content of the new rules.

Cases On Pleadings And Procedure, Mason Ladd

Michigan Law Review

A review of CASES ON PLEADINGS AND PROCEDURE By Charles E. Clark.

A Foundation For Procedural Reform, Hugh Evander Willis

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Relation Between Separate Instructions To The Jury, Leo Carlin

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Companion Of Civil And Court Martial Procedure, Howard Clark Ii

Indiana Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Should The Jury System Be Abolished, T. W. A.

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Special Interrogatories, Arlos Jackson Harbert

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Trial By Jury In Civil Cases--A Proposed Reform, Robert T. Donley

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Book Review. Federal Appellate Jurisdiction And Procedure By Elijah N. Zoline, Robert C. Brown

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Chancery Hearings In Open Court, J. H. Brennan

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Elimination Of General Verdicts And Instructions To Juries, Thomas H. S. Curd

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Uniform Law Procedure In Federal Courts, Conner Hall

West Virginia Law Review

A great drive is being made for the passage of a bill for investing the Supreme Court with power to prescribe rules of procedure for law actions in the Federal Courts. A committee of the American Bar Association, or perhaps rather a small number of a committee, has been active in propaganda work for the proposed legislation. Great names have been invoked, and meetings of the Bar Association and lawyers have been passing resolutions in favor of the bill, but the very unanimity with which some of these resolutions have been passed confirms a natural belief that the action was …

Special Interrogatories To The Jury--Their Nature And Purpose--Court's Discretion Relative To Their Submission, G. D. H.

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.