Courts Commons^™

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 …

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.

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 …

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.

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.

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.

Privity Of Parties And Attack For Fraud On Judgments Of Sister State

Michigan Law Review

An interesting recent decision in Minnesota, Schendel v. C. M. & St. P. Ry. Co., raises two important questions concerning the effect to be given in one state of the Union to a judgment rendered in the courts of another. An action was brought in Minnesota by a special administrator, there appointed, to recover damages for the death of his decedent. The accident resulting in death had occurred in Iowa while the decedent, it was claimed, was engaged in inter-state commerce, so as to bring the claim within the federal statute. To this Minnesota action the defendant set up …

Curiosities Of The Law-Mandatory Injunctions In The Double Negative

Michigan Law Review

The ridiculous practice of framing mandatory injunctions in the double negative seems to have originated in the famous case of Lane v. Newdigate. The bill was filed by a tenant of a water power mill against his landlord, who owned other lands upon the mill stream, to enforce covenants in the lease, praying specifically that defendant be decreed to remove certain locks which he had erected and restore certain gates and canals which he had destroyed or failed to keep in repair. The case came before Lord Eldon on a motion for a temporary injunction, which was heard ex …

Witnesses--When Interpreters May Be Used

Michigan Law Review

A novel situation in regard to the use of interpreters was presented in People v. Walker (Cal. App. 1924) 231 Pac. 572. The prosecution called a witness who was brought in in a crippled and weak condition. He was asked questions, but "the witness could give forth no sound, not even a whisper, by means of the organs of Speech." While the record was not clear whether there was any movement of his lips whatever, at least there was none which conveyed to any person but his wife the impression that he attempted to put forth articulate speech in response …

Arbitration Under The Modern Statutes

Michigan Law Review

Of late years the way of the "fair and free trial in open court," to which every man is deemed to have an inalienable right, has become so long, devious, intricate and costly, that the law faces the danger of falling into general disrepute. The calendars of courts in most jurisdictions ·are crowded and filled for months and years in advance. the situation being most acute in the larger cities and commercial centers. the very places where delays are most undesirable. New York City serves as a horrible example-here an ordinary case generally takes three years to come to trial. …

Constitutional Law-Jury Trial For Contempt-Constitutionality Of Clayton Act

Michigan Law Review

The defendants, striking employees of a railway company, were proceeded against in a federal district court for contempt in violating a preliminary injunction, and demanded a jury trial under the Clayton Act (c. 323, 38 STAT. 738, sec. 21, 22), which provides that in cases of wilful disobedience of "any lawful writ, process, order, rule, decree, or command of any District court of the United States or any court of the District of Columbia by doing any act or thing" forbidden, if such act or thing also constitutes a criminal offense under any statute of the United States or law …

Trial Practice--Duty Of The Court To Instruct The Jury In The Absence Of A Request For Instructions

Michigan Law Review

A series of cases recently decided in Georgia brings to mind the interesting question as to whether the court is bound to give instructions upon the law of the case in the absence of a specific request therefor. See Slocumb v. State, 157 Ga. 131; Fort v. State, 121 S. E. 128; Hatfield v. State, 121 S. E. 129; Walker v. State, 121 S. E. 130; Bul­lard v. State, 121 S. E. 130; Coney v. State, 121 S. E. 132, and Riggs v. State (1924) 121 S. E. 142. In none of these cases …

The Trial Brief, Edson R. Sunderland, Clifford W. Crandall

Book Chapters

From the chapter Introduction: "The object of the preceding chapters is to show the brief maker where to find the material for his brief, how to find it, and how to select out of the mass of material found that which will be suitable for his use.... The present purpose is to outline a course of investigation suitable to the preparation of a case for trial and to suggest methods of making the material collected during the search for authorities readily available." [p.417-418]