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12 Miss. 645

Fitzpatrick v. Ray

Mississippi Supreme Court

Decided January 15, 1845

Mississippi Supreme Court · decided 1845-01-15

In error, from the circuit court of Hinds county. On the 15th of March, 1841, John E. Fitzpatrick filed a petition in the circuit court of Hinds for writ of certiorari with supersedeas, to remove from the justice’s court of A. L. Dabney, Esq. at Raymond, Miss, a judgment obtained before him, against the petitioner, by John Ray, upon an open account, for articles furnished by Ray to Benjamin Williams, an agent for the petitioner to carry on the Mississippi Springs for him,…

Decided 1845-01-15

Mr. Justice Clayton

¶1delivered the opinion of the' cotlrt.

¶2The plaintiff in error, by certiorari, removed this cause, after *648-a judgment in a justice’s court against him, into the circuit court, by petition. The defendant in error, who was the plaintiff in the magistrate’s court, appeared and filed his declaration, to which a plea was regularly put in. At a subsequent term the cause was dismissed upon the motion of the defendant in error; from which it is brought to this court.

¶3, We cannot perceive any just ground upon which this was done. The statute directs that cases of this kind, “should be tried in the circuit court, de novo, upon their merits.” We will not say, that in such cases no motion to dismiss can be at any time sustained, because it is unnecessary to decide that question. But after the pleadings in the case have been made up, such motion comes too late. The certiorari is the process for bringing the case into the court. It is made to serve the double purpose of removing the cause, and of giving notice to the parties. When the parties appear, and virtually waive all objections to the process by their acts, and recognize the jurisdiction of the court over the case by their proceedings, it is then too late to move to dismiss. The case is in court, the jurisdiction has not been questioned, and if the subject-matter is one of which the court can take cognizance, the cause must be retained for trial on the merits.

¶4The order dismissing the case was therefore erroneous, and the judgment must be reversed, and the cause remanded.

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