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13 Ala. 473

Spann v. Cole

Supreme Court of Alabama

Decided January 15, 1848

Supreme Court of Alabama · decided 1848-01-15

Writ of Error to the Circuit Court of Macon. Before the Hon. S. Chapman. This was a motion to quash an execution. It appears from a bill of exceptions, sealed at the instance of the defendant in the action, that the defendant made an application for the continuance of the cause, which the circuit court granted, upon condition that he would confess a judgment for so much of the plsintiff’s demand as was undisputed.

Cited by 2 later decisions — most recently December 1887

2 state decisions

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1848-01-15

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COLLIER, C. J.

¶1The assignment of error brings to our view the correctness of the judgment of the circuit court on the motion to quash. Whether the confession by the defendant that he was indebted to the plaintiff in the sum of five hundred dollars, leaving open for contestation the residue of the demand, authorized a judgment for costs, is an inquiry which cannot now be made. It is however worthy of consideration, whether, as the plaintiff must have been successful if the cause had progressed to a trial, without the intervening judgment, and consequently entitled to costs, the court would not, upon the judgment of non-suit, have given him the costs accruing up to the first judgment ? If *475so, the defendant has but little ground of complaint in any form of proceeding.

¶2The judgment under which the fi. fa. issued is, that the plaintiff recover the costs. Here was an ample warrant for the clerk to issue an execution; and it was not competent on a motion to quash, to vacate or modify this judgment. If amendable by the court rendering it, a specific motion should be made for that purpose.

¶3If the clerk committed an error in taxing the costs, that error could be corrected on a motion to retax ; but furnishes no ground to quash the execution.

¶4We have but to add, that the judgment denying the defendant’s motion is affirmed.

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