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13 N.C. 538

Mitchell v. . Durham

Supreme Court of North Carolina

Decided December 5, 1830

Supreme Court of North Carolina · decided 1830-12-05

From Person. Case, in which the Plaintiff declared, 1st, for a breach of duty by the Defendant, as the agent.of the Plaintiff $ $d, for a neglect of the Defendant in the discharge of his duty as a Constable; 3d, for a similar neglect in the discharge of his duty as a deputy Sheriff. The ¡¡leas were, not guilty, and accord and satisfaction. The jury found “ all the issues in favor of the Plaintiff.” And the Defendant appealed.

Cited by 1 later decisions — most recently January 1936

1 state decisions

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1830-12-05

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Ruffin, Judge.

¶1 The instructions to the jury are. now out of the case, by the Counsel for the Defendant moving in arrest of judgment, and thereby abandoning the rule for a new trial.

¶2 The ground of the motion in this Court is, that the count charging the Defendant as deputy Sheriff is bad. The case cited in argument, (Cameron v. Reynolds Cowp, 403.) besides many others, does undoubtedly show, that for a mere non-feasance, without any wrongful act done by the deputy, the action must be against the principal, and not the deputy.

¶3 The rule too is so perfectly established, as not to require an authority, that in civil cases, (tho’ it is otherwise in criminal.) if a general verdict, is. given on several Gounts, of which one is bad, there cannot be judgment: because the Court cannot say to which the evidence r«¡e-ferred. The Plaintiff ought to have withdrawn his evidence on the defective couut, or moved the Court to enter the verdict or to amend it, so as to make it refer to fie *540 g00(] parts 0f the declaration, if the evidence Would have justified the Court. u

¶4 Per Curiam. — Let the judgment below be reversed, and judgment arrested.

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