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13 Tex. Ct. App. 32

Cheatham v. State

Court of Appeals of Texas

Decided October 14, 1882

Court of Appeals of Texas · decided 1882-10-14

<p>Error from the County Court of Van Zandt. Tried below before the Hon. R H. Allen, County Judge.</p> <p>The forfeiture in this case was of the appearance bond of John Cheatham, bailed to answer a charge of aggravated assault and battery. The amount of the bond and judgment was one hundred dollars.</p>

Decided 1882-10-14

Hurt, J.

¶1Judgment final was rendered against plaintiffs in error upon a judgment nisi which contained the following: “That scire facias issue, commanding them to appear at the next term of the county court to be held at the court house in the • town of Canton on the third Monday in January, 1882, and show cause, if any, why judgment should not he made final.

¶2The statute requires that the judgment shall state that the ' same will he made final unless good cause he shown at the next term of the court why defendant did not appear. (Art. 441, Code Crim. Proc.) In Collins v. The State, 12 Texas Ct. App., 356, and Trav. Smith et al. v. State, ante, 31 (at present term), it is held that a judgment nisi which does not contain these provisions is void and cannot be made the basis of a final judgment.

¶3Why the clerk, when rendering up these judgments nisi, should neglect to consult, or refuse to be governed by the plain provisions of the Code is passing strange indeed. Such conduct can be viewed in no other light than that of grossest carelessness. The judgment is reversed and the cause remanded.

¶4 Reversed and remanded.

¶5Opinion delivered October 14, 1882.

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