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158 Mich. 263

Schnider v. Montross

Michigan Supreme Court

Decided September 21, 1909

Michigan Supreme Court · decided 1909-09-21

Case made from Oakland; Smith, J. Case by C. Ralph Schnider against James Montross for false imprisonment and malicious prosecution. A judgment for defendant on a verdict directed by the court is reviewed by plaintiff on a case made. The plaintiff is a meat peddler in Oakland county and particularly in the village of Leonard, in said county. The defendant, upon the date of the commission of the alleged wrong to plaintiff, was the proprietor of a butcher shop in said village.

Cited by 4 later decisions — most recently June 1938

4 state decisions

Key passage — most relied on by later courts

““Is defendant liable for the consequences of the second arrest (under the warrant), the plaintiff having’ been convicted before the justice of the peace and acquitted upon appeal? No action for false imprisonment can be based upon an arrest under a warrant fair upon its face. The plaintiff cannot recover under his count for malicious prosecution because of his conviction before the justice of the peace, that conviction furnishing’ conclusive proof of probable cause unless procured by false or fraudulent testimony or other unlawful means.””

quoted by 1 later decision, including Doak v. Springstead

Relies on Tillman v. Beard · Thick v. Washer

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Reversed · Decided 1909-09-21

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

Brooke, J.

¶1{after stating the facts). The first question presented is whether or not the original arrest, without a warrant, was justified. This must be answered in the negative. It is elementary that an officer may arrest without a warrant only in cases of felony or breaches of the peace. Tillman v. Beard, 121 Mich. 475 (80 N. W. 248, 46 L. R. A. 215), and cases there cited. The defendant is therefore clearly liable to plaintiff for all actual *265damages flowing from the original arrest, to be computed by the jury under proper instructions from the court. Those damages may be increased if defendant acted recklessly or wantonly or with a malicious desire to injure plaintiff.

¶2Is defendant liable for the consequences of the second arrest (under the warrant), the plaintiff having been convicted before the justice of the peace and acquitted upon appeal ? No action for false imprisonment can be based upon an arrest under a warrant fair upon its face. The plaintiff cannot recover under his count for malicious prosecution because of his conviction before the justice of the peace, that conviction furnishing conclusive proof of probable cause unless procured by false or fraudulent testimony or other unlawful means. The record discloses no facts which would take this case out of the operation of the rule. Thick v. Washer, 137 Mich. 155 (100 N. W. 394), and cases there cited. The plaintiff’s recovery must therefore be limited to the damages flowing from the original arrest.

¶3The judgment is reversed, and a new trial ordered.

Ostrander, Hooker, Moore, and Me Alva y, JJ., concurred.
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