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3 Miss. 771

Dixon v. Richards

Mississippi Supreme Court

Decided January 15, 1838

Mississippi Supreme Court · decided 1838-01-15

<p>Where assumpsit was brought on a sealed instrument, and verdict by a jury had: Held, the error is cured by the statute of jeofails.</p> <p>In an action of assumpsit on a sealed instrument, the plea of non assumpsit forms a proper issue for the jury.</p> <p>A verdict by a jury of eleven men is error, for which judgment will be reversed.</p>

Decided 1838-01-15

Mr. Justice Pkav

¶1delivered the opinion of the court.

¶2This case comes up on writ of error from the circuit court of the county of Jefferson.

¶3The errors assigned are:

¶41. That the action is assumpsit upon an instrument under seal when it ought to have been debt or covenant.

¶52. The case was tried in the court below* without any issue being submitted to the jury on the pleadings.

¶63. The case was tried by only eleven jurors.

¶7The first error assigned is cured by the statute of jeofails, The error being apparent on the face of the declaration, it might have been reached by a demurrer.

¶8As to the second error, the action was in assumpsit, and the plea was non assumpsit: this forms a proper issue for the jury.

¶9The third error assigned is fatal. A jury must consist of twelve men: no other number is known to the law: here there was but eleven.

¶10The judgment must be reversed, cause remanded and a venire de novo awarded.

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