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32 Me. 335

Baker v. Carleton

Supreme Judicial Court of Maine

Decided July 1, 1850

Supreme Judicial Court of Maine · decided 1850-07-01

Debt on a poor debtor’s relief-bond. The debtors took the oath prescribed by the statute before' two justices of the peace and quorum, one of whom was their^ father. He was selected by them, and was objected to by the plaintiff. If that proceeding constitutes a defence, the plaintiff is to be nonsuited. Otherwise the defendant is to be defaulted, with damages according to law, to be adjudged by the court. One of the justices was interested.

Decided 1850-07-01

Tenney, J.,

¶1orally.—In Bard v. Wood, 30 Maine, 155, it was decided that a justice holding the relationship of uncle to both of the parties, was disqualified to sit in the hearing of the disclosure. The question as to the effect of one of the justice’s incompetency, has often been before the court; and it has been supposed that the statute of 1848, chap. 85, was intended to embrace all such cases.

¶2In this case the bond has been broken, and the damages are to be assessed according to the provisions of that statute. The only light we have on this subject is furnished by the statement filed in the case, from which it appears, that the principal debtors were worthess, and that the oath prescribed in Revised Statutes, chap. 148, sect. 28, was administered to them.

¶3*337The plaintiff is entitled to judgment for one cent damages, and one-fourth of a cent costs.

¶4Defendants defaulted.

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