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35 S.C.L. 192

McDermaid v. Earnest

Court of Appeals of South Carolina

Decided January 15, 1850

Court of Appeals of South Carolina · decided 1850-01-15

Before Fuost, J. at Charleston, October, 1849. This case had been called several times, and as often passed, because the attorney for the plaintiff did not appear to answer to it, and no other attorney was instructed to do so in his stead. The defendant’s attorneys were present, and declared they were ready, and desirous that it should be disposed of; and demanded a trial. This demand was put off until the last and peremptory call of the docket.

Decided 1850-01-15

Curia, per O’Neall, J.

¶1In this case, we think the whole matter complained of, as to ordering the case on for trial, and granting the motion for non-suit, was entirely within the discretion of the Judge below.

¶2After the non-suit was granted, the Judge could not, without the consent of the defendaut, or his attorneys, set it aside, and restore the case to the docket; for the nonsuit is as'much a legal ending of the cause as a verdict; and in the case of The Ex’trs. of Thomas v. J & J. D. Brown, it was held that the Judge who tried the cause could not set aside the verdict and grant a new trial. The same consequence must attend a nonsuit.

¶3That no Court has the power to set aside a non-suit, properly ordered, without the consent of the party in whose favor it is rendered, is the plain inference from McColum v. Massey and McNeill.

¶4The motion is dismissed.

Richardson, Evans and Frost, JJ. concurred.Wardlaw, J.

¶5I think it material to observe that the regular term of the Court had expired, before the motion to set aside the non-suit was made.

¶6Motion refused.

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