Public-domain · open source
OpenJurist

4 Conn. 387

Morgan v. Chester

Supreme Court of Connecticut

Decided July 15, 1822

Supreme Court of Connecticut · decided 1822-07-15

This was an action against the defendant, as sheriff of the county of Hartford, for the default of Titus L. Bissell, one of his deputies, in relation to an execution in favour of the plaintiff against Serrel Bissell.

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1822-07-15

How this case has been cited

Cited by 6 later decisions — most recently July 1936

1 federal appellate · 4 state decisions

20182218301840185018601870188018901900191019201930decided

Later decisions citing this case, by decade. The current decade is in progress, and our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so the latest bars are undercounted — not a real decline.

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

Hosmer, Ch. J.

¶1It is unquestionably clear, that the plaintiff might have instituted a suit, either against the sheriff, or his deputy, for the default complained of; and that nothing short of satisfaction made by one, would annihilate the remedy against the other. Although the causes of action are not precisely identical; yet the sheriff is subjected equally with his deputy to a responsibility for his official neglect or misconduct. The relation between them, in point of effect, produces the same consequences, as that between joint and several promisers, or joint trespassers: the judgment recovered against one, does not extinguish the right of action against *389the rest; but this consequence merely results, from satisfaction made to the creditor. Sheldon v. Kibbe, 3 Conn. Rep. 214.

¶2The taking out execution, and levying it on the body of Bissell, was no satisfaction of the plaintiff’s demand; but merely a gage for his debt, or a security for the original cause of action, until it should become productive. Blumfield's case, 5 Co. Rep. 87. Drake v. Mitchell & al. 3 East 251. 258. Macdonald v. Bovington, 4 Term Rep. 825. Sheehy v. Mandeville & al. 6 Cranch 265. The principle of transit in rem judicatam, has relation only to the positive cause of action, on which judgment is rendered; and operates as a change of remedy; but it is still merely a security, and effectuates no extinguishment of any collateral concurrent remedy, which the party may have. Drake v. Mitchell & al. Sheldon v. Kibbe, ubi sup. Notwithstanding the imprisonment of Bissell, until payment or a discharge of the execution, the cause of action against the sheriff, exists unimpaired; and his liability to suit is the same, as if no action had been instituted.

The other Judges were of the same opinion.

¶3Plea insufficient.

/4/conn/387 · .json · Public domain