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5 Wis. 115

Keegan v. Singleton

Wisconsin Supreme Court

Decided July 1, 1856

Wisconsin Supreme Court · decided 1856-07-01

Action of assumpsit commenced before a justice of tbe peace, by tbe plaintiff in error against tbe defendant in error. Tbe plaintiff filed a written declaration containing two special counts, tbe first concluding witb an ad damnum to tbe amount of one hundred dollars, and tbe second, also, witb an ad damnum to tbe amount of seventy-fire dollars.

Decided 1856-07-01

¶1By the Court,

WhitoN, C. J.

¶2There can be no doubt tbat tbe County Court erred in dismissing tbis case for tbe alleged reason tbat tbe justice of tbe peace before wbom tbe suit was brought, was without jurisdiction. Although tbe sums wbicb were claimed to be due in tbe body of tbe declaration, exceeded in tbe aggregate tbe sum to wbicb tbe jurisdiction of a justice of tbe peace extends, yet tbe declaration, in fact, claimed only $100, as tbat was tbe sum claimed at its conclusion. Tbis is stated by tbe plaintiff as tbe amount of bis damages, and be could have recovered no more under bis declaration, even if tbe jurisdiction of tbe justice bad exceeded tbat sum. Field's Pr. 871; ls¿ Chitty Plead. 872. By our statute (Rev. Stat. chap. 88, § 5), a justice of tbe peace has jurisdiction of actions of tbis nature, where tbe damages claimed shall not exceed one hundred dollars.”

¶3As tbis was tbe sum claimed ” in tbe declaration, it follows tbat tbe justice bad jurisdiction, and tbat tbe court erred in dismissing tbe case.

¶4The judgment of tbe court below must therefore be reversed.

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