Public-domain · open source
OpenJurist

56 Ind. 459

Evans v. State

Indiana Supreme Court

Decided May 15, 1877

Indiana Supreme Court · decided 1877-05-15

<p>Jurisdiction.—Change of Venue.—Attorney Appointed Judge.—Appointment must be in Writing.—Where a practising attorney is appointed to act as judge, in the trial of a cause wherein a change of venue has been taken from the judge, if such appointment be not made in writing, any judgment rendered by him therein will be void.</p>

Cited by 2 later decisions — most recently January 1889

2 state decisions

Relies on Lowder v. Lowder

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1877-05-15

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

Perkins, C. J.

¶1Indictment against the defendant, for being found in a state of intoxication in a public place.

¶2A change of venue was granted from the circuit judge, on account of prejudice; whereupon John Y. Hadley, an attorney of Hendricks county, was appointed to try the cause. The defendant objected to the competency, jurisdiction, and denied the right, of said Hadley to try said cause, as appears by the record.

¶3The record shows, by the formal entry of the clerk, that Hadley was appointed and sworn, but it does not show that the appointment was in writing.

¶4According to the case of Kennedy v. The State, 58 Ind. 542, which arose under the same statute as the present case, the appointment of Hadley was void, and conferred upon him no authority to -act as judge in the trial of the cause, and the judgment rendered by him is void.

¶5Such being the case, we need consider no other question raised by counsel.

¶6The judgment is reversed, and the cause remanded, for a new trial.

/56/ind/459 · .json · Public domain