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6 Ill. 401

Barnes v. Barber

Illinois Supreme Court

Decided December 15, 1844

Illinois Supreme Court · decided 1844-12-15

Trover, in the De Kalb Circuit Court, at the September-term 1843, brought by the appellant against the appellees, and tried by the Hon. John D. Catón without the intervention of a jury. Judgment for the defendants for costs. The pleadings are set forth in the Opinion of the Court.

Cited by 1 later decisions — most recently May 1899

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1844-12-15

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Wilson, C. J.

¶1delivered the following separate opinion:

¶2I, in part, concur in the Opinion of the Court in this case, but I cannot assent to the correctness of the principle laid down, that process issued by a justice constitutes a full defence to a constable in an action of trespass against him for executing it, provided it is regular upon its face, although the justice had no jurisdiction over the subject matter of adjudication. I admit that such a process would constitute a defence prima facie, hut I think the rule fully settled by author-' ity, that when the want of jurisdiction in the justice over the subject matter of adjudication is established, the process becomes a nullity and will not be a protection to the constable or any one acting under it. I admit there is some contrariety of decision in this point, but the principle, as I have stated it, has been too long and too fully established to be overthrown by the contrary decisions referred to.

¶3Judgment affirmed.

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