Public-domain · open source
OpenJurist

69 Me. 145

Dunn v. Kelley

Supreme Judicial Court of Maine

Decided February 5, 1879

Supreme Judicial Court of Maine · decided 1879-02-05

Dunn, and which appeal came before tlie law court on exceptions to the decree of tlie presiding justice at nisi prius. The allowance made to the appellant by the judge of probate was the sum of §800, outside of §404 which she received from tlie Masonic Relief Association on account of the death of her husband.

Cited by 2 later decisions — most recently November 1952

2 state decisions

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1879-02-05

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

Walton, J.

¶1Gyrene E. Dunn applied for an allowance out of the personal estate of her deceased husband. The judge of probate allowed her §600 out of the property inventoried, and §404 drawn from the Masonic Belief Association, amounting in all to §1,004. Being dissatisfied with this allowance, she appealed. At the hearing at nisiprius in this court the presiding judge allowed her $2,000, and all of the furniture claimed by her, not inventoried, which was in the dwelling-house of the deceased at the time of his death. To this allowance the heirs except; and the question is whether the exceptions can be sustained.

¶2We think not. The amount of a widow’s allowance, and the kind of property of which it shall consist, are questions which must be determined by an exercise of judgment and judicial discretion ; and it is well settled that to such decisions exceptions do not lie. True, the B. S., c. 77, § 21, declare that, when the court is held by one justice, “ a party aggrieved by any of his opinions, directions or judgments ” may except; but this provision has always been construed to include only opinions, directions and judgments upon questions of law, and not to include such opinions, directions or judgments as are the result of evidence, or the exercise of judicial discretion. Scruton v. Moulton, 45 Maine, 417. Crocker v. Crocker, 43 Maine, 561. Call v. Call, 65 Maine, 407. Higbee v. Bacon, 11 Pick. 423.

¶3Exceptions overruled.

Appleton, C. J., Barrows, Virgin, Peters and Libbey, JJ., concurred.
/69/me/145 · .json · Public domain