Door
Bouvier's Law Dictionary and Concise Encyclopedia · John Bouvier; revised by Francis Rawle · 1914
Bouvier's Law Dictionary and Concise Encyclopedia
The place of usual entrance into a house, or into a room in the house. To authorize the breach of an outer door in order to serve process, the process must be of a criminal nature; and even then a demand of admittance must first have been refused; 5 Co. 94; State v. Smith, 1 N. H. 346; Bell v. Clapp, 10 Johns. (N. Y.) 263, 6 Am. Dec 339; Kelsy v. Wright, 1 Root (Conn.) 83; State v. Shaw, 1 Root (Conn.) 134; Banks v. Farwell, 21 Pick. (Mass.) 156; Com. v. Reynolds, 120 Mass. 190, 21 Am. Rep. 510; Cabill v. People, 106 111.
621; Hawkins v. Com., 14 B. Monr. (Ky.) 395, 61 Am. Dec. 147.
The outer door may also be broken open for the purpose of executing a writ of habere facias; 5^Co.
93; Bac. Abr. Sheriff (N3).
An outer door cannot, in general, be broken for the purpose of serving civil process; Oy stead v. Shed, 13 Mass. 520, 7 Am. Dec. 172; Snydacker v. Brosse, 51 111. 357, 99 Am. Dec. 551; Hooker v. Smith, 19 Vt. 151, 47 Am. Dec. G79; 1 M. & W. 336; Curtis v. Hubbard, 4 Hill (N. Y.) 437, 40 Am. Dec. 292; but after the defendant has been arrested, and he takes refuge in his own house, the officer may justify breaking an outer (N. Y.) 300, 25 Am. Dec. 564. When once an officer is in the house, he may break open an inner door to make an arrest; Fitch v. Loveland, Kirb. (Conn.) 386; Hubbard v. Mace, 17 Johns. (N. Y.) 127; 13 M. & W. 52; Pretty man v. Dean, 2 Harr. (Del.) 494.
See 1 Toullier, n. 214, p.
88; L. R. 2 Q. B. 593; or break the outer door to get out; 7 A. & E. 826.