Case ID: johns_13/html/0085-02.html
Source: Caselaw Access Project
Author: {"author": "\n      Per Curiam.", "license": "Public Domain", "url": "https://static.case.law/"}
Date Created: 2024-08-24T03:29:51.129683

The People against The Judges, &c. of the General Sessions of the peace of the county of Genesee.
    On an sauit ami b” ttenot be stayed because a civil ifattSi,th™dg? “Sn,f may°be dSu» or'thS suit’.
    ON the 14th of May last, at the court of general sessions of the peace, of Genesee county, Henry Markham was indicted for an assault and battery, and having pleaded not guilty, and the . , i? ° 7 ° •' trial being brought on by the attorney of the district, Markham?s counsel objected to the trial proceeding, on the ground that a private suit had been brought against him, in the court of common pleas, to recover damages for the same assault and battery, which suit was still pending and undetermined. On this ground, the court below refus.ed to allow the trial of the indictment to proceed, and the attorney of the people now applied for a mcmdamns, to be directed to the court of .general session?, command|ne them to proceed in the trial, Of the cause.
   Per Curiam.

This is an application for a mandamus , to the eburtof general sessions of the county of Genesee,, to: compel them to proceed, to the trial Of Henry Markham', upon an indictment for an assault and battery. The affidavit of the district attorney states, that the co.urt refused: to proceed to tlie trial of Markham, solely on the ground- that a private suit had been commenced, dnd was then pending-against him, by the prosecú-. tor. ," This Was. not-a sufficient reason for ■pbstponifig-'thé. trial of the-indictment. It might be good cause for suspending j.udg-; ment, if the defendant should be found .guilty, in order, in some measure, to regulate the discretion of the court in: imposing the punishment. We' think, however, that the application for- a mandamus ought not to- be granted at this lime. The indictment was found at the same term in whijeli-the public prosecutor _ moved to. bring on the trial. Tlie .delay, therefore, has. not, as yet, been- unreasonable... tThe' court-of, general'sessions, from What is stated by the district -attorney, were,, .probably*- misled by what is said in Espinass’cds Digest,. ,(1 Esp. part. 2 184.) that it . is the practice in New-¥oricfiti-such'Cages,'-to stay the criminal suit Until a, decision in the .private action-. We are not aware of any such practice,, ñor do We think it Warranted,.if pny thing more is intended than á stay' of judgment after conviction. The rules and principies which govern the granting of informations, are not applicable to the trial of indictments.. Should the. court, hereafter, postpone. the trial of the indictment, solely on the ground bf the'pendency Of the private suit, it might become necessafy and proper for this court to interfere by-m«ndá»íMs. But,’ Under the circumstances attending the case, as-' now presented to üs,.. we think the application ought to be denied. . -

Motibn- denied. 
      
       Gould's edit. 2 Burr. 919.