Case ID: va_2/html/0715-01.html
Source: Caselaw Access Project
Author: {"author": "ROANE, J. CARRINGTON, J. LYONS, J.", "license": "Public Domain", "url": "https://static.case.law/"}
Date Created: 2024-08-24T03:29:51.129683

Burk’s Executors v. Tregg’s Executors.
    October Term, 1796.
    Record — Proof of — Production of Original Record. — Upon the plea of "no such record,” if the record be of the same Court, a copy of it ouitht not to be given in evidence, but the original ought to be produced for inspection.
    In March 1788, the appellees sued a writ of scire facias against John Burk and Joseph Cross, executors of Henry Burk, upon a judgment recovery by the testator of the appellees, against Thomas Burk, and the said Henry Burk the security for his appearance. The defendant John Burk, to whom alone the writ was made known, appeared, and after craving oyer of the scire facias, pleaded, 1st, no such record; and 2dly, ‘‘payment by Henry Burk, of the only debt recovered against him by the said Tregg, whereof there is any appearance of a record.” Upon both pleas, issues were joined.
    Both issues being found in favor of the plaintiffs, the former by the court, upon inspection of a copy of the judgment, and the latter by the jury, judgment was given for him. At the trial of the cause upon the first issue the defendant filed a bill of exceptions *to the opinion of the court, allowing a copy of the record of the judgment only, without the pleadings, to be given in evidence.
    At a subsequent court, viz, in November 1789, the matters of law arising upon the bill of exceptions were argued, and decided in favour of the defendant, and judgment was entered for him, with costs against the plaintiffs.
    An appeal was prayed to the District Court of Fredericksburg-, pending which the appellee John Burk died, and a scire facias to revive, was awarded against Thomas Burk executor of the said John Burk.
    The District Court reversed the judgment of the County Court and gave judgment, that the appellant might have execution against the appellee Thomas Burk, for the amount of the original judgment and costs of the scire facias, to be levied of the goods and chattels of the said Henry Burk in the hands of the said Thomas Burk to be administered if so much &c. If not then of the goods and chattels of the said John Burk deceased in the hands of the said Thomas Burk to be administered, if so much thereof he had.
    From this judgment an appeal was prayed to this court.
    
      
      
        See foot-note to Anderson v. Dudley, 5 Gall 629. The principal case is cited with approval in Dig fíes v. Dunn. 1 Munf. 59; Dykes v. Woodbouse, 3 Rand. 314.
    
   ROANE, J.

The District Court did right in reversing the second judgment of the County Court, and by doing so, it in effect affirmed the first judgment of that court. Against that judgment it is objected, that a copy of the original judgment ought not to have been given in evidence. It is certainly a well established rule in England, that upon the plea of no such record, if the record be of the same court, it ought to be inspected, and it is not sufficient to produce a copy in evidence. I do not know that in this country, that rule has ever been changed, nor do I think it ought to be. There are many imperfections in the record, but as I am clear that the judgment of the District Court, which affirms the first judgment of the County Court is wrong, and must for that reason be reversed, it is unnecessary to take notice of any other error.

CARRINGTON, J.

I concur in the opinion just delivered although it has been common in this country to give copies of judgments in evidence, because the practice has never been controverted, yet I am clear, that the record itself, where it is of the same court, should be inspected.

LYONS, J.

It was irregular in the court to try the plea of payment, before if had been established whether there was such a record as the one set forth in the pleadings. I agree with *the other judges, that where the record is of the same court, it is not proper upon a plea of “no such record,” to give a copy in evidence. The record itself should be inspected ; if there be a variance, the minute book may be resorted to, if it be of the same court; if of another court, there should be a full and complete record produced. Whether in this latter case, the seal of the court should be annexed, I will not say, as many courts have no seals, though they are required by law to provide them.

There are many other errors in this record. The judgment should have been against both executors, although the scire facias was made known, to only one of them; but the costs in that case should have been awarded against him only who appeared and pleaded. The County Court were also wrong in reversing at a subsequent court, the judgment they had given at a former one. But as the court are agreed upon the point of evidence, it will be unnecessary to give any opinion upon any other part of the record.

Judgment of the District Court reversed with costs, to be levied of the goods and chattels of the testator William in the hands of the appellees to be administered, if so much &c. but if not, then of their proper goods and chattels. And the court proceeding to give such ju4gment as the said District Court ought to have given, is of opinion, “that the said John Burk having pleaded, that there was not any such record of the judgment as set forth, and supposed in the writ of scire facias in the proceedings mentioned, and the record denied by the said plea being the record of’ the said County Court of Caroline, as the appellees in replying, said they were ready to verify by the records of the said Court, the copy of the record of the said judgment in the bill of exceptions mentioned, ought not to have been allowed to go in evidence to the jury, on the trial of the issue, but -that the original record ought to have been produced in court for inspection, and that the judgment of the said County Court is erroneous.”

Judgment of the County. Court reversed, with costs of the appeal in the District Court to be levied of the goods and chattels of the testator Henry in the hands of the appellant to be administered, if so much thereof he hath. Verdict set aside and a new trial awarded.