Case ID: njl_9/html/0316-01.html
Source: Caselaw Access Project
Author: {"author": "Ewing, C. J.", "license": "Public Domain", "url": "https://static.case.law/"}
Date Created: 2024-08-24T03:29:51.129683

Thomas Clayton vs. William C. Tonkin and Edward Tonkin, Executors of Samuel Tonkin, Deceased.
    It is the duty of the justice to enter in his docket the names of the plaintiff and defendant. Stating the initials only of the plaintiff’s name is insufficient.
    This was a certiorari to a justice of the peace, to reverse a judgment rendered by him against Clayton, the plaintiff in certiorari, in favor of the defendants, as executors of Samuel Tonkin, deceased. Upon the return of the certiorari a rule was taken on behalf of the plaintiff in certiorari, upon the justice, to certify whether “ the words, executors of Samuel Tonkin, deceased, are on his record of proceedings, and if there, whether the same were not added to the record after the certiorari was presented to him.” In obedience to this rule the justice certified that the entry of the above action was in the following words, viz: “ William C. Tonkin and Edward Tonkin, Executors of S’l. T. dec’d, *253] vs. Thomas *01ayton,” and that no word had been added to the record after the certiorari was presented.
    
      W. Halsted and White, for the plaintiff in certiorari,
    relied upon the following reason for the reversal of the judgment, viz: That the justice had not entered on his docket the true names or character in which the plaintiffs below brought their action.
    
      Armstrong, contra.
   Ewing, C. J.

It is the duty of the justice to enter on his docket the names of the plaintiff and defendant. Here the justice has neglected to do so. The initials S. T. may stand for a variety of names as well as that of Samuel Tonkin. It is impossible .to tell from the record what was the name of the deceased person these executors intended to represent.

Judgment reversed.