Case Name: State versus Lucy Wormell
Court: Maine Supreme Judicial Court
Jurisdiction: Maine
Decision Date: 1851
Citations: 33 Me. 200
Docket Number: 
Parties: State versus Lucy Wormell.
Judges: 
Reporter: Maine Reports
Volume: 33
Pages: 200–201

Head Matter:
State versus Lucy Wormell.
Of the jurisdiction of justices of the peace, in taking recognizances.
Scire Facias.
The defendant, at the age of fifteen years, recognized to the State, before a justice of the peace, in the penal sum of #50.
The condition of the recognizance was, that she should “appear at the Supreme J. Court,” to be held, &c., “and give evidence on behalf of the State upon the complaint on oath óf S. N. against J. W. for the crime of a felonious assault.” She neglected to appear, and this suit is brought to recover the penalty of the recognizance.
Tripp, County Attorney, for the State.
J. L. Cutler, for the defendant.

Opinion:
Shepley, C. J., orally.
— In two respects the recognizance is fatally defective : —
1. It does not show jurisdiction in the justice to take any recognizance.
2. The statute limits to $20, the penal sum in which a justice is authorized to take a recognizance in a case like this.
Judgment for defendant, for costs.