Case Name: Henry's Executors v. Ricketts, Newton, & Co.
Court: United States District Court for the District of Columbia
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 1809-11
Citations: 1 Cranch 580
Docket Number: 
Parties: Henry’s Executors v. Ricketts, Newton, & Co.
Judges: 
Reporter: Reports of cases argued and determined in the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia (District of Columbia - reported by Mackey)
Volume: 1
Pages: 580–581

Head Matter:
Henry’s Executors v. Ricketts, Newton, & Co.
The Court will not, in a civil suit, attach a witness who resides more than one hundred miles from the place of trial, nor issue a subpama commanding him to go and testify before a magistrate.
Mr. R. J. Taylor, for the defendants,
moved for a rule on James Taylor to show cause why an attachment should not issue against him for a contempt in not obeying a summons to appear and testify as a witness, and to bring with him certain papers. The witness resided in Norfolk, Virginia, more than one hundred miles from the place of trial.

Opinion:
The Court
told Mr. Taylor they would hear him further in support of the motion. The Court, on hearing, refused to lay a rule, being of opinion that a witness, residing more than one hundred miles from the place of trial, could not be compelled to attend ; and refused to issue a subpoena commanding the witness to appear before the mayor of Norfolk to testify. See Acts of Congress, September 24,1789, § 30, [1 Stat. at Large, 88]; and March 2, 1793, <§, 6, [1 Stat. at Large, 333.]