Case Name: KIRBY v. LIPPINCOTT, OGELVIE & CO. et al.
Court: Supreme Court of Georgia
Jurisdiction: Georgia
Decision Date: 1896-05-11
Citations: 98 Ga. 426
Docket Number: 
Parties: KIRBY v. LIPPINCOTT, OGELVIE & CO. et al.
Judges: 
Reporter: Georgia Reports
Volume: 98
Pages: 426–427

Head Matter:
KIRBY v. LIPPINCOTT, OGELVIE & CO. et al.
1 TbiS being a direct bill of exceptions assigning as erroneous a judgment rendered by the trial judge without a jury, and certain rulings made by him during the trial; and the bill of exceptions neither containing, nor purporting to contain, all of the material evidence introduced at the trial, and no brief of the same having been made and approved by the judge so as to become a part of the record, the evidence has not been brought to this court in the manner prescribed by law, and cannot be considered. The fact that the bill of exceptions sets forth, by recital and by exhibit, some of the material evidence, will not suffice.
2. All of the errors assigned necessarily involving a consideration of the evidence, and it being impossible without reference 'thereto to determine whether there was error (if any at all) which would require or warrant a reversal of the judgment, there is no question legally before this court for adjudication.
May 11, 1896. Argued at the last term.
Motion to dismiss writ of error.
B. H. & G. D. Hill and W. F. Findley, for plaintiff in error. Dean & Hobbs, M. L. Smith, Perry & Graig, G. H. Prior, J. B. Estes, S. G. Dunlap and W. L. Telford, contra.

Opinion:
Lumpkin, Justice.
It appears from the bill of exceptions, that this case was tried by the judge below without the intervention of a jury. Error is assigned upon the judgment rendered, and also upon various rulings made during the trial. None of these can be intelligently passed upon without a consideration of the evidence, which is not brought to this court in the manner prescribed by law. The bill of exceptions neither contains, nor purports to contain, the evidence introduced at the trial. After specifying the material portions of the record, including the judgment of the court, it prays, that "the following documentary evidence" be approved by the judge, made a part of the record and sent up by the clerk as such, and thereupon designates certain notes, mortgages, petitions, a contract, receipt, the report of a master, and a brief of tbe oral evidence wbicb had been made up at tbe bearing of a former motion for a new trial in tbis case before another judge, and wbicb, under an agreement of counsel, was also used at tbe trial now under review. It nowhere appears that these various documents were ever approved, either separately or as- a whole, as constituting a brief of tbe evidence introduced at tbe trial last mentioned. Tbe bill of exceptions sets forth, by recital and by exhibit, other evidence wbicb was introduced at tbe 'bearing. Tbe clerk's certificate to tbe transcript of tbe record states, that no brief of tbe evidence introduced at tbe last trial has been filed in bis office, but that certain designated pages of tbe transcript contain a true copy of tbe oral evidence contained in a brief of tbe same introduced upon a former trial, and that certain other designated pages contain true copies "of the documentary evidence specified in tbe bill of exceptions' and furnished [him] by tbe attorneys for tbe plaintiff in error," — the clerk adding, however: "But I cannot certify to such record in tbe usual form, because no brief of evidence has been approved by tbe court and filed, and I have bad to resort to such papers and documents as have been furnished me."
Further comment for tbe purpose of showing that there has been a complete disregard of the law wbicb provides bow evidence shall be brought to tbis court, is unnecessary. "We are compelled to dismiss tbe writ of error and deny tbe plaintiff in error a bearing upon tbe merits of bis case. Tbe practice to be observed in such cases has been settled by tbe decision of tins court in Mayor and Council of Waycross v. Neal, 94 Ga. 731.
Writ of error dismissed.