Case Name: The State vs. Joseph Brown
Court: Delaware Court of General Sessions
Jurisdiction: Delaware
Decision Date: 1898-05-20
Citations: 1 Penne. 286
Docket Number: 
Parties: The State vs. Joseph Brown.
Judges: 
Reporter: Delaware Reports
Volume: 17
Pages: 286–288

Head Matter:
The State vs. Joseph Brown.
Justice oj Peace as Witness—Evidence in Rebuttal.
A Justice of the Peace who committed the defendant for his appearance at Court may testify to statements made by the prosecuting witness in his office after the case before him was closed and disposed of.
In trial for larceny it is competent for the State to prove in rebuttal a statement of the defendant showing that he did not claim the property alleged to have been stolen.
(May 20, /8g8.)
■ Rorb, C. J., and Spruance and Grubb, J. J., sitting.
Peter L. Cooper, Jr., Deputy Attorney-General, for the State.
Andreiv C. Gray, for the defendant.
Court of General Sessions, New Castle County,
May Term, 1898.
Indictment for Rarceny. At the trial the defendant’s counsel called as a witness Wiliam R. Reynolds, the Justice of the Peace by whom the defendant was committed for his appearance at Court to answer the charge preferred by the prosecuting witness. The Justice was asked regarding certain statements made by the prosecuting witness in the former’s office at Middle-town after the conclusion of the preliminary hearing in the case and within a half hour, while the parties were still in his office. The Deputy Attorney-General objected to the testimony, on the ground that a Justice of the Peace could hot testify in regard to anything which transpired in trials before him, whether such transactions occurred during the hearing or immediately upon the adjournment, it being against public policy.

Opinion:
SpruancE, J:—
A majority of the Court think this question
is admissible. The witness states that this was not a matter stated before him during the hearing of the case, but that the case was disposed of so far as he was concerned, and that he heard the statement made by the party afterwards while yet in his office.