Case Name: Henry Bacas vs. Thomas Smith
Court: Louisiana Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1881-01
Citations: 33 La. Ann. 139
Docket Number: No. 7755
Parties: Henry Bacas vs. Thomas Smith.
Judges: 
Reporter: Louisiana Annual Reports
Volume: 33
Pages: 139–142

Head Matter:
No. 7755.
Henry Bacas vs. Thomas Smith.
This Court will dismiss the Appeal ax officio when there is no copy of the judgment appealed’ from, in tbe Transcript.
"When tbe Appellant goes to trial on an insufficient Transcript, without suggesting a diminution of tbe record, and the Appeal is, therefore, dismissed, be shall not be permitted,, after tbe judgment of dismissal, to complete tbe Transcript.
A rehearing will not be granted in such a case.
Tbe right of parties before this Court, under agreement of Counsel, to supply tbe deficiency of tbe Transcript, must be exercised before and possibly during submission, but surely not after judgment•
^PPEAL from the Fifth District Court, parish of Orleans. Rogers,.
F. Michinard for Plaintiff and Appellant.
F. W. Balter, J. P. PLornor and W. 8. Benedict for Defendants and Appellees.

Opinion:
The opinion of the Court was delivered by
Bermudez, C. J.
We are asked by the plaintiff to reverse the judgment, which he states was rendered against him by the lower court, and to render judgment in his favor according to the prayer of his petition..
On the other hand, the defendants ask the affirmance of the judgment complained of by the plaintiff.
We have diligently searched the transcript to find what the judgment is, which we are asked either to reverse or to affirm, and which we might have amended, but have been unable to discover any trace of it.
This Court has, in many instances, dismissed appeals ex officio, when, a final judgment found in the transcript did not appear to have been signed by the judge a quo, treating it as inchoate. 17 An. 97; 7 L. 513; 20 An. 394, 500, 511, 583; 21 An. 261; 28 An. 26; 23 An. 219; 22 An. 410; 25 An. 7; 23 An. 400, 262; 4 R. 47; 7 R. 451; 9 An. 42; 27 An. 665.
What different course can be pursued in a case in which no judgment •at all is to be found in the transcript?
How can we be asked to review that which it is impossible for- us to view ?
We cannot reverse, affirm, or amend a judgment blindly and unintelligently.
We are, therefore, constrained to apply the maxim: De non appa:rentibus et non existentibus eadem est lex.
It is, therefore, ordered that the appeal in this case be • dismissed with costs.