Case Name: CRANE against HAND
Court: New Jersey Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: New Jersey
Decision Date: 1808-05
Citations: 3 N.J.L. 415
Docket Number: 
Parties: CRANE against HAND.
Judges: 
Reporter: New Jersey Law Reports
Volume: 3
Pages: 9–9

Head Matter:
CRANE against HAND.
OK CERTIORARI.
A justice cannot appoint himself a referee.
After the parties had appeared before the justice, they agreed to leave the matter in controversy to three [*o] men, of which number the justice was one, after which, the justice makes the following entiy in his docket: — 6th June we met, and after examining the accounts and hearing the witnesses on both sides, we gave a verdict in favor of the plaintiff for $21.05 debt, and $1.10 costs. On this no judgment was entered. It was urged as error, that the justice could not appoint himself a referee; that no judgment was rendered, and that if it had been, it would have been error, as the justice could not Avith legal propriety review or render judgment on his report as a referee.

Opinion:
By the Court.
The proceeding must be quashed.