Case Name: A. Thompson v. E. Chapman
Court: Louisiana Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1852-05
Citations: 7 La. Ann. 257
Docket Number: 
Parties: A. Thompson v. E. Chapman.
Judges: 
Reporter: Louisiana Annual Reports
Volume: 7
Pages: 257–259

Head Matter:
A. Thompson v. E. Chapman.
Where an appeal has been granted, on motion in open court, at the same term at which the judgment was rendered, no citation of appeal is necessary.
Where the clerk’s certificate is defective, and no fault canbe imputed to the appellant, the Supreme Court will, on affidavit, grant time to correct the certificate.
That portion of the statute of 1840, abolishing imprisonment for debt, which subjects the defendant to imprisonment for giving an unjustpreference, only until he pays the debt, par. takes of a civil character. It merely excepts that case from the law to abolish imprisonment for debt, and, as to it, still allows imprisonment as a civil remedy.
The petition charged that the plaintiff sold and delivered property to the defendant for cash, and that defendant removed, disposed ofi or concealed, or covered the same in such a manner, that plaintiff could not render said property liable for the price. It prayed, also, for his arrest and punishment. The jury gave judgment for the sum claimed, but dismissed the charge of fraud. By the court: This is a civil remedy, of such a highly penal character that we should never feel authorized to convictthe debtor of the fraud, and punish him with imprisonment, which might extend to three years, without the verdict of a jury. And, although we would remand the cause for a new trial, if any errors of law had occurred in the progress of the trial, we are unable to do so for differing with the jury as to the effect of the evidence alone. ■,
from the First District Court of New Orleans, Larue, J.
Frank Haynes and Randal Hunt, for plaintiff.
J. R. Grymes and J. M. Wolfe, for defendant.

Opinion:
On motion to dismiss the appeal. By the court :
Preston, J.
A motion has been made to dismiss this appeal, on the ground that no citation of appeal issued in the case, to the appellee, notifying him of the appeal granted. It was not necessary. The appeal was granted on motion, in open court, at the same term atwhich the judgment was rendered. Acts of 22d March, 1843, p. 40.
The appellee moves for the dismissal of the appeal, on the further ground, that the certificate of the clerk of the district court does not show that the record contains all the evidence, and is a complete record. The counsel of the appellant makes affidavit, that the record contains all the evidence offered by the parties on the trial of the cause, and states that the defect in the clerk's certificate was discovered only when the cause was called for trial and the motion to dismiss the appeal was made.
The act of the 20th of March, 1839, provides, that no appeal shall be dismissed on account of any defect or error in the certificate of the clerk, whenever it shall appear that such defect or error is not imputed to the appellant. B. and C., p. 181. The act embraces the pvesent case.
The counsel of the appellant, on his affidavit and statement, applies for time to have the clerk's certificate corrected. He is entitled to it, by the act just cited, as well as by the 898th article of the Code of Practice. Let him have until Monday next, to have the certificate corrected.
It is therefore ordered, adjudged and decreed, that the plaintiff and appellant have until Monday next, to have the clerk's certificate of the lower court corrected.