Case Name: Hester's Case
Court: Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Jurisdiction: Pennsylvania
Decision Date: 1841-12
Citations: 2 Watts & Serg. 416
Docket Number: 
Parties: Hester’s Case.
Judges: 
Reporter: Reports of cases adjudged in the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania (Watts & Sergeant)
Volume: 2
Pages: 416–416

Head Matter:
Hester’s Case.
The court will not allow a mandamus to the county commissioners to pay a disputed debt before the plaintiff brings suit and'recovers judgment.
Meredith, for the complainant,
applied to the court to award a mandamus to the commissioners of the county of Philadelphia to pay the amount of a bill alleged to be due to the complainant by them for carrying prisoners to and from the jail and court, during the sitting of the Court of General Sessions.

Opinion:
Per Curiam.
The established rule of law which has been constantly recognised and acted on by this court, is, that a mandamus will not be granted where there is a specific remedy by action. Commonwealth v. Rosseter, (2 Binn. 362). To determine whether the county commissioners are bound to pay this bill, the party has a remedy by action. He must first sue the county commissioners, and recover against them, before he can apply here for a mandamus.
Motion refused.