Case Name: Prewitt v. Everett
Court: Supreme Court of Texas
Jurisdiction: Texas
Decision Date: 1853
Citations: 10 Tex. 283
Docket Number: 
Parties: Prewitt v. Everett.
Judges: 
Reporter: Texas Reports
Volume: 10
Pages: 142–142

Head Matter:
Prewitt v. Everett.
It does not follow, it seems, that a cause was continued on affidavit merely because an affl-davit had been filed; the entry of the order of continuance should show the fact.
The statute prescribes what shall be sufficient grounds for a first and second continuance, but is silent as to a subsequent application to continue; and it has been decided by this court that if the terms of the statute are complied.with on the first and second application, the court can exercise no discretionary power; that it must be granted. (Note 04.)
Appeal from Cass. The point mainly relied on by the appellant to reverse the judgment of the court below in this case was the overruling- of his motion for a continuance.
The affidavit on which the motion for a continuance was made was : “That “ho cannot go safely to trial without the evidence of Joel Hughes, which is “ material to ids defense; that he expects to prove by said witness that plaintiff “ only charged defendant one hundred dollars for services in favor of defendant “against J. P. Hughes; defendant also expects to prove by said witness the “indebtedness of the plaintiff to the defendant, as charged in his answer; said “ witness lias been snbpcenaed at the instance of the defendant; affiant knows “not the cause of his absence, unless it is the sickness of his family; that he “knows the wife of witness was sick and unable to sit up last Tuesday mom-“ing; lie knows of no other person by whom to prove tlie amount plaintiff “said ho charged defendant in said suit; that said Hughes resides in Cass “county; that the continuance is not sought for delay, but that justice maybe “done.”
M. D. Rogers, for appellant.
J. O. Everett, for appellee.

Opinion:
Lipscomb, J.
It will he seen by reference to art. 815, Hart. Dig., that the affidavit is almost in literal conformity with tlie requisitions of the statute on an application for a second continuance, and the record does not show that there had been more than one continuance before asked by the defendant. In truth, it. does not appear that the case had ever been continued on tlie affidavit of the defendant. It is inferred that it liad been once continued from the fact that an affidavit for a continuance by the defendant was filed and appears upon record, but- it does not appear that there was any action of tlie court upon it. The statute prescribes what shall he sufficient grounds for a first and second continuance, hut is silent as to a subsequent application to continue, and it has been decided by this court that, if the terms of tlie statute are complied with on the first and second application, tlie court can exercise no discretionary power; that it must he granted. (See Hipp v. Bissell, 3 Tex. R., 18; Hipp v. Huchett, 4 Tex. R., 20.)
We have said that the affidavit for a continuance was almost a total compliance with tlie requisitions of tlie statute, hut a reference to the record will further show conclusively tlie materiality of tiie absent witness. It is shown that for the services referred to in tlie affidavit the plaintiff was seeking to recover two hundred dollars. We think, therefore, the defendant in tlie court helow was entitled to a continuance, and that the court erred in overruling his motion. The judgment is therefore reversed and the cause remanded.
Beversed and remanded.
Note 64. — MacMahan v. Busby, 29 T., 191. The discretion exercised by tho court on the third and succeeding applications over the question of continuance is not, as a general rule, the subject of revision. (Green v. Crow. 17 T., 180) But there may be circumstances when to overrule the motion is error. (Brooks v. Howard, 30 T., 278.)