Case Name: Mott v. Smith
Court: United States Circuit Court of the District of Columbia
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 1811-11
Citations: 2 Cranch 33
Docket Number: 
Parties: Mott v. Smith.
Judges: (Ckanch, C. J., contra,)
Reporter: Reports of cases argued and determined in the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia (District of Columbia - reported by Mackey)
Volume: 2
Pages: 33–33

Head Matter:
Mott v. Smith.
In an action for a malicious attachment, the official return of the attachment is not conclusive, but may be contradicted by parol.
Case, for a malicious attachment for rent, not due, under the Act of Virginia, of 29th November, 1792, § 8, p. 154'; the tenant being about to remove.
Mr. Taylor, for the defendant,
moved the Court to instruct the jury that the attachment was not laid, the return of the officer being “ not executed by order of the plaintiff,” (the present defendant.)

Opinion:
The CouRT
(Ckanch, C. J., contra,)
decided that the return was not conclusive; but that the plaintiff (although he had produced the writ of attachment, and its return, in evidence,) might contradict the return, by parol.