Case Name: The Commonwealth v. The President, Directors & Company of the Swift Run Gap Turnpike Company
Court: General Court of Virginia
Jurisdiction: Virginia
Decision Date: 1823-11
Citations: 2 Va. Cas. 362
Docket Number: 
Parties: The Commonwealth v. The President, Directors & Company of the Swift Run Gap Turnpike Company.
Judges: 
Reporter: Virginia Reports
Volume: 4
Pages: 271–271

Head Matter:
The Commonwealth v. The President, Directors & Company of the Swift Run Gap Turnpike Company.
Corporations — Indictment by Artificial Name —A Corporation cannot be impleaded criminaliter by its artificial name, at Common Law.
This was another adjourned Case from the same Court. The Information charged them, in their corporate character, with a nuisance in obstructing a common public highway *and road, by digging it up, and placing therein large quantities of stone and dirt, whereby the citizens of the Commonwealth were hindered from passing and travelling on the same, to their great damage and common nuisance, &c. This was a proceeding at Common Law, and the same question was adjourned, as in the last case.
The principal case is cited in State v. B. & O. R. R. Co., 15 W. Va. 375. See monographic note on “ Corporations (Private) ” appended to Slaughter v. Com., 13 Gratt. 767.

Opinion:
By the Court.
This Court is unanimously of opinion, that a Corporation, such as the President, Directors and Company of the Swift Run Gap Turnpike Company, cannot be impleaded by its artificial name for the criminal offence stated in the Information.