Case Name: Dawburn vs. Martin
Court: United States Circuit Court for the District of North Carolina
Jurisdiction: North Carolina
Decision Date: 1793
Citations: 1 Mart. 21
Docket Number: 
Parties: Dawburn vs. Martin.
Judges: 
Reporter: North Carolina Reports
Volume: 1
Pages: 21–21

Head Matter:
Dawburn vs. Martin.
Pasch. 2 Car.
THE plaintiff, an attorney of the court, brought a suit against the defendant for saying these words of him: Thou art *a knave upon record, a forgering knave, and he was found guilty, and £. 6 damages were given. And
Jermyn moved in arrest of judgment, that the words are not actionable. If he had said: thou art a forging attorney, no doubt the action would lie: as if a man says of a Judge: thou art a corrupt Judge: an action lies. But here it does not appear that there was any communication or any discourse of the plaintiff as an attorney. And the word knave is no slander: for I have heard Lord Coke say that knave in the Saxon language signifies merely an evil child. 18 Jac. Sir William Broker alledged that he was nobly born, and I. S. said of him: Thou art a cousener, and doest live by cousening: held not acctionable. And he said, there is no such a word as forgering. If one says to another: thou art an outfooter, which in Cumberland signifies a thief, it is not actionable here.

Opinion:
The parties made the matter up; so the court did not speak to it. But Jones, J. said 28 El. Judge Francis's brother said: thou hast forged my father's will to deceive me. Held actionable. Palmer 441. Poph. 177. 2 Cr. 427.