Opinion

Rossiter v. Peck

  • 69 Mass. 538
Court
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Filed
Sep 15, 1855
Status
Published
Cited by
0 cases
Authority
More cited than 10.0%

The opinion

By the Court.

The record was clearly insufficient to show a valid judgment. Nothing can be presumed in favor of the *539 jurisdiction, of courts or magistrates, having only a special or hmited jurisdiction; but the burden is upon those, who claim any rights under their proceedings, to show affirmatively that they acted within the limits of their jurisdiction. Piper v. Pearson, 2 Gray, 124 . In the present case, there is nothing to show that the defendant was ever served with process, or had any notice of the acti m in which the judgment was rendered. Prima facie, therefore, the justice had no right to take cognizance of the cause, or to render the judgment sued upon. Brown v. Cady, 19 Wend. 477 . Exceptions sustained.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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