104 N.Y.S. 407 | N.Y. App. Term. | 1907
This action was brought to recover for goods sold and delivered to the defendant, and was commenced June 30, 1904, and was tried November 16, 1906; and, on November 25, 1906, the justice before whom the case was tried filed a certificate to the effect that, owing to the conflicting testimony, he would send the case to a jury and set the case down for trial for December 12, 1906. On December 11, 1906, a stipulation in writing was entered into between the parties adjourning the case to December 19, 1906; and, on December 12, 1906, the court, by consent of both parties, adjourned the case to December 19, 1906. Upon the adjourned day after a jury had been empaneled the defendant’s counsel moved to dismiss the case upon the ground that the court was without jurisdiction, owing to the fact that the justice before whom the case was first tried was without power to set the case over for more than eight days. This motion was granted, and judgment dismissing the complaint was rendered by the court. A motion was made to set aside this dismissal in the court below and denied, and the plaintiffs appeal from the judgment and the order denying the motion to set aside the judgment. Section 232 of the Municipal Court Act provides that: “ If after a trial shall have been had before the court, without a jury, the judge shall, within fourteen days after the submission of the case or proceeding, certify that the evidence is of such a conflicting nature that he has been unable to determine the issue of fact, and that he deems it proper that the same should be tried by a jury, he may by order set the same down for trial by jury for a day not more than eight days from the time of the making of the order, and thereupon the action or proceeding shall be continued in court, and tried by a jury as hereinbefore provided in the case where a trial by jury is ordered by the court before trial.” The trial justice had fourteen days from the date of the submission of the case to him, either to decide it or to make the certificate authorized by section 232 of the Municipal Court Act. In this case the time within which to 'file the certificate expired on November 30, 1906, and the time within which to set the case
Gildersleeve and Brady, JJ., concur.
Judgment and order reversed and new trial ordered, with costs to appellants to abide event.