Lyon v. Hussey, 31 N.Y.S. 281

VAN BRUNT, P. J.

It may not be necessary to add anything to the opinion which was handed ‍‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‍down upon the decision of the demurrer in the court below; but it may be proper to call attention to the fact that part of the contract, damages for the breach of which ‍‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‍this action was brought to recover, was to furnish evidence to establish the claim of the defendant in a litigation to be commenced. It is clear that such a contract is against public policy. ‍‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‍The recognition of contracts of this character would be the introduc*283tion of all sorts of fraud and deception in proceedings before courts of justice, in order that parties might receive compensation out of ‍‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‍the results of their successful manufacture of proofs to be presented to the court, thus holding out a premium upon subornation. The mere statement of the proposition seems to show that such a ‍‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‍contract could never be recognized in any court of justice. The judgment should be affirmed, with costs.

Case Details

Case Name: Lyon v. Hussey

Court Name: New York Supreme Court

Date Published: Nov 16, 1894

Citations: 31 N.Y.S. 281; 82 Hun 15; 89 N.Y. Sup. Ct. 15

Court Abbreviation: N.Y. Sup. Ct.