Murphree v. Whitley

Dec 15, 1881
Reporters:
Before:
Brickell
BRICKELL, C. J.

In Wilson v. Collins (9 Ala. 127); it was held that the ‍​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‍statute, declaring a judgment by confession a release of errors (Clay’s Digest, 321, § 51), applied to the judgments of justices of the peace, ‍​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‍as well as to the judgments of courts of record. The statute, -with this known. construction, has been re-enacted in’ the subsequent revisions ‍​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‍and codifications of the statutes, and now forms section 3915 of the Code of 1816. It was further held, in that case, that ‍​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‍if the judgment was confessed by fraud or mistake, relief from it could only be obtained in equity. This decision is conclusive of ‍​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‍the questions presented by the record, and the judgment must be affirmed.