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Ruggles v. FreelandRuggles v. Freeland

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Sep 15, 1810
Reporters:
The Court,

without considering the merits of the petition, re fused to grant another review, on the ground that the statutes of 1788, c. 11, ‍‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​‍and of 1791, c. 17, vesting a discretionary power in tire Court to grant reviews, did not authorize the Court to grant a second review, after a former one had been granted and prose outed.

The Court observed that the first statute authorized the granting ‍‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​‍of a review only in the particular cases there mentioned ; and it was provided that only one review should be granted by virtue of that act. By the second section of the last statute, the Court have a discretionary power to grant ‍‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​‍reviews, without being limited to the particular cases named in the first statute, any omissions therein notwithstanding. The extending, in this manner, of this discretionary power of the Court, was not a repeal of the proviso, that but one review should be ‍‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​‍granted. And it was not necessary, for the purposes of justice between the parties, to consider this proviso as repealed ; for, after a verdict on a review thus specially granted, the Court might set it aside for any reasonable and legal cause, ‍‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​‍and direct a new trial.

It was ordered that the petitioners take nothing by their petition, and that the respondent have his costs.

Case Details

Case Name: Ruggles v. Freeland
Court Name: Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Date Published: Sep 15, 1810
Citation: 6 Mass. 513
Court Abbreviation: Mass.
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