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Savery v. BusickSavery v. Busick

Supreme Court of Iowa
Apr 15, 1861
Reporters:
Before:
Lowe
Lowe, C. J.

Whatever may be our view of the law of this case, it is impossible ‍​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‍for us to express it, or consider the questions presented, without going behind the action of the jury in trampling upon the authority of the court, and thereby giving some countenance ‍​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‍to their assumption. This we are unwilling to do even by the slightest implication.

It is no more competent for the jury to usurp the powers of the court, than it is for ‍​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‍the court to interfere with their province in the ascertainment of facts. And when the jury, in this case, arrogated to themselves the right to determine the law in direct opposition ‍​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‍to the instructions given them by the court, they were guilty of a flagrant abuse of their duties and obligations; and we will not review this case until it is tried ‍​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‍upon the law as it shall be expounded by the court and not by the jury.

Affirmed.

Case Details

Case Name: Savery v. Busick
Court Name: Supreme Court of Iowa
Date Published: Apr 15, 1861
Citation: 11 Iowa 487
Court Abbreviation: Iowa
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