7 Vt. 166 | Vt. | 1835
The opinion of the court was delivered by
The question presented in the first plea in bar was virtually decided in the case of State vs. Batcheldor, 6 Vt. Rep. 479. It was held there'that a justice of the peace had jurisdiction of a complaint in behalf of the state, where the fine on conviction was payable to the treasurer of the town in which the justice resided. The same reason would apply to the case of a juror. The practice in this state has always been, when a jury was required in a criminal case pending before a justice of the peace to select them from the town where the trial is had. The statute requires that they should be taken from the freeholders of the vicinity, and this has been considered as intending, of the town. Very great inconvenience, delay and expense would result from any law which required that in trials for petty offences the jury should be selected from the neighboring towns. In all prosecutions where a fine may be imposed, if payable to the county or state
The second plea in bar is liable to two objections. - In the first place it contradicts the record as set out. If the respondent was remanded into custody, in discharge of the bail, it should so have appeared by the records of the court. As this does not so appear, any averment of a fact, which , should, if it existed, appear by the record, and which does not so appear, is contradicting the record. Moreover, it is directly contrary to the record. The conduct of the grand juror or the constable is wholly irrelevant. Whatever conversation they may have had with the respondent, or what they may have said or done, is of no importance whatever. And a plea of imputing fraud to the court is wholly inadmissible. Though a judgment may be impeached for fraud in the party, though it may be shown that a court were imposed on by the fraud of the party, yet it would be grossly improper to impute fraud directly to the court. This plea is entirely objectionable on this ground. Fraud is directly charged on the magistrate, who is represented as conniving with the constable and grand juror to subject the bail of the respondent rather than pronounce the judgment of the law on his conviction.
Neither plea can be sustained, and the judgment of the county court is affirmed.