General

Smith v. Carolin

1 D.C. 991 Cranch 99·United States District Court for the District of Columbia·1802

Kilty, · C. J., contra.

Brief incoming

Hand-reviewed Bluebook brief (procedural posture, facts, issue, holding, reasoning, dissent) ships once the AI generation pipeline runs through this case. Join the waitlist to get notified when 1L briefs go live.

Opinion

Smith v. Carolin. If there he a subscribing -witness to an instrument, evidence of the confession of the defendant will not dispense with the testimony of the subscribing witness. Debt on a promissory note. Mr. Jones, for the plaintiff, produced a note having a subscribing witness who was not present in court, and offered to prove that the defendant acknowledged the note to be his. Mr. Youngs, for the defendant, objected, and cited Esp. N. P. 256, 781. [MAJORITY — The CouRT] The CouRT refused to admit the testimony, on the general ground that the non-production of the subscribing witness induces a suspicion that if produced, he would testify something to the defendant’s advantage. Peake, L. E. 7, 64, 65, 66. Kilty, C. J., contra. The plaintiff became nonsuit.