Erle, C. J.[[377]] I am of opinion that our judgment in this case must be for the plaintiff. It is an action against the defendant for falsely and maliciously, and without reasonable or probable cause, making information on oath before a magistrate that the plaintiff had used threatening language to him, whereby he went in fear of bodily harm, and so procuring a warrant under which the plaintiff was incarcerated in the castle at Swaffham, for want of sureties, for a period of six months. It is admitted on the pleadings that the defendant did falsely and maliciously, and without reasonable or probable cause, procure that wrong to be done to the plaintiff; and the question is whether the declaration shows enough to entitle the plaintiff to maintain an action for that wrong. This is in some sort an action for a malicious prosecution; and it has been contended by Mr. Couch, for the defendant, that the case falls within the ordinary rule applicable to such actions, that the plaintiff must show that the proceeding terminated in his favor, and that no action lies where they are shown to have terminated against the accused. But I am of opinion that the distinction taken by Mr. Keane removes that objection, and shows that that rule does not apply to this case, because the proceeding before the magistrate being founded upon a statement which the party charged is not at liberty to controvert, is an ex parte proceeding, and, although it attains the result which is sought, it is not a judgment, but is in the nature of a writ of process. It is not like the case of an application to a magistrate upon a matter on which he is to exercise his discretion: there, the injury sustained by the party is the act of the law, and therefore no action lies unless the person who sets the magistrate in motion is actuated by malice. But here the law was directly put in motion by the defendant against the plaintiff, and, it must be assumed, falsely and maliciously and without reasonable or probable cause. If a party goes before a judge, under the 1 & 2 Vict. c. 110, with an affidavit of debt for the purpose of procuring a capias to arrest his debtor, upon a suggestion that he is going abroad, and that is done falsely and maliciously, and without reasonable or probable cause, an action lies. So, if a party go to the Court of Queen’s Bench, and maliciously exhibit articles of the peace against another, supported by a false oath that such other had used threats against him, his statement being incontrovertible, it is clear to my mind that an action would lie. Can it make any difference that here the proceeding took place before a magistrate? It seems to me that the two proceedings are quite analogous: the same remedy is sought, only by a different mode. As in the one case the truth of the articles cannot be controverted, so in the other the statement made before the magistrate upon oath cannot be contradicted by the accused. There is not the least sign of authority to show that the magistrate had any discretion, so that the plaintiff might have had a decision in his favor. In Burn’s Justice, sureties of the peace are treated as being subject to precisely the same rule as articles of the peace at the sessions or in the Court of Queen’s Bench, in respect of their truth being incontrovertible. And there is strong reason for assuming that to be the true state of the law; the fact of there being no authority exactly in point as to sureties of the peace, may well be accounted for by supposing that no one has entertained doubt enough upon it to take the opinion of any court. But as far as authority goes, The King v. Doherty, 13 East, 171, and Venafra v. Johnson, 10 Bing. 301, 3 M. & Sc. 807, are in favor of the plaintiff. In the latter case, Johnson made precisely the same application to the justices as was made here, and they exercised a precisely analogous jurisdiction, the only difference being that there the magistrates held the plaintiff to bail for his appearance at the sessions, whereas here the magistrate at once committed the plaintiff to jail until he should find the required sureties: and it was there decided by implication that the proceeding before the magistrate was incontrovertible; for, the court held that the judge was wrong in not leaving it to the jury to say whether or not the defendant believed the menaces when he put the law in motion against the plaintiff. If Mr. Couch’s argument to-day is right, the counsel and the court in that case were all wrong. Upon principle, therefore, and upon authority, it seems to me that the argument for the plaintiff in this case ought to prevail.
Judgment for the plaintiff.[[378]]
FISHER v. BRISTOW
In the King’s Bench, June 15, 1779.
Reported in 1 Douglas, 215.
Action for a malicious presentment (for incest), in the ecclesiastical court of the archdeaconery of Huntingdon. Demurrer to the declaration and cause assigned, that it was not stated how the prosecution was disposed of, or that it was not still depending. The court were clearly of opinion, that the objection was fatal, and said it was settled, that the plaintiff in such an action, must show the original suit, wherever instituted, to be at an end; otherwise he might recover in the action, and yet be afterwards convicted on the original prosecution.
Judgment for the defendants.[[379]]
BROWN v. RANDALL
Supreme Court, Connecticut, March Term, 1869.
Reported in 36 Connecticut Reports, 56.
Carpenter, J.[[380]] The defendants complained to a grandjuror of the town of Norwich against the plaintiff, charging him with a breach of the peace, and induced the grandjuror to enter a complaint to a magistrate in due form, whereupon a warrant was issued, and the plaintiff arrested and held to answer the complaint. After remaining in custody several hours, the magistrate informed the defendants and their counsel, who acted for the grandjuror, that he was ready to proceed with the trial. The defendants sent word to the court that they should prosecute the complaint no further, and thereupon the plaintiff was discharged. It is alleged in the declaration that this proceeding was malicious and without probable cause, and the jury have found that allegation to be true.
The important question in this case is whether, upon the facts alleged and proved, the plaintiff is entitled to recover. All the material averments seem to have been proved except the allegation of acquittal. That was not proved, and the court charged the jury that it was not necessary. The defendants complain of this, as they rely upon the non-existence of that fact as a complete defence to the action. Decisions of courts of the highest respectability, both in England and in this country, justify this claim. It does not appear that this question has ever been directly determined by this court. We are referred to the case of Monroe v. Maples, 1 Root, 553. But no such question arose in that case. It simply decided that a person convicted of the crime charged against him could not maintain the action. We are therefore at liberty to determine the question upon principle.
The grounds of this action are, the malice of the defendant, the want of probable cause, and an injury sustained by the plaintiff. 1 Swift’s Digest, 491. The conviction of the plaintiff is justly considered as conclusive evidence of probable cause. The authorities referred to virtually decide—without sufficient reason as it seems to us—that the termination of the prosecution by a nolle prosequi, or abandonment, was equally conclusive upon that question.
One reason given for this is, that no termination of the prosecution in favor of the accused short of an acquittal will discharge the crime or be a bar to a new indictment. This reasoning is not satisfactory. The possibility that the plaintiff may be again prosecuted for the same alleged offence is not inconsistent with an entire want of probable cause in the first prosecution. This reason seems to have been disregarded in Sayles v. Briggs, 4 Met. 421. The complainant abandoned the prosecution against the plaintiff after a trial, and the magistrate, who could only bind over or discharge the person accused, discharged him. The court held that the action could be maintained. Yet such a discharge could be no bar to a subsequent prosecution.