St. Louis Southwestern Railway Co. v. O'Neal

Appellee instituted this action against appellant before a justice of the peace of Lafayette County for damages to personal property in the sum of $135, for which amount recovery was prayed. There was a judgment against appellant, rendered by the justice of the peace, from which an appeal was prosecuted to the circuit court, and, on trial anew in .the circuit court, appellee again recovered judgment for damages.

The jurisdiction of a court is determined by the amount sought to be recovered, and not merely by the amount recovered, and the 'Constitution of this State (art. 7, § 40) restricts the…