Hall v. Jones

Courts of law exercise an equitable jurisdiction over judgments entered by confession upon bonds or notes accompanied by warrants of attorney, and it is necessary, to satisfy the demands of justice, that they should possess it, and exercise it liberally in all proper cases. Judgments so entered up, are often opened, for the purpose of letting in a defense the party was precluded by accident, fraud or otherwise, from mailing at the proper time, whilst the judgment itself is not vacated, until the merits are determined in favor of the defendant. Such applications should be made at the earliest…