Devaughn v. Heath
Supreme Court of Alabama
Appeal from the Circuit Court of Chambers. • Tried before tlie Hon.-Robert Dougherty;- This action was brought by James Heath,'agairi'st Sdm-uel Devaitghn;-. George W. Devaughn, Joshua Bussey, and Washington-Bussey, toffecovOr damages for a trespass on the plaintiff’s lands.
Read the full summary
Appeal from the Circuit Court of Chambers. • Tried before tlie Hon.-Robert Dougherty;- This action was brought by James Heath,'agairi'st Sdm-uel Devaitghn;-. George W. Devaughn, Joshua Bussey, and Washington-Bussey, toffecovOr damages for a trespass on the plaintiff’s lands. If appeared from -the'evidence adduced on the trial, that'one of’the Devaiighns" suspected the plaintiff of'trading with" one' of' hid slaves', and'‘laid a snare to catch him, by sending the slave to the plaintiff’s house by night, with a piece of-’meat “tfo'sell, tvhile the defendants lay hidden within hearing of the…
1Opinion of the CourtStone, J.
Thesdiarge asked by the defendants in the court .below, and refused by the court, assumes that, t® justify the jury in awarding vindictive damages, in an action of trespass guare clausum -frcgit, the defendant must have entered the land maliciously., in a rude, aggravating,, or insulting manner. These conjoint words evidently-erected too strict a standard of liability. Trespasses might be so wantonly or recklessly committed, as to justify the imposition of 'vindictive ..damages, without any evidence of *597actual malice towards the owner'of the property trespassed' upon. T-he word aggravating was…
2Cases cited3 opinions
- Trotter v. BlockerSupreme Court of Alabama · 1838
- T. & W. Brandon v. Planters & Merchants' Bank of HuntsvilleSupreme Court of Alabama · 1828
- Kitchen v. MoyeSupreme Court of Alabama · 1850
3Cited by11 opinions
- Burns v. CampbellSupreme Court of Alabama · 1882
- Pegram v. StortzWest Virginia Supreme Court · 1888
- Lienkauf & Strauss v. MorrisSupreme Court of Alabama · 1880
- Gambrill v. SchooleyCourt of Appeals of Maryland · 1901
- Coleman v. PepperSupreme Court of Alabama · 1909
6 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.