Hefflin v. McMinn

By JUDGE WHITE. It is insisted that the amendment made in the sheriff’s return by leave of the Circuit Court, cannot cure the defect in the judgment so as to prevent a reversal. We are, however, of a different opinion. Courts have extended great latitude to ministerial officers, in permitting them to amend their returns, so as to conform to the facts of the case. This prevents injury from casual mistakes, in which the parties have no agency, and by which they should not be prejudiced. But completely to effectuate this purpose, it is necessary that the return, when amended, should relate back to the period at which it was to have been made. In the present case, the plaintiff in error knew at the time he sued out his writ of error to reverse the judgment, that the original process had been served upon him; he had all the advantage of notice from such service; and to permit him to reverse for the clerical mistake of the Sheriff, would be to allow him to convert that which did not affect his rights into a means of injustice to the opposite party, who had nothing to do with the omission complained of. Judgment affirmed.