Stoddard v. Martin
Encyclopedia
Stoddard v. Martin 1 R.I. 1 (1828)
was the first case recorded in the official reports of the Rhode Island Supreme Court
.
held that a bet
on the outcome of the 1826 U.S. Senate election (Ashur Robbins won) was a void
contract as against public policy
because of its immorality.
Chief Justice Eddy cited British common law
precedent
to support the decision. Cited cases include: Gilbert and Sykes, (16 East. 156); Vescher v. Yates (11 Johns. 31); Da Costa v. Jones (Cowp. 720); Bunn v. Riker (4 Johns. 428); Lansing v. Lansing (8 Johns. 454).
Case citation
Case citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called reporters or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported...
was the first case recorded in the official reports of the Rhode Island Supreme Court
Rhode Island Supreme Court
The Rhode Island Supreme Court, founded in 1747, is the court of last resort in the U.S. State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. The Court consists of a chief justice and four associate justices. The current Justices of the Rhode Island Supreme Court are:*Chief Justice Paul A...
.
Holding
In the Court's first officially recorded decision, Chief Justice Samuel EddySamuel Eddy
Samuel Eddy was a U.S. Representative from Rhode Island. Born in Johnston, Rhode Island, near Providence, Eddy completed preparatory studies. He graduated from Brown University in 1787. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1790 and practiced a short time in Providence...
held that a bet
Bet
Bet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...
on the outcome of the 1826 U.S. Senate election (Ashur Robbins won) was a void
Void (law)
In law, void means of no legal effect. An action, document or transaction which is void is of no legal effect whatsoever: an absolute nullity - the law treats it as if it had never existed or happened....
contract as against public policy
Public policy
Public policy as government action is generally the principled guide to action taken by the administrative or executive branches of the state with regard to a class of issues in a manner consistent with law and institutional customs. In general, the foundation is the pertinent national and...
because of its immorality.
Chief Justice Eddy cited British common law
Common law
Common law is law developed by judges through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive branch action...
precedent
Precedent
In common law legal systems, a precedent or authority is a principle or rule established in a legal case that a court or other judicial body may apply when deciding subsequent cases with similar issues or facts...
to support the decision. Cited cases include: Gilbert and Sykes, (16 East. 156); Vescher v. Yates (11 Johns. 31); Da Costa v. Jones (Cowp. 720); Bunn v. Riker (4 Johns. 428); Lansing v. Lansing (8 Johns. 454).