Cameron v. McRoberts
Court: Supreme Court of the United States; March 18, 1818; Federal Supreme Court; Federal Appellate Court
John McRoberts, a Kentucky citizen, initiated an equity suit against Charles Cameron, a Virginia citizen, and others in the district court of Kentucky, which had circuit court jurisdiction. Cameron was not formally served but chose to respond. In 1804, the court ruled in favor of McRoberts. In 1805, Cameron filed a bill of review seeking to overturn the decree due to alleged jurisdictional issues, claiming that other defendants were also Kentucky citizens. Key legal questions arose: 1. Whether the circuit court could set aside its decree after the term it was issued. 2. If such power existed, could it be exercised after five years? 3. Did the district court have jurisdiction over Cameron and the other defendants? The circuit court judges were divided on these issues, prompting a referral to a higher court. The higher court concluded that: 1. The circuit court lacked authority to set aside its decree after the term ended. 2. This lack of power extends beyond five years. 3. If all defendants shared a joint interest, the court had no jurisdiction over the case; however, if Cameron had a distinct interest that could be addressed independently, the court could exercise jurisdiction solely regarding him. The case was ultimately certified back to the circuit court for further proceedings based on these determinations.