United States Supreme Court Cases & Opinions

U.S. Supreme Court

Bluthenthal v. Jones, 208 U.S. 64 (1908)

Bluthenthal v. Jones

No. 94

Submitted December 18, 1907

Decided January 6. 1908

208 U.S. 64

Syllabus

Courts are not bound to search the records of other courts and give effect to their judgments, and one who relies upon a former adjudication in another court must properly present it to the court in which he seeks to enforce it.

While an adjudication in bankruptcy, refusing a discharge, finally determines for all time and in all courts, as between the parties and their privies, the facts upon which the refusal is based, it must be proved in a second proceeding brought by the bankrupt in another district, and of which the creditor has notice, in order to bar the bankrupt's discharge therefrom, if the debt is provable under the statute as amended at the time of the second proceeding.although it may not have been such under the statute at the time of the first proceeding.

The facts, which involve the effect of a discharge under the Bankruptcy Act of 1898 as amended by the Act of February 5, 1903, are stated in the opinion.