United States Supreme Court Cases & Opinions

U.S. Supreme Court

Shields v. Thomas, 58 U.S. 17 How. 3 3 (1854)

Shields v. Thomas

8 U.S. (17 How.) 3

Syllabus

Where a bill was filed by several distributees of an estate to compel the payment of money alleged to be due to them, and a decree was rendered in their favor, this Court has jurisdiction over an appeal, although the amount payable to each individual claimant was less than two thousand dollars.

The aggregate amount which the defendant was decreed to pay was more than two thousand dollars, and as to him this is the matter in dispute.

The complainants all claimed under the same title, and it was of no consequence to the defendant in what proportions they shared the money amongst them.

The cases upon this point examined.

Mr. Platt Smith moved to dismiss the appeal for want of jurisdiction, as the amount of none of the several decrees was for $2,000, and referred to the case of Oliver v. Alexander, 6 Pet. 143.