Cohn

Cohn v. Cohn

Good Law
1890 Cal. LEXIS 878·85 Cal. 108·24 P. 659
Supreme Court of CaliforniaJuly 30, 1890No. 13564California258 words

Opinion

Lead Opinion

Foote, J.

This is an action for divorce brought by a husband against a wife, on the ground, among others, of acts of “inhuman cruelty.”

The defendant was served with process, and failing to answer, a default was entered against her and a decree of divorce based thereon.

*109 About a month after this she was judicially declared insane, and shortly thereafter placed in an insane asylum. Her guardian appeared for her, while she was in said asylum, and moved to set aside the judgment thus entered.

It is plain that the acts of alleged cruelty were the result of a diseased mind on the part of the unfortunate woman, culminating in her insanity as above stated. We think she was also in the same condition at the date of the service of summons upon her.

This being the state of facts, it seems to us that under, the rule in divorce cases laid down in McBlain v. McBlain, 77 Cal. 507 , and Wadsworth v. Wadsworth, 81 Cal. 182 , the court below should have set the judgment aside, both upon grounds of public policy and as an act of justice in relieving an unfortunate lunatic of the stigma of “inhuman cruelty” to her husband.

For these reasons, we advise that the judgment and order be reversed, with…

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