DE PARCO FRACTO

de parco fracto (dee pahr-koh frak-toh), n.[Law Latin “of pound breach”] Hist. A writ against

someone,  esp.  an  owner,  who  breaks  into  a  pound  to  rescue  animals  that  have  been  legally

distrained and impounded.

“And, being thus in the custody of the law, the taking them back by force is looked upon as

an atrocious injury, and denominated a rescous, for which the distreinor has a remedy in damages,

either  by  writ  of  rescous,  in  case  they  were  going  to  the  pound,  or  by  writ  de  parco  fracto,  or

pound-breach,  in  case they  were actually  impounded.”  3  William  Blackstone,  Commentaries  on

the Laws of England 146 (1768). [Blacks Law 8th]