Back v. State

106 N.W. 787, 75 Neb. 603, 1906 Neb. LEXIS 433
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 8, 1906
DocketNo. 14,457
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 106 N.W. 787 (Back v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Back v. State, 106 N.W. 787, 75 Neb. 603, 1906 Neb. LEXIS 433 (Neb. 1906).

Opinion

Sedgwick, C. J.

While the city council of Omaha had under consideration the enacting of an ordinance entering into a contract on behalf of the city with the Omaha Gas Company providing for furnishing certain gas lights for lighting the city, an action was begun in the district court for Douglas county to enjoin these defendants and others as members of the city council, and the mayor of the city from “passing and approving” the ordinance in question. Application was made to one of the judges of that court for a temporary injunction. It appearing to the judge that notice should be given the defendants before an injunction was allowed, a time was fixed for the hearing, and in the meantime an order was entered restraining the mayor and council from passing and approving the ordinance. Afterwards, it having been brought to the notice of the judge by affidavits filed with him that there had been an alleged violation of the restraining order, the judge ordered an information filed by the county attorney charging the defendants with contempt of court. The information was filed accordingly, and trial had, upon which these defendants were adjudged guilty of contempt and sentenced to 30 days’ imprisonment in the jail of Douglas county. To reverse this judgment they have brought the matter here upon petition in error.

1. The record and briefs present a question of jurisdic[605]*605tion. There are two sections of the civil code which define contempts and provide punishment therefor. Proceedings to punish contempts, not committed in the presence of the court, when considered with reference to the object for which such proceedings are taken, fall into one of two classes: (1) They may be strictly punitive, that is, to vindicate the majesty of the law, and the authority reposed by law in the court or judge, and for this purpose to inflict exemplary punishment; or (2) they may be remedial, to compel and insure obedience to the mandate of the law as expressed in some order of the court, or judge, rather than to punish for a past offense. Nebraska Children’s Home Society v. State, 57 Neb. 765. Section 260 of the civil code relates to the latter class. It provides: “An injunction granted by a judge may be enforced as the act of the court. Disobedience of an injunction may be punished as a contempt by the court, or by any judge who might have granted it in vacation. An attachment may be issued by the court, or judge, upon being satisfied by affidavit of the breach of the injunction, against the party guilty of the same; and he may be required, in the discretion of the court or judge, to pay a fine not exceeding two hundred dollars, for the use of the county, to make immediate restitution to the party injured, and give further security to obey the injunction; or, in default thereof, he may be committed to close custody, until he shall fully comply with such requirement, or be otherwise legally discharged.” By the first clause character is given to the injunction order of a judge sitting, in chambers; it “may be enforced as the act of the court.” By the second clause of the section a judge of the court sitting in chambers may enforce the injunction by punishing a disobedience thereof as a contempt, and this he may do whether the injunction was alloAved by the court itself or by a judge of the court in chambers. He may require the party guilty .of a breach of the injunction to make restitution to the party injured, and to give further security to obey the injunction, and he may [606]*606enforce these requirements by imprisonment until they be complied with, but he is not given power to punish a past violation of an injunction as a distinct offense by imprisonment of the guilty party.

The general rule is that authority to punish for contempt belongs exclusively to the court in which the contempt is committed. Johnson v. Bouton, 35 Neb. 898. Without the provisions of section 260 the court alone, and not a judge thereof at chambers, could punish for contempt. This section declares the power of the court before whom the action is pending to punish for contempt, a power which exists independently of the statute. It also extends the power to punish to a judge of the court before whom the action is pending, and as the judge* as distinguished. from the court, obtains his jurisdiction from this section of the statute, he must exercise it in accordance with its provisions and cannot exercise a greater jurisdiction than is there given him. In Zimmerman v. State, 46 Neb. 13, it is said in the opinion that the defendant “was arrested and brought before the court or judge,” and later in the opinion there is language used indicating that a judge, as distinguished from a court, would have jurisdiction to punish a violation of a restraining order by imprisonment. It is not clear whether this language Avas dictum only, since the opinion does not show Avith certainty Avhether the proceedings were before the court in regular session, or before a judge in vacation. The defendant was restrained from diverting water from its natural channel, and immediately violated the restraining order by diverting- the water. The offense Avas a continuing one, and the defendant might properly have been required by a judge at chambers to give security to obey the order, and in default of so doing might be imprisoned to enforce compliance. So far as the case appears to construe section 260 to give a judge at chambers jurisdiction to punish the violation of a restraining order fey imprisonment, it is overruled. By section 669 of the code the jurisdiction of the court itself to punish for contempt [607]*607is recognized and declared, and without the limitations upon the power of punishment which are contained in section 260. There can. be no doubt that under section 669, and even without regard to its provisions, the district court, being a court of general equity jurisdiction, could punish disobedience of its lawful orders by fine or imprisonment, or both.

Since the judge as distinguished from a court, deriving his jurisdiction from section 260, is without power to punish for contempt by imprisonment, it becomes important in this case to inquire whether these proceedings were had before the court or before one of the judges of the court sitting in chambers. The regular May term of the district court for Douglas county in 1905 began on the first day of May of that year, and continued from day to day thereafter by regular adjournment until the 7th day of August. On that day the seven judges of the court united in an order whereby the May term of court was adjourned until the 18th day of September, and the record shows that on the 18th day of September there was a formal opening of the court, all of the judges being present. The information in this case was filed on the 11th day of September. The defendants on the same day entered “their appearance in open court,” and were arraigned and entered a plea of not guilty. An adjournment was taken until the 13th day of September, when a formal answer was filed by the defendants and the hearing was begun. After the evidence was completed, an adjournment was taken until the 15th day of September, at which time the argument was commenced, and in the midst of the argument the information was amended. This amendment and the objections taken thereto will be again referred to. The argument was completed on the 16th day of September and the court then took the matter under advisement until the 20th day of September, at which time the court announced the finding that the defendants were guilty of contempt.

It is urged in the brief that this record is conclusive [608]

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
106 N.W. 787, 75 Neb. 603, 1906 Neb. LEXIS 433, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/back-v-state-neb-1906.