Barlow v. Davis

137 P.2d 357, 103 Utah 566, 1943 Utah LEXIS 128
CourtUtah Supreme Court
DecidedMay 8, 1943
DocketNo. 6542.
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 137 P.2d 357 (Barlow v. Davis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Utah Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Barlow v. Davis, 137 P.2d 357, 103 Utah 566, 1943 Utah LEXIS 128 (Utah 1943).

Opinion

WOLFE, Chief Justice.

This is an appeal from the final order of the district court dismissing an alternative writ of prohibition. The writ was sought by the petitioner, Fielding B. Barlow, to prevent further prosecution of a certain criminal proceeding which had been commenced against him in the City Court of Brigham City, Utah. The petition attacked the jurisdiction of the City Court to proceed with the prosecution of the ' criminal proceedings on the grounds that the complaint filed did not charge the commission of any crime under the laws of Utah. Petitioner also alleged that he had no plain, speedy, and adequate remedy in the ordinary course of the law.

The criminal charge grew out of the alleged violation by Barlow of a quarantine order issued by the Utah State Board of Agriculture. From the pleadings it appears that Barlow was a farmer living at Tremonton. He owned approximately 30 tons of hay which was infected with “White Top,” a weed which the Board considered to be “injurious to crops or plants.” The Board issued what purported to be a quarantine order prohibiting the removal of this “White Top” infested hay from the petitioner’s premises without a permit from the Board. In violation of this order, the petitioner sold the hay and permitted it to be removed from his premises.

Thereafter, on May 6, 1942, George M. Mason, County Attorney, filed a complaint entitled “State of Utah v. Fielding B. Barlow,” charging:

“That the said defendant did then and there wilfully, unlawfully and intentionally allow and permit alfalfa hay infested with a noxious weed, to wit, lepidim draba, commonly known as ‘White Top,’ to be removed from the following described real property located in Box *569 Elder County, State of Utah, to wit: [describing property] after notice of quarantine as follows, to wit: [omitting headings]
“ ‘The State Board of Agriculture, through its lawfully authorized inspector, upon an investigation, examination and inspection, has found the following: (Produce, Agricultural Products, Tracts of Land, Building or place) Alfalfa hay, 30 tons more or less (all hay) to be
(give description, designation, amount, etc.)
infested with_White Top_^and in the judgment of said
(name kind of weed, pests, etc.)
inspector the alfalfa hay existing and located within said area is liable to spread said White Top which is injurious to crops or
(name kind of weed, pest)
plants: On property covering the following description The NW% of See. 18, T. W. P. 11 North, RN 3 W SLM. Therefore pursuant to provisions of Title 3, Chapter 3, Revised Statutes of Utah, 1933, the above described alfalfa hay is this day quarantined by the State Board of Agriculture, under and subject to the following regulations: 8-A. This quarantine supersedes quarantine No. B 1101.’
had been duly and regularly served upon said defendant pursuant to Regulations, Quarantine N 8-A of the State of Utah State Board of Agriculture, Bureau of Plant Industry, Laws, Rules, Regulations and Quarantine Orders, 1939, as follows, to wit
“ ‘No grain, seed, hay or other agricultural products infested with the seed of any of the primary noxious weeds shall be transferred from the premises upon which the same were grown except under proper supervision by an Official representative of the State Board of Agriculture. Whenever such agricultural products are found to be infested they shall not he moved or transported from the premises where stored except in compliance with the following regulations and by an official release by an authorized inspector of the State Board of Agriculture. * * *
“ ‘Hay, Straw or other forage raised upon land infested with primary noxious weeds, the owner of which land shall have been served with notice of quarantine by a district agricultural inspector, shall not he removed from the premises of the owner except after inspection and issuance of a permit therefor by a district agricultural inspector.’
and in accordance with the provisions of Title 3, Chapter 3, Section 2 of the Revised Statutes of Utah, 1933; contrary to the provisions of the Statute aforesaid, in such cases made and provided, and against the peace and dignity of the State of Utah.”

The petitioner, in contending that the City Court had no jurisdiction to proceed further in this criminal prosecution, maintains (1) that the Board had no authority to quaran *570 tine this “White Top” infested hay; (2) that if it did have such authority the violation of an order of quarantine issued pursuant to that authority did not constitute a crime under the laws of the State of Utah; (3) that the quarantine order' was invalid because the Board did not follow the correct procedure in issuing it; and (4) that the quarantine regulation, Number 8-A, prohibited the removal of hay only when it was infested and infected with a noxious weed and that the complaint does not allege that “White Top” is a noxious weed.

The first contention must fail for the Board is given express authority to make such quarantine regulations by Sections 3-3-1 and 3-3-2, U. C. A. 1943. These sections provide:

Sec. 3-3-1.

“The state board of agriculture is hereby vested with authority to enforce quarantine against any * * * infested tract of land * * * where any trees, plants, shrubs, vines, scions, seeds, buds, fruits, hay, grain or other articles exist or are located, when the same are in its-judgment liable to spread insects, pests and fungi or diseases injurious to crops or plants; and to prescribe the necessary rules and regulations to govern the same when not in conflict with the provisions, of this title.” (Italics added.)

Sec. 3-3-2, U. C. A. 1943 authorizes the Board to:

“* * * establish and enforce such quarantine regulations as it deems necessary to eradicate, and to prevent the introduction into-the state and to prevent the spread within the state of, plant and animal diseases, insects, pests and fungus growths; * * (Italics added.)

While these sections do not specifically mention noxious or harmful weeds and weed seeds, and would when read by themselves indicate that the sections did not purport to apply to noxious or harmful weeds and seeds, Section 3-3-15,. defines the term “pests” to include these items. Section 3-3-15 provides:

*571 “ ‘Pests’ includes any harmful seeds, weed seeds, rodents, insects or other animals, fungi, bacteria or other plants, or eggs, spores or offspring or any of their products, that may infect or infest crops, lands, premises, animals, containers or other environment of any name or nature.” (Italics added.)

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137 P.2d 357, 103 Utah 566, 1943 Utah LEXIS 128, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/barlow-v-davis-utah-1943.