Beecher v. Henderson

58 So. 805, 4 Ala. App. 543, 1912 Ala. App. LEXIS 350
CourtAlabama Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 18, 1912
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 58 So. 805 (Beecher v. Henderson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Alabama Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Beecher v. Henderson, 58 So. 805, 4 Ala. App. 543, 1912 Ala. App. LEXIS 350 (Ala. Ct. App. 1912).

Opinion

PELHAM, J.

The appellant’s motion to establish a bill of exceptions in this case was passed upon favorably to the movant by the Supreme Court where the case was then pending. Subsequently it was submitted on briefs in that court, and afterwards, upon the establishment of the Court of Appeals, was transferred to this court.

The court below, on motion of the appellees, discontinued the suit brought by the appellant in that court against the appellees as joint obligors on a constable’s bond.

The statement of the presiding judge relating to the proceedings had in passing upon and granting appellees’ motion for a discontinuance, made at the instance of both parties and incorporated in the bill of exceptions, is as follows: “On the 27th day of January, 1909, the case was called for trial and both parties, through their attorneys, announced ready. The case was submitted upon demurrers to counts 1 and 2 of the complaint, and the same were by the court sustained. Mr. Black, attorney for plaintiff, thereupon asked leave to amend the complaint by separate paper, which as I recollect it, he held in his hand and handed it to the court then and thére for examination; the same having already been prepared. The court allowed the amendment, then and there entering upon the docket the following: ‘Com[546]*546plaint amended by separate paper filed.’ Mr. Ward, attorney for defendants (except Arlington L. Henderson), then asked, ‘Is the amendment allowed?’ to which I, as presiding judge, replied, ‘Yes.’ Mr. Ward then repeated the question, ‘Now, then, the amendment has been allowed?’ I, as presiding judge, replied, ‘Yes, the amendment has been allowed.’ Mr. Ward then moved the court to enter a discontinuance of the cause which was resisted by Mr. Black. I heard arguments of counsel on each side, and among other things Mr. Ward read to the court the following from the case of Evan Marble Co. v. McDonald & Co., 142 Ala. 133 (37 South. 830): ‘The effect of the amendment was to discontinue the case— to put an end to it. The parties were thereby out of court.—Curtis v. Gaines, 46 Ala. 455, 459. This being true, unless the discontinuance was waived by the defendants, the court was without jurisdiction to prcoeed with a hearing of the cause.’ The foregoing enunciation of the law being at variance with my understanding, I announced that I desired time to further examine the question, and that I would take the matter under advisement until the next day, Mr. Black then calling the court’s attention to the fact that the amendment had not .been marked filed, and I then and there made the following bench notes, so that neither party would be prejudiced : ‘Matter taken under advisement:’ At this time neither the motion for discontinuance nor the amendment has been marked filed, but both had been presented to the court. After motion. to discontinue, plaintiff asked leave to withdraw said amendment. My recollection is that I read said bench notes then and there in open court, Mr. Black insisting that the matter was still under the control of the court, and Mr. Ward insisting that the court was without further power in the premises. On the morning of January 28, 1909, (and I [547]*547believe as soon as court convened), before the court had announced, its conclusions, Mr. Black offered proof to show that B. T. Hudson died September 3, 1908, and also moved the court to require W. T. Ward to show his authority to appear for Hudson. I then stated that, while my own opinion did not coincide with that of the Supreme Court, still I felt it my duty to follow the Supreme Court’s decision, and that I could not otherwise construe said decision than that the trial court was then without jurisdiction to proceed in the cause. I then and there made and entered the following bench notes: ‘Before the court had ruled on motion to discontinue, plaintiff offered to amend count 2 of the complaint, and also offered proof shoAving that B. T. Hudson died September 3, 1908, Avhich the court refused upon the grounds that it had no jurisdiction.’ ”

The suit Avas instituted by appellant against all of the several defendants named in the complaint jointly, seeking to recover damages from the defendants as joint obligors on a constable’s bond for an alleged trespass committed by the constable, and the amendment to the complaint offered by the appellant on January 27, 1909, struck out as parties defendant Arlington L. Henderson and B. T. Hudson. The original complaint was filed July 21, 1908, and on August 24, 1908, W. T. Ward, Esq., a regular practicing attorney at that bar, appeared as an attorney in the cause and filed demurrers to the complaint as attorney for all of the defendants except Arlington L. Henderson. The main question presented for our determination is Avhether or not the action of the plaintiff in voluntarily striking out B. T. Hudson as one of the joint parties defendant Avithout the necessity for such action being shown, or appearing from the record, worked a discontinuance of the entire cause. Under the rulings of the Supreme Court, there can be but one answer to this question, and that is that a'dismissal as to [548]*548one of such defendants on a joint cause of action constitutes a discontinuance of the action against the remaining defendants.—Evans Marble Co. v. McDonald & Co., 142 Ala. 130, 37 South. 830; Mock v. Walker, 42 Ala. 668; Fennell v. Masterson, 43 Ala. 268; Masterson v. Gibson, 56 Ala. 56; Kendall v. Lassiter, 68 Ala. 181; Reynolds v. Simpkins, 67 Ala. 378; Torrey v. Forbes, 94 Ala. 135, 10 South. 320; Hayes v. Dunn, 136 Ala. 528, 34 South. 944; Ashley Brick Co. v. Walker D. G. Co., 151 Ala. 272, 44 South. 96.

That the paper writing containing the amendment was not marked filed by the clerk can avail the appellant nothing. It was brought to the attention of the court while the case was on trial, was presented in open court by appellant’s counsel to the presiding judge for the court's action, and thus was made a court paper. After having been presented, thus acted upon and allowed by the court, at his instance, counsel cannot be heard to say that he did not file the amendment. Having invoked the action of the court on the amendment, he- is estopped from denying the court’s right to act upon it.—Taylor et al. v. Crook, Administrator, et al., 136 Ala. 354, 378, 34 South. 905 Am. St. Rep. 26; Knight v. Farrell & Reynolds, 113 Ala. 258, 262, 20 South. 974; Lehman, Durr & Co. v. Clarke, 85 Ala. 109, 4 South. 651.

This ruling of the court allowing the amendment was announced by the court and entered upon the judge’s trial docket, whereupon appellee’s counsel moved the court to enter a discontinuance. All of this took place in open court before a request was made by opposing counsel for leave to withdraw the amendment or offer proof showing a necessity for dismissnig as to the defendant Hudson, and, under the authorities' first above [549]*549cited, the action of appellant in amending and striking ont Hudson as a party defendant had in effect discontinued the case before the offer was made to withdraw the amendment or make proof.

The question of whether the court did or did not have the discretion

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Bluebook (online)
58 So. 805, 4 Ala. App. 543, 1912 Ala. App. LEXIS 350, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/beecher-v-henderson-alactapp-1912.