Bisignano v. Municipal Court of Des Moines

23 N.W.2d 523, 237 Iowa 895, 1946 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 325
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedJune 18, 1946
DocketNo. 46857.
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 23 N.W.2d 523 (Bisignano v. Municipal Court of Des Moines) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bisignano v. Municipal Court of Des Moines, 23 N.W.2d 523, 237 Iowa 895, 1946 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 325 (iowa 1946).

Opinion

Hale, J.

This proceeding in certiorari was brought by A1 Bisignano, the petitioner, against the Municipal Court of the City of Des Moines and Harry- B. Grund, one of the judges thereof, following a charge and conviction for contempt of court. The order for the writ issued out of this court on January 18, 1946. The contempt proceedings arose out of certain facts charged in substance in the rule to show cause' issued by Judge Grund.

The facts so alleged are charged to be that about 2:30 o’clock in the afternoon of Saturday, January 12, 1946, said- *897 Judge Harry B. Grund was in 'the Young Men’s Christian Association building in Des Moines when he was approached by A1 Bisignano, who is also known as Babe Carnero, who called to him to “Come here.” The judge inquired, “Who are you talking to?” and Bisignano responded, “You.” Bisignano and Judge Grund then walked to the hallway and Bisignano took hold of Judge Grund and began shaking him and calling him vile and profane names. As alleged, the petitioner is a large and powerful man, a former wrestler and pugilist, and was acting in an angry and violent manner, and he continued to insult Judge Grund and to use profane and obscene language. The judge then said to Bisignano, “Are you crazy?” and in answer was told, while the assault continued, “You gave them a warrant, you are in cahoots with those bastards, and you can’t push me around and get by with it. I have too much on you. You got rich taking money from people to keep them out of the army. I ought to.kill you.”

It is charged that later in the day Bisignano, with his attorney, came to the draft board office, of which Judge Grund is chairman. The attorney alleged he was sorry the incident had happened and Bisignano said, in substance, that if Judge Grund would not tell what happened at the Young Men’s Christian Association he would not tell what he knew on Judge Grund. Later Bisignano came back to the draft board office, where Judge Grund was alone, and the judge said to him, “What’s wrong with you?” and in response he stated that Judge Grund was supposed to be his kind of people and asked why the judge signed a search warrant to have his (Bisignano’s) place raided, and “Why didn’t you tip me off?” He was informed that the judge would sign a search warrant for any citizen or peace officer if he swore under oath that the law was being violated.

The rule to show cause states that during this time there were pending in the Municipal Court of the City of Des Moines three cases involving the manager of the tavern known as Babe’s. Among these three cases was a condemnation hearing. At the time of the said assault, and prior thereto, all these eases had been set for trial on January 14, 1946. The rule further alleges that the import of the assault and threats *898 was that Bisignano would tolerate no interference of any kind by Judge Grund in the sale of intoxicating liquor at the place known as Babe’s, a tavern night club located in Des Moines; that Judge Grund had made no resistance and there was no quarrel or fight in the incidents referred to, but that the whole matter consisted of a physical assault committed by Bisignano upon the person of Judge Grund, with threats to intimidate him, arising out of the liquor case in the municipal court against the employees of Babe’s tavern or taproom and the condemnation hearing, together with such assault and threats accompanied by the obscene, blasphemous, and profane language. The rule, dated January 15, 1946, directs that a copy thereof be served personally upon A1 Bisignano by one of the bailiffs of the municipal court and the return of such service was made and filed.

Hearing was had in response to the rule, on January 18, 1946, and Bisignano, with ,his attorney, read into the record his so-called apology, with an affidavit therewith. Respondent then read the rule to show cause. The attorney for petitioner, defendant in the contempt proceedings, then stated:

“The defendant has a statement he would like to read to the Court. Following that we desire to file an affidavit of explanation and in addition, we desire to put on one or two witnesses on matters that we think are material.

“One of the things that the Court has charged in his statement is that there are three cases pending here in this Court against this defendant. We challenge that statement and we ask that the Court provide proof with reference to same because there are no cases here at the present time against this defendant. There was a case in December and he waived to the Grand Jury because I handled it for him myself before Judge Moore. That took every case against him away from this Court.”

The petitioner then read a “statement of apology” as to “the incident that occurred in the Y.M.C.A.” In this he said:

“I have been under a terrific strain for several weeks, due to the fact that I have been tied up in litigation in both this court and in other courts.”

*899 He continued:

“Furthermore only a few days before I had my controversy with you at the Y.M.C.A., some police officers came to my home and served a summons on my wife, who was then and is now in a delicate condition, and upon my four little children, the youngest of whom is only three and a half years old, involving the suit now pending against me in the district court. This youngster was only a few months old when the suit was filed. The combination of all of these things made me think that my family and 1 were being singled out and prosecuted. I, of course, have never been able to understand why my four little innocent children should be required to answer for my conduct, innocent or otherwise.

“I desire to and do therefore offer my apologies to the Court and repeat that I am sorry the incident occurred.”

A witness (Dunagan) for petitioner testified to a conversation with respondent at the witness’ office in the police station, in which respondent is claimed to have refused to sign a search warrant against one Joe Epstein, saying, “No, but I will sign a warrant for you to raid Babe’s.” In response to an inquiry by the court the witness testified that Epstein had been in the Army the past two years; that before he went in the Army he operated a place that had nickelodians, penny machines, and was ‘‘also in the punch board business”; that when he went to the Army he did not close his business, which is still maintained by his brother Julius.

Petitioner then read into the record an affidavit in which he tells what took place at the Y.M.C.A. building. An examination of this affidavit and of the apology referred to above discloses no denial of the assault and the vile language, but an attempt to explain. The statement of Bisignano contains much immaterial matter; a claim of favoritism related to him by Captain Dunagan; admits the alleged assault and use of epithets in somewhat milder form, and claims they were in response to the epithet “Dago” applied to him by the respondent. Bisignano further refers, in his affidavit, to the fact that he had talked to the judge about reports of his taking *900 money for keeping the boys out of the Army, and a part of his statement relates to conversations alleged to have been had between Mr.

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Bluebook (online)
23 N.W.2d 523, 237 Iowa 895, 1946 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 325, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bisignano-v-municipal-court-of-des-moines-iowa-1946.