Boon v. McGucken

22 N.Y.S. 424, 67 Hun 251, 74 N.Y. Sup. Ct. 251, 50 N.Y. St. Rep. 901
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 15, 1893
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 22 N.Y.S. 424 (Boon v. McGucken) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Boon v. McGucken, 22 N.Y.S. 424, 67 Hun 251, 74 N.Y. Sup. Ct. 251, 50 N.Y. St. Rep. 901 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1893).

Opinion

HARDEN, P. J.

1. It seems to be settled by authority that in cases of criminal contempt arising under sections 8 and 91 of the Code of Civil Procedure the court has no power to impose costs. In People v. Gilmore, 88 N. Y. 626, it was said, viz,:

“A proceeding, however, to punish for such a contempt is a criminal proceeding, and the general term, on reversal of the order of special term, has no authority to impose costs upon the relator.”

In Stubbs v. Ripley, 39 Hun, 627, in considering an alleged criminal contempt, it was held that the court “did not have power to [426]*426impose upon the defendant $10 costs of the motion.” In delivering the opinion in that case, Daniels, J., said, in considering an alleged criminal contempt, viz.:

‘•Authority to add these costs has not been given to the court by the section of the Code of Civil Procedure declaratory of the power of the court in the way of imposing punishment.”

The case from which" the quotation has just been made was decided in the general term of the first department in 1886.

2. In Brinkley v. Brinkley, 47 N. Y. 40, it was held that contempt proceedings are special proceedings, and that an appeal lies from an order which is absolute in adjudging a person in contempt and prescribing punishment.

3. In People v. Dwyer, 90 N. Y. 410, it was held that an injunction order is a mandate, and is therefore included in that expression found in the section of the Code of Civil Procedure relating to contempt, (section 14, Code Civil Proc.)2

4. It has been repeatedly held that a party having knowledge of the existence of an injunction may be punished for violating it. Mayor, etc., of New York v. New York & S. I. Ferry Co., 40 N. Y. Super. Ct. 300, affirmed 64 N. Y. 623; People v. Barnes, (Sup.) 7 N. Y. Supp. 802; Aldinger v. Pugh, 57 Hun, 181, 10 N. Y. Supp. 684, affirmed 132 N. Y. 407, 30 N. E. Rep. 745. And it has also been held that a disobedience of an order by a party of which he had knowledge, and which had been served on the solicitor, and not himself, may bo punished as for a contempt. People v. Brower, 4 Paige, 405; Koehler v. Bank, (Sup.) 6 N. Y. Supp. 470. And the same is true although the acts done in violation were upon the assumption that such acts could be safely done notwithstanding the injunction. Gage v. Denbow, 49 Hun, 42, 1 N. Y. Supp. 826, following Rochester, H. & L. R. Co. v. New York, L. E. & W. R. Co., 48 Hun, 190. It was held, however, in Koehler v. Bank, 14 Civil Proc. R. 71, “that unless personal service is made of an injunction order, that willful and deliberate intent essential to constitute a criminal contempt is wanting.”

5. In Duffus v. Cole, (Sup.) 15 N. Y. Supp. 370, the question was presented to this court as to whether the defendant was properly convicted for violating an order and injunction, and in the course of the opinion delivered it was said:

“Again, the defendant was not liable for contempt unless her act might defeat, impair, impede, or prejudice the right or remedy of the plaintiff. We are unable to see how her act in any way tended to .do that. There was no proof of any loss to the plaintiff. King v. Flynn, 37 Hun, 329; Coal Co. v. Hecksher, 42 Hun, 535. We think the order should be reversed.”

In Rhodes v. Linderman, (Sup.) 17 N. Y. Supp. 628, the ca,se of Duffus v. Cole was referred to approvingly in an opinion delivered by one of the members of this court.

6. It was said in Hawley v. Bennett, 4 Paige, 164, that, so far as [427]*427the rights of the party have been “affected by the breach of the injunction, it is no defense to the person who has been guilty of violating the same that he did it under the advice of counsel, although, if he has acted in good faith, it may be sufficient to protect him from punishment as for a criminal contempt. The rights of parties must be protected against the wrongful acts of the adverse party, although he may have acted under the advice of counsel.” The same doctrine was approved by Folger, J., in Railway Co. v. Ramsey, 45 N. Y. 654. To the same effect is People v. Compton, 1 Duer, 512, affirmed 9 N. Y. 263.

7. It is provided in section 14 of the Code of Civil Procedure as follows:

‘ A court of record has power to punish by fine and imprisonment, or either, a neglect or violation of duty or other misconduct by which a right or remedy of a party to a civil action or special proceeding pending in the court may be defeated, impaired, impeded, or prejudiced in either of the following eases.”

Then follows an enumeration of cases in eight subdivisions, and in the fourth subdivision it is provided that such punishment may be applied to a person for committing several enumerated acts, “and for any other unlawful interference with the proceedings therein.” In King v. Barnes, 113 N. Y. 476, 21 N. E. Rep. 182, it was held that a party who had been convicted of contempt for advising and procuring one of the defendants to disobedience of the judgment on the part of the officers of a corporation “was a civil contempt, within the Code of Civil Procedure, § 14, subd. 4.” And it was also held, viz.: “Any person who interferes with the process, control, or action of the court in a pending litigation, unlawfully and without authority, is guilty of a civil contempt if his act defeats, impairs, impedes, or prejudices the rights or remedy of a party to such action or proceeding;” and the punishment of such a party, according to the provisions found in section 2285 of the Code of Civil Procedure, was upheld. In King v. Flynn, 37 Hun, 329, although the acts of the defendant were unlawful and contumacious, it was held that the case was within the provisions of title 3 of chapter 17 of the Code of Civil Procedure. In Dejonge v. Brenneman, 23 Hun, 333, it was alleged that an order of injunction was granted, restraining the defendants from collecting rents, and the violation thereof was charged as a contempt, and in the course of the opinion it was said:

“It does not appear from the papers submitted on the appeal in what way the fine above mentioned was made up, and (here does not seem to be any evidence to warrant its imposition. This is a cfril contempt. * * *”

Title 3 of chapter 17 of the Code of Civil Procedure relates to “proceedings to punish a contempt of court other than a criminal contempt;” and in section 2266 of the Code it is provided as follows:

“In cases specified in section fourteen of this act, * * * and a right or remedy of a party to a civil action or special proceeding pending in the court or before the judge or the referee may be defeated, impaired, impeded, or prejudiced thereby, the offense must be punished as prescribed in tins title.”

Then follow several sections relating to the practice, and in section 2281 of the Code of Civil Procedure it is provided as follows:

[428]*428“If it is determined that the accused has committed the offense charged, and that it was calculated to, or actually did, defeat, impair, impede, or prejudice the rights or remedies of the party to an action or special proceeding, brought in the court or before the judge or referee, the court, judge, or referee must make a final order accordingly, and direct that he be punished by fine or imprisonment, or both, as the nature of the case requires.”

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
22 N.Y.S. 424, 67 Hun 251, 74 N.Y. Sup. Ct. 251, 50 N.Y. St. Rep. 901, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/boon-v-mcgucken-nysupct-1893.