Bowles v. Creason

66 P.2d 1183, 156 Or. 278, 1937 Ore. LEXIS 62
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 24, 1937
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 66 P.2d 1183 (Bowles v. Creason) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oregon Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bowles v. Creason, 66 P.2d 1183, 156 Or. 278, 1937 Ore. LEXIS 62 (Or. 1937).

Opinion

CAMPBELL, J.

On December 9, 1935, plaintiff and one Robert E. Benner were residing on a tract of land which they had leased from defendant Leona Creason some three or four months prior thereto. At the same time they were in possession of a team of horses which had been turned over to them by Mrs. Creason, at the time she leased the premises, to care for and feed until she made some other disposition thereof. Defendant Percy A. Webb, at the time, was sheriff of Douglas county and in control of the county jail and in charge of the prisoners therein. Defendant Clifford Thorton was his duly appointed deputy, and defendant Fred Perry was a state police officer. Some *282 difference arose between plaintiff and the defendant Creason as to the possession of the said team of horses.

Shortly before December 9, Mrs. Creason sold the team to another party, but plaintiff refused to deliver the team to the purchaser, claiming that he had an unpaid bill for the care and feeding of said team and asserting that he would not deliver the team until said bill was paid. Thereupon, defendant Creason consulted her attorney and was advised that as plaintiff came into the possession of the team lawfully she could not replevin the same until she made a demand.

Mrs. Creason requested Thorton to accompany her to the farm where she wished to make a demand on plaintiff and his partner for the possession of the team, and if they were delivered to take them away. Defendant Thorton requested defendant Perry to accompany him. Neither Mrs. Creason nor either of the officers had any writ or process against the plaintiff of any nature whatsoever. These three defendants thereupon drove to the farm which is located about twenty-one miles from Eoseburg. On the way to the farm they engaged a Mr. Bailey and his truck for the purpose of transporting the team from the farm.

A short distance from the farm they met plaintiff and his partner traveling towards Eoseburg. Defendants continued on to the farm and, shortly after arriving there, plaintiff and his partner also arrived. The leased premises are located about three-fourths of a mile from the county road and it is necessary to travel over a private way to reach them. Mr. Bailey drove his truck to the entrance of this private way and parked his truck on the county road and remained there until the plaintiff and defendants left the farm.

When plaintiff and his partner arrived at the farm, defendant Creason made the demand for the posses *283 sion of the team, which was refused. Up to this point there appears to be no material difference between the parties as to the facts.

It appears that this refusal was followed by angry words between the plaintiff and Mrs. Creason. Plaintiff contends that Mrs. Creason started to walk towards a barn and that he simply notified her not to go near the barn, while the defendants contend that when Mrs. Creason started to walk away and towards the barn plaintiff hurriedly followed her and she turned around facing the plaintiff who thereupon became very abusive and violent, grasped her by the wrists and jerked her around. Thorton thereupon placed plaintiff under arrest, took him to the car where he handcuffed him and later took him to the county jail at Roseburg where they arrived about noon.

After the arrest of plaintiff, the team of horses were delivered to Mrs. Creason, defendants claiming that plaintiff told his partner to deliver them and plaintiff stoutly denying any such statement. At any rate the team was driven down to the county road and turned over to Mr. Bailey who took them away in his truck.

The matter was referred to the district attorney about 1:30 p. m. who investigated it and shortly after 2 o’clock prepared a complaint or information sworn to by defendant Thorton, charging plaintiff with assault and battery upon Mrs. Creason, which was filed with the justice of the peace sometime that afternoon. It is admitted that the justice of the peace was in his office in the courthouse that day, and up to as late as between 4 and 5 o’clock p. m. Plaintiff’s attorney was notified at about 1:30 p. m. and consulted with the district attorney on the matter and claims to have *284 requested the sheriff to take plaintiff before a magistrate. The evidence does not show the exact time the justice of the peace left his office that evening. Near 5 o’clock plaintiff’s attorney tried to locate the justice by going to the post office and by going to his home, but was unable to find him.

The next morning at 10 o ’clock, plaintiff was taken before the justice of the peace where he waived examination and was bound over to the grand jury. Later an indictment was returned against him on the charge, endorsed not a true bill. The charge thereupon was dismissed.

Thereafter the plaintiff filed this action for false arrest and false imprisonment against Mrs. Creason, Thorton, Perry, and Percy A. Webb, sheriff of Douglas county.

The gist of plaintiff’s complaint is that defendants Creason, Thorton and Perry conspired together to get possession of the team unlawfully and, as a part of said conspiracy, he was falsely arrested and falsely imprisoned and confined in the county jail; that, in making the arrest, defendant Thorton tried to explode a tear gas gun in his face and placed him in handcuffs; that on his arrival at the jail, he was searched and certain personal property taken from him which was not returned to him until he was released. He further alleged that he repeatedly requested of Thorton and Webb that he be allowed to furnish bail so he might return home that evening, but that such requests were refused. He further alleged that, about 2 o’clock on the said day, he requested defendant Webb to take him before a magistrate and permit him to give bail, and was informed by the sheriff that, as soon as defendant Creason should file a complaint, his request would be *285 complied with. He further alleged that he suffered humiliation and much inconvenience by reason of such arrest and imprisonment and prayed for damages in the sum of $10,000.

Defendants Creason, Thorton and Perry answered admitting the arrest and imprisonment, and for a further and separate answer and defense accounted for the presence of the officers on the premises by alleging:

“That the plaintiff is a man of violent and uncontrollable temper and given to acts of violence, and had heretofore assaulted an employee of the defendant Leona Creason, and defendant Creason was in fear of physical violence at the hands of said plaintiff.”

As a justification of the arrest, defendants alleged that plaintiff committed an assault and battery upon defendant Creason in the presence of defendant Thor-ton and defendant Thorton had placed plaintiff under arrest.

Defendant Webb answered separately admitting the facts of the arrest and imprisonment and by way of justification set up the facts alleged in the other defendants ’ answer and further stated that the case was handled in the usual manner in which other criminal eases are handled.

Plaintiff in his reply denied all the new matter set up by defendants in their answers and denied that he had committed any assault upon Mrs. Creason.

The cause was tried to a jury.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
66 P.2d 1183, 156 Or. 278, 1937 Ore. LEXIS 62, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bowles-v-creason-or-1937.