Brown v. State

173 S.W.2d 1016, 206 Ark. 135, 1943 Ark. LEXIS 116
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedJuly 12, 1943
Docket4309
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 173 S.W.2d 1016 (Brown v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brown v. State, 173 S.W.2d 1016, 206 Ark. 135, 1943 Ark. LEXIS 116 (Ark. 1943).

Opinion

Knox, J.

The prosecuting attorney for the Ninth Judicial Circuit, of which Sevier county is a part, filed in the circuit court of said county a verified petition alleging facts which tended to sIioav that a certain dance hall owned by appellant, and known as “Brown’s Tavern,” was being conducted in such a way as to constitute a public nuisance within the meaning of Chapter 134, (being §§ 10909 to 10927, inclusive, of Pope’s Digest). The court issued a temporaiy injunction reciting “that the sheriff of Sevier county be and he is hereby directed to temporarily padlock ‘Brown’s Tavern,’ and the aforementioned operator (appellant) and any and all other persons are hereby temporarily restrained from operating said place of business.” The cause was set for final hearing for February 10th, but the appellant confessed the truth of the allegations and voluntarily consented through his counsel that the injunction might he made permanent, and thereupon on February 9th the court entered an order which reads in part as follows:

“It is therefore considered, ordered and adjudged that the aforementioned place known as ‘Brown’s Tavern,’ be. and the same is hereby declared a public nuisance; that same should be abated and that respondent, J. H. Brown, and all other persons are hereby restrained from the operation of said premises as a cafe, dance hall, night club, tavern or any other business purpose, unless authorized by this court, for a period of twelve months from this date; that-the temporary order made and entered herein on the 27th day of January, 1943, padlocking said premises be and the same is hereby continued in full force and effect for a period of twelve months from this date; that respondent, J. H. Brown, pay all costs of these proceedings and this court hereby retains jurisdiction of this cause for all purposes.”

On the night of March 26th, the circuit judge, having previously been informed that appellant was probably violating the injunction, directed the sheriff’s office to make an investigation, and told the officers that if they found that dancing was being permitted in the place to arrest appellant.

Shortly after midnight three officers made the investigation as directed. “Brown’s Tavern” consists of three rooms — -a large dance hall, a kitchen and a bedroom. The windows in the dance hall are situated high in the wall, and the officers found it necessary to climb up a ladder to look through the same. They saw three women and three men (one being appellant) dancing to the accompaniment of music being furnished by a phonograph of the kind commonly designated in the vernacular of the patrons of such establishments as a “juke box.” Empty and partially empty beer, wine and whiskey bottles evidenced the fact that Bachus was a present, even if unseen guest. From time to time various members of the group were seen to take a drink out of bottles of the kind in which intoxicants are usually contained. All of the persons appeared to have been drinking, but none was drunk. The dancing couples were quite demonstrative in the exchange of oscular evidences of affection. The ‘padlock which had been placed on the front door in compliance with the order of injunction was no longer there, although the door was in fact locked by means of the regular lock installed thereon. The officers themselves being unobserved continued to observe the festivities for some thirty minutes, and then suddenly and without warning smote upon the door. A sudden hush fell over the whole scene, the lights went out, and a voice, which some of the officers thought belonged to appellant, said “somebody pull the plug” (the electric connection for the phonograph) “that might be the law.” Being informed that those seeking admittance were in fact officers, appellant requested that they come to the back door, which they did, and being admitted placed appellant under arrest, advising him that he was being arrested at the direction of the judge for contempt of court on account of alleged violation of the injunction order. The officers had no warrant. They took appellant into DeQueen, where he made bond and was released from custody.

On March 29th, the prosecuting attorney filed an information charging appellant with violating the order of injunction and praying that he be punished for contempt of court. Based on this information a citation was issued and served on the appellant, requiring him to appear for trial on March 31st. On the day so fixed for trial, appellant appeared in person and by counsel and filed a document styled “Motion to Dismiss Contempt Proceedings.” The gravamen of the motion is that appellant had been arrested' and held on the charge without process having first been obtained, issued and served as required by law, and that on that account the court had acquired no jurisdiction. The motion was overruled, but the court on its own motion continued the case until April 3, 1943. Thereafter and on the same day, to-wit: March 31, 1943, a new citation was served on appellant, advising him of the filing of the information, and notifying him that evidence would be presented to the court on April 3rd, “showing a violation of the permanent injunction” and that ajopellant was thereby “in contempt of court,” and notifying appellant to be present at such time and place to show cause, if any he could, why he should not be punished'. Attached to this citation were certified copies of (a) the information, (b) the temporary restraining order, and (c) the permanent injunction. On the day fixed for the trial appellant renewed his motion to dismiss for want of jurisdiction, which was overruled. The matter was then tried on the merits, and the court found appellant guilty of contempt.

The matter is brought here on a petition for a writ of certiorari, but in order that we may fully dispose of all questions presented we treat the case as being here on .appeal.

Appellant urges two grounds for reversal: (1) that the trial court was without jurisdiction, (a) because the proceedings were in fact commenced at the time, and by means of, the arrest of appellant, at which time no information or charge of any ldncl had been filed, or process of any character issued, and (b) that the information which was later filed did not state facts sufficient to charge appellant with ah act in violation of the injunction; and (2) that the evidence presented failed to show that appellant had violated the terms of the injunction.

In the case of Nichols v. State, 171 Ark. 987, 287 S. W. 190, the late Mr. Justice Hart said: “It will be noted that, under the provisions of the statute above cited, proceedings for contempt, in cases of this sort, are criminal In their nature, and the prosecuting attorney is one of the officers who may conduct proceedings for the state under the act. The contempt complained of was not committed in the presence of the court, and, under the ancient rule of reason and natural justice, the offending party should be proceeded against upon the affidavit of some one with knowledge of the facts, or upon information of the prosecuting attorney who instituted the proceedings for the State in the first place. Where information is filed by the prosecuting attorney, his official oath is sufficient, and no further verification is necessary. Poindexter v. State, 109 Ark. 179, 159 S. W. 197.”

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Related

Vandergriff v. State
396 S.W.2d 818 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1965)
Tiner v. Baldwin
363 S.W.2d 532 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1963)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
173 S.W.2d 1016, 206 Ark. 135, 1943 Ark. LEXIS 116, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brown-v-state-ark-1943.