Busey v. Crump

1925 OK 102, 233 P. 714, 108 Okla. 73, 1925 Okla. LEXIS 99
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedFebruary 10, 1925
Docket15989
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 1925 OK 102 (Busey v. Crump) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Busey v. Crump, 1925 OK 102, 233 P. 714, 108 Okla. 73, 1925 Okla. LEXIS 99 (Okla. 1925).

Opinion

HARRISON, J.

This is an original proceeding in this court by R. L. Busey for writ of prohibition against George O. Crump as judge of the district court, and F. E. Carroll as trustee of ward No. 2 of the town of Cromwell, Okla. The petition, after stating the facts upon which plaintiff relies as grounds for 'the writ, concludes with the following prayer, to wit:

“Wherefore premises considered, your petitioner prays that this honorable court issue its writ of prohibition directed to the said George C. Crump, district judge, and F. E. Carroll, commanding them ,to desist and refrain from further proceeding in causes No'. 7655, 7652, or any other causes wherein the rights of this plaintiff are endangered, by the unlawful application of judicial forcé as herein set forth in their capacity as district judge and contender for public office, and to desist and refrain in said capacity from exercising further jurisdiction over the person, of your petitioner and the 'title to said office of trustee of ward No. 2, in the • incorporated town of Cromwell, Oklá.’’

Upon an ex parte hearing of the application therefor, December 1, 1924, an alternative writ was issued, which, omitting the formal preamble, commands as follows, to wit:

“We therefore command you ro desist and refrain from any further proceedings in such matter until the 6th day of December, 1924, or the further order of this court thereon; and to show cause at such term or at such time as may be ordered, why you and each of you should not be absolutely restrained from any further proceedings in connection with the title to the office of *74 trustee for ward No. 2 in the town of Cromwell, Oiría.
“You will have with you, then and 'there, this writ with the return of the court thereon.”

On December 6, 1924, this court made an order referring the matter to the Hon. Wy-ley Jones, Supreme Court referee, for the purpose of hearing testimony and reporting his .finding of facts.

Pursuant to such order the honorable referee heard testimony and reported 'the following finding of facts, to wit:

“(2nd) On the 8th day of November, 1924, an election was held in' the town of Cromwell, Seminole county, Qkla., at which election R. L. Busey and F. E. Carroll were candidates for the office of trustee of the Second ward of said town. On the same day the election was held, F. E. Carroll filed an injunction suit against the election board of Seminole county, seeking to enjoin it from issuing a certificate of election to Busey and to command it to declare him, Carroll, elected, and to issue a certificate of election to him. The petition alleges that Busey received a majority of 'the votes cast at said election for said office of trustee, but that his name was on the ballot illegally and that the bailo1! on which his name appeared was not the official ballot.
“(3rd) On the same day, the Honorable George C. Crump, judge, issued a temporary restraining order restraining the county election board from issuing a certificate of election to Busey or any other person to the office of trustee of ward 2 of the town of Cromwell, until the further orders of the court. On the 29th day of November, 1924, the case came on to be heard before the Hon. George C. Crump, judge, on a motion to dissolve the temporary restraining order, which was denied, the temporary restraining order made permanent, and further adjudging that 'Busey was not entitled to have a certificate of election issued to him, hits ír'.me mot being legally on the ballot, and a certificate of election was issued to F. E. CíptoII by the county election board of Seminole county.
“(4th) On the 1st day of December, 1924, It. L. Busey filed his petition in this court for a writ of prohibition against the Hon. George C. Crump, judge, to prohibit him from proceeding further in the case, and also the same as to Carroll. The grounds set forth in the petition are want of jurisdiction on the part of the court to test the result of an election by injunction and the arbitrary and unlawful exercise and proposed exercise of jurisdictional power. The respondent, Crump, filed his response to the petition in which, he denied generally the allegations of the petition and averred that the judgment rendered by him was final and that he had no further duties to perform in the case and It. L. Busey was not a legal candidate and not entitled to a certificate of election. Carroll filed no response.
“Two other actions were brought which are not material to the questions to be determined and were consolidated under No. 7652. One of said actions, No. 7670, was by the State ex rel. County Attorney and Election Board of Seminole County v. Purported Election Officials of Cromwell, seeking to have the election declared void. The other, No. 6755,, was by Carroll seeking to enjoin the election board and the printer of the ballots from placing the name of Busey on the ballot and enjoining the election officials from using any ballots at said election with Busey’s name on it, and a temporary restraining order was issued by said Crump .accordingly.
“(5th) Respondent Carroll filed a motion in this court to dismiss the petition for a writ of prohibition on the ground that the writ could only run against a judicial officer, and that he has been awarded a certificate of election, has qualified and entered upon the discharge of the duties of his office.
“(6th) On the 29th day of October, 1924, Mr. John R. Miller, between the hours of 4 and 5 o’clock p. m., served a copy of a call for an election to be held in the town of Crom'well for town officials on -the 8th day nf November, 1924, on Mr. Banta, secretary of the county election board of Seminole county. At the same time, Mr. Banta wrote a letter to Mr. Frank Shiaitzel, informing him that an election had been called for November 8, 1924, for the purpose of electing officials of the town of Cromwell, giving him the names of the persons who had filed for office and directing him to place only I heir names on the ballot and informing him that this was the last day of filing. On the 31st day of October. 1924, Busey filed for the office of trustee of ward 2, 'town, of Cromwell and Mr. Banta, secretary of the election board, notified Mr. Shatzel, printer, to place his name on the official ballot. The filing of Banta bears date of October 29th, but Mr. Banta testified that it was October 31st. On November 7, 1924, Judge Crump called Banta and asked him when Busey filed, and he stated to him that he did not think the filing legal unless made ten days before election and that he was granting a restraining order.
“(7th) Upon rendering his decision of the 29th of November, 1924, which was Saturday, Judge Crump stated that he wanted the town of Cromwell organized by Monday morning, and that if Mr Banta did not issue the certificates of election to the purported officials, among whom was Carroll, that he would award a writ of mandamus to compel it upon application, and the county election board, on November 29, 1924, the day of the hearing, issued a certificate of election to Carroll, without the necessity *75 of bringing a mandamus action. Mr.

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Bluebook (online)
1925 OK 102, 233 P. 714, 108 Okla. 73, 1925 Okla. LEXIS 99, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/busey-v-crump-okla-1925.