Callaway v. Mims

62 S.E. 654, 5 Ga. App. 9, 1908 Ga. App. LEXIS 4
CourtCourt of Appeals of Georgia
DecidedOctober 21, 1908
Docket1335; 1358; 1362; 1376; 1404, 1405
StatusPublished
Cited by27 cases

This text of 62 S.E. 654 (Callaway v. Mims) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Callaway v. Mims, 62 S.E. 654, 5 Ga. App. 9, 1908 Ga. App. LEXIS 4 (Ga. Ct. App. 1908).

Opinion

Powell, J.

These six cases all present substantially the same-points. The Mims, Lester, and Scarboro cases each arose by a. habeas corpus proceeding instituted against Callaway, superintendent of the city chain-gang at Macon. The prisoners had been convicted in the recorder’s court of that city for a violation of what is knotra as the “blind-tiger” ordinance, which is in the following language (omitting formal parts) : “It shall be unlawful for any person to keep a blind tiger, or keep for sale, barter, or exchange any vinous, spirituous, or intoxicating liquors within the corporate limits of the city of Macon.” In each case the illegality of the imprisonment was asserted, on the grounds, that the', sentence was imposed for a violation of a State law, that the mayor and council had no charter authority to pass the ordinance, that the municipal court was without jurisdiction to try the case, that-the offense charged was a misdemeanor under the State law and therefore cognizable only in one of the State criminal courts. Of course, in these eases none of the evidence on which the convictions were based was material; the attack on the ordinance was-direct. The trial judge held the ordinance invalid and sustained .the habeas corpus. Callaway excepted.

Bashinski was convicted in the recorder’s court of Macon for a violation of the same ordinance. He presented to the judge of' [12]*12the superior court a'petition for certiorari, and he also attacks the ordinance for the same reasons as were asserted in the habeas corpus case. He makes the point also that to allow the conviction to stand would subject him to double punishment for the same offense, the specific contention being ¿hat the same transaction constituted a violation of the State prohibition law. In the case of Bashinski v. State, this day decided, ante, 3, there is a description of Bashinski’s place of business and rooms. In the present case the testimony went to show that subsequently to the raid and removal of the liquors referred to in that case, the police made another raid, and in what is called in that case the downstairs storage room, they found one whole cask and part of another cask of whisky in pint bottles. Proof was also made that he had gone to this room and sold a bottle of whisky taken from it. Bashinski denied this sale and insisted that while he had the liquor in the storage room it-was in no wise connected with his place of business. The judge of the superior court refused to sanction the certiorari, and he excepts.

Schroeder and twenty-three others were convicted in the recorder’s court of Savannah for violating the ordinance of that city which provides (omitting immaterial parts) : “It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to keep within the corporate limits of the City of Savannah . . for the purpose of illegal sale any alcoholic, spirituous, malt, or intoxicating liquors or intoxicating bitters or other drinks which, if drunk to excess, will produce intoxication.” They brought the cases to the superior court by certiorari. A stipulation was entered into that the other cases should abide the final result in Schroeder’s ease. Upon the hearing of the certiorari, only two points were insisted upon: (1) that the ordinance is void because it in effect punishes an attempt alone; (2) that it is void because it undertakes to punish an act already covered by State legislation. The court overruled the certiorari, and Schroeder brings error.

1. Prior to January 1, 1908, there were in effect in this State several statutes directed against the sale of intoxicating liquors, but none against keeping them on hand. The general prohibition act of 1907, in addition to forbidding the manufacture and sale, also makes'it unlawful for any and all persons “to keep . . at any . . public places, . . or keep on hand at their place of business, any intoxicating liquors.” It is settled, beyond all pos[13]*13sibility of dispute, that a municipal corporation, in the absence of express legislative authority, can not punish for an offense against the criminal laws of this State. Strauss v. Waycross, 97 Ga. 475, (25 S. E. 329); Moran v. Atlanta, 102 Ga. 840 (30 S. E. 298); Hood v. Von Glahn, 88 Ga. 413 (14 S. E. 564); Braddy v. Milledgeville, 74 Ga. 516 (58 Am. R. 443); Mayor of Savannah v. Hussey, 21 Ga. 80 (68 Am. D. 452); Jenkins v. Thomasville, 35 Ga. 141; Adams v. Albany, 29 Ga. 56; Collins v. Hale, 92 Ga. 411 (17 S. E. 622); Littlejohn v. Stells, 123 Ga. 427 (51 S. E. 390) ; Penniston v. Newnan, 117 Ga. 700 (45 S. E. 65); Thrower v. Atlanta, 124 Ga. 1 (52 S. E. 76, 1 L. R. A. (N. S.) 382, 110 Am. St. R. 147). It is equally well settled that prior to the enactment of the prohibition law of 1907, those cities, the charters of which contained the usual general welfare clause, might pass ordinances prohibiting the keeping on hand of intoxicating liquors for the purpose of illegal sale. Sawyer v. Blakely, 2 Ga. App. 161 (58 S. E. 399); Sutton v. Washington, 4 Ga. App. 30 (60 S. E. 811); Mason v. Atlanta, 77 Ga. 663; Menken v. Atlanta, 78 Ga. 668 (2 S. E. 559); Mabra v. Atlanta, 78 Ga. 679 (4 S. E. 154); Hood v. Griffin, 113 Ga. 190 (38 S. E. 409); Osborne v. Marietta, 118 Ga. 53 (44 S. E. 807); Reese v. Newnan, 120 Ga. 198 (47 S. E. 560) ; Paulk v. Sycamore, 104 Ga. 728 (31 S. E. 200); Bagwell v. Lawrenceville, 94 Ga. 654 (21 S. E. 903); Brown v. Social Circle, 105 Ga. 834 (32 S. E. 141); Papworth v. Fitzgerald, 106 Ga. 378 (32 S. E. 363); Cunningham v. Griffin, 107 Ga. 690 (33 S. E. 664); Robinson v. Americus, 121 Ga. 180 (48 S. E. 924); Duren v. Stephens, 126 Ga. 496 (54 S. E. 1045); Rooney v. Augusta, 117 Ga. 709 (45 S. E. 72); Little v. Fort Valley, 123 Ga. 503 (51 S. E. 501). So also ordinances forbidding the maintenance of blind-tigers, or places where liquors were kept or stored for illegal sale,, were legitimate municipal enactments. Bagwell v. Lawrenceville, Cunningham v. Griffin, supra; Osborne v. Marietta, 118 Ga. 53 (44 S. E. 807). Under these ordinances, testimony as to the keeping of liquor and of one or more illegal sales thereof was deemed sufficient to authorize a conviction; Sawyer v. Blakely, Mabra v. Atlanta, Rooney v. Augusta, Reese v. Newnan, Robinson v. Americus, supra. The foundation of these decisions has been declared to rest upon the proposition that “whenever the General Assembly has by direct enactment, or by its settled public policy derivable [14]

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Bluebook (online)
62 S.E. 654, 5 Ga. App. 9, 1908 Ga. App. LEXIS 4, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/callaway-v-mims-gactapp-1908.