Campbell v. United States

65 F. 777, 13 C.C.A. 128, 1895 U.S. App. LEXIS 2263
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
DecidedJanuary 7, 1895
DocketNo. 445
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 65 F. 777 (Campbell v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Campbell v. United States, 65 F. 777, 13 C.C.A. 128, 1895 U.S. App. LEXIS 2263 (8th Cir. 1895).

Opinion

SANBORN, Circuit Judge.

William M. Campbell, tbe plaintiff in error, was the United States marshal for the district of Minnesota from May 25, 1886, until May, 1890. He brought this action in the court below to recover mileage, fees, and disbursements under the provisions of the act of congress of March 3, 1887 (24 Stat. c. 359, p. 505; 1 Supp. Rev. St. p. 559); and he prosecutes this writ here to reverse the decision and judgment of that court disallowing the following claims.

1. A claim for per diem compensation for his attendance in the circuit court and in the district court on Sundays, during the terms thereof, when neither of these courts was open for business. In U. S. v. Perry, 4 U. S. App. 386, 395, 1 C. C. A. 648, 651, 50 Fed. 743, 747, after full argument, and upon careful consideration, this court held that the per diem compensation provided for a United States district attorney for attending court, in the discharge of his official duties, by section 824, Rev. St., could not be allowed or paid to him for Sundays or legal holidays, when the court was not open for business, notwithstanding the fact that they occurred during the term of court. The reasons for that decision, and the authorities in support of it, will be found in the opinion. They apply with equal force to the claim of a marshal for such compensation under section 829, Rev. St., and the decision of the court below upon this question was right. McMullen v. U. S., 146 U. S. 360, 13 Sup. Ct. 127.

2. A claim for reimbursement for moneys expended by the marshal, in cases to which the United States were not parties, by order of the circuit and district courts, for meals for jurors, after they had been charged, and while they were confined, in charge of an officer, deliberating upon their verdicts. This expenditure was made by the marshal after the sundry civil appropriation act of 1888 went into effect. That act made an appropriation for “meals for jurors in United States cases when ordered by court” (25 Stat. c. 1069, p. 545), and a similar provision has been embodied in all subsequent appropriation acts. In the sundry civil appropriation acts of 1884, 1885, 1886, and 1887, an appropriation was made for “meals for jurors when ordered by court.” 23 Stat. c. 332, p. 224; 23 Stat. c. 360, p. 511; 24 Stat c. 902, p. 254; 24 Stat. c. 362, p. 541. Prior to 1884, no specific appropriation for this purpose had been made in any case; but the meals for jurors had been ordered by the courts, and the expenses incurred therefor had been paid by the government, as miscellaneorls expenses of these courts. The only argument presented in support of the disallowance of this claim is that congress made no specific appropriation in 1888, or in any subsequent year, for the payment of moneys expended by the marshal for meals for jurors in cases in which the United States were not parties, although, prior to that time, congress had uniformly recognized these claims, and made appropriations for their payment. The question before this court, however, is not whether or not an appropriation has been made by congress to pay this claim, but whether or not the United States is justly indebted to the plaintiff in error for its amount. It is manifest that the existence and validity of a debt cannot be determined by the consent or refusal of the debtor to mate immediate; provision [779]*779for its payment. If they could be, there would never be any debts whose payment was not provided for, and there would be no occasion for their collection or discharge. It is common knowledge that, by ihe ancient common law, jurors were to be kept together, -while deliberating upon their verdict, without food, dnnk, lire, or candle, until they could agree. Coke, Litt. 227b. lint for more than a century it, seems to have been the practice of the English and American courts to direct the marshal or sheriff to furnish refreshments to the jurors, when their deliberations were prolonged, and the ends of justice would, in the opinion of the presiding judge, he promoted by pursuing that course. It is evident to all who are familiar with jury trials that this practice saves expense to the government and to the litigants, and expedites the conclusion of lawsuits. It is not infrequent that tired jurymen, who have listened to a trial of many days’ duration, and who, with empty stomachs, are wrangling over a doubtful question of fact, without any prospect of agreement, are brought, by a single meal, into a condition of mind and body that, enables them to calmly review the evidence, and to agree upon a, fair and just verdict, in a few hours. The expenditure of a few dollars for a meal or two for 12 jurymen, in cases such as this, frequently prevents a disagreement of the jury, obviates the necessity of another trial of the case, and saves the government the cost of the jurymen and officers of the court for many days. In 1799, in the trial of Fries for levying war against the United States, Mr. Justice Story kept the jury together in (he same room, in a tavern, during adjournments of court, for 15 days. It seems that the necessity of the case and the length of the trial prompted him to cause their meals to be furnished to them during this period. U. S. v. Fries, 3 Dall. 515, note, Fed. Cas. No. 5,126. From that time to this, so far as we have been able to discover, ihe right to order the marshal to furnish meals, at the expense of the government, to jurors, in charge of an officer, deliberating upon their verdict, has been one of (he conceded powers of the circuit and district courts of the United Htates. This power has been constantly exercised whenever its exercise was deemed wise by the trial judges, and the disbursements made by the marshals for this purpose have been paid by the government; without question until the year 1888. The act of congress entitled “An act to regulate the fees and costs to he allowed clerks, masters and attorneys of the circuit and district; courts of the United States and for other jan-poses,” approved February 26, 1853, provided “that there shall be paid to the marshal his fees for services rendered for the United States, for summoning jurors and witnesses in behalf of the United State's, * * for the commitment or discharge of prisoners; for the expenses necessarily incurred for fuel, lights and other contingencies that may accrue in holding the courts within the district, and providing the books necessary to record the proceedings thereof.” 10 Stab e. 80, p. 165; Rev. St. § 829. The courts, congress, and the accounting officers of the government treated the meals for jnrors, ordered by ihe court, in all cases, ,as some of the “other contingencies” referred to in tins act, and paid the marshal’s disbursements on account of them, without question, under this act, from the date of [780]*780its passage until the year of the disallowance of this claim. There is inherent in every court power to supervise the conduct of its officers, and to direct the course of the trials conducted before it In the conduct of jury trials, the court has the power to determine how long a jury that has not agreed shall deliberate upon their verdict; whether or not they shall be kept together, in charge of an officer, during the adjournments of the court until they have agreed; whether or not the marshal shall provide them with meals, at the expense of the government, during their deliberation; and when they shall be discharged. It is conceded that the circuit and district courts of the United States have all these powers in all cases, civil and criminal, in which the United States are parties.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
65 F. 777, 13 C.C.A. 128, 1895 U.S. App. LEXIS 2263, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/campbell-v-united-states-ca8-1895.