Carney v. Whelan

110 N.W. 128, 147 Mich. 15, 1907 Mich. LEXIS 857
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 4, 1907
DocketCalendar No. 21,796
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 110 N.W. 128 (Carney v. Whelan) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Carney v. Whelan, 110 N.W. 128, 147 Mich. 15, 1907 Mich. LEXIS 857 (Mich. 1907).

Opinion

Blair, J.

Relator applied for a writ of mandamus to [16]*16compel the respondents, who were, respectively, commissioner and secretary of police of the city of Detroit, to credit him upon the pay rolls of the department with the sum of $26.70, which had been deducted from his pay by reason of his absence from duty with leave for a period of 20 days. The application was granted by the circuit court, and respondents have removed the proceedings to this court by writ of certiorari.

Relator has served continuously as a patrolman on the police force of the city of Detroit since October 29, 1886. Prior to 1905 it had been the custom of the department to allow 10 days’ leave of absence each year, with full pay, to such officers as had not, by reason of sickness or other cause, been absent that length of time. In 1905 an act was passed by the legislature and approved by the governor on April 13, 1905 (Act No. 470, Local Acts 1905), amending the act providing a police government for the city by adding a new section, as follows:

‘ ‘ Sec. 34a. The leave of absence of each and every policeman and officer in said police department shall be a furlough of twenty days in each and every year: Provided, At least ten of the days of such furlough shall be consecutive.”

In July, 1905, respondent Whelan, as commissioner of police, issued a general order to the department that in granting leaves of absence or furloughs under the amendment of 1905 only 10 days would be granted with pay. In October relator applied for and was granted a furlough, and was absent 20 days, comprising the entire period of his absence for the year.

Rules 14 and 26 of the rules and regulations of the department are as follows:

“ Rule 14. No member of the police force should leave the department or be absent from duty without permission from the superintendent.
“Rule 26. Absence from duty of any member of the police force, whether with or without leave, shall be followed by forfeiture of pay for time absent, unless otherwise ordered by the commissioner of police.”

[17]*17Relator contends that the amendment of 1905 conferred upon him the right to a furlough of 20 days, with full pay. Respondents insist that the amendment confers no right to pay, but leaves that subject to the discretion of the commissioner, which was lawfully exercised by the general order allowing 10 days’ pay.

The act to establish a police government for the city of Detroit, approved April 17, 1871, was radically amended at the session of the legislature of 1901 by Act No. 416 of the Local Acts of that session.

By section l'all powers and duties» connected with and incident to the police government and discipline of the city were vested in one commissioner of police, a superintendent, and other officers and patrolmen. The common council were authorized to appoint a commissioner of police, who should succeed to all the rights, privileges, and prerogatives lawfully pertaining to the then existing board of metropolitan police.

By section 5 the commissioner was empowered to appoint a superintendent, a deputy superintendent, a captain for each 30 patrolmen, one or more officers to act as detectives, one sergeant of police for each 50 patrolmen, an attorney, surgeon, one or more roundsmen, door man, janitors, and such patrolmen as may be deemed necessary or for whom compensation may be provided by the taxes authorized to be levied in the annual tax levy of said city for the support of said department.

“Said commissioner shall also have power, for cause assigned, and on a public hearing and on due notice, according to rules which shall be promulgated, to remove and suspend from office or for a definite time to deprive of pay, any member of such police force: Provided, That the superintendent, deputy superintendent, either of the detectives, attorney, surgeon, secretary and property clerk may be dismissed at any time at pleasure. Said commissioner shall also make rules and regulations for the discipline and government of said force, and shall [18]*18cause the same to be published, and shall also make and promulgate general and special orders to said force.”

By section 7:

“Said commissioner shall assume and exercise the entire control of the police force of said city, and shall possess full power and authority over the organization, government, appointments and discipline within said city.”

By section 9 it is provided:

“That no person, except the superintendent, deputy superintendent, detectives, the attorney, the surgeon, secretary and property clerk, shall be removed from said force, except upon written charges preferred against him to the commissioner of police, and after opportunity of being heard in his defense. * * * Said commissioner of police may also at any time, in his discretion, and without charges or trial, reduce any officer from his rank, grade and pay, to a lower rank and pay, and either permanently or temporarily promote any officer to his position without regard to the relative rank or grade of such other officer. * * * The commissioner of police shall receive an annual salary payable from the treasury of the city of Detroit, in monthly installments, of the sum of $5,000 per annum. All other salaries and compensations to the officers, appointees and employés of the department shall be prescribed and determined by the commissioner of police and shall be paid semi-monthly to the persons entitled thereto. No member of the police force shall receive or share in, under any pretenses whatever, any present, fee, gift or emolument for police services, other than the regular salary and pay provided by this section, except by the consent of said commissioner of police,” etc.

Section 10 provides for the making of charges against members of the force and their trial.

By section 22 it is made the duty of the commissioner:

“To prepare and submit to the city controller, on or before the fifteenth day of February in each year, ah estimate of the whole cost and expense of providing for and maintaining the police department of the said city through the next ensuing fiscal year, which estimate shall, so far as practicable, be in detail, and shall be made by the [19]*19controller before the common council at the annual estimate, such estimate, or so much thereof as the council shall approve, shall be submitted by the common council to the board of estimates of said city, and so much of the total amount thereof as shall be approved by the board of estimates shall be provided for in the general tax assessment by levy to be made on said city and collected with the other city taxes; said money when collected shall be paid in to the city treasurer, and shall be styled the police fund. * * * The amount of the estimate not approved by the council or board of estimates shall be deducted from the total amount thereof.”

, By section 26 the commissioner may require each member of the force to take the constitutional oath of office.

By section 31 it is provided:

“If said commissioner or any member of the police force during his term of office, accept or hold any office elective by the people or any other appointive office, or shall, during his term of office,

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Related

Burton v. City of Detroit
156 N.W. 453 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1916)
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121 N.W. 746 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1909)
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119 N.W. 440 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1909)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
110 N.W. 128, 147 Mich. 15, 1907 Mich. LEXIS 857, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/carney-v-whelan-mich-1907.