Chicago Typographical Union No. 16 v. A. R. Barnes & Co.

134 Ill. App. 11, 1907 Ill. App. LEXIS 325
Appellate Court of Illinois·Decided May 14, 1907·No. Gen. No. 13,040·Published

Opinion

Mr. Presiding Justice Freeman

delivered the opinion of the court.

Appellant earnestly contends that “in the absence of any statutory provision to the contrary, a perfected appeal from a decree deprives the court appealed from, during the pendency of such appeal of power or jurisdiction to enter further orders or decrees in the case,” including the power to punish for violations of the injunction. In support of this contention the following cited from section 541 of Elliott on Appellate Procedure will serve to show the nature of the claim thus insisted upon. “The overwhelming weight of authority is that an appeal properly perfected removes a case wholly and absolutely from the trial court and places it in the higher tribunal. * * * After the cause leaves the lower court it cannot act upon any question, involved in the appeal.” Conceding the aecuracy of this statement, it still remains to be determined whether in the case before us the right of the chancery court which granted the injunction to prevent its violation by contempt procedure, is a “question involved in the appeal”- from the order granting the injunction.

It appears from the record that an appeal was allowed from the final injunction order which appellant is punished for violating, upon an appeal bond “in the sum of one hundred dollars,” and it was ordered that perfecting such appeal should not stay the operation of the injunction. Without reference to whether the allowance of the appeal and its prosecution upon such condition instead of by writ of error was in effect a waiver by appellant of the right of objection to the condition so imposed, we cannot assent to the contention that an appeal from an order granting a prohibitory injunction entered by a court of competent jurisdiction ás in this case, deprives the court which granted it of all jurisdiction and power to prevent its violation and punish for the contempt until such appeal is finally disposed of. In O ’Brien v. The People, 216 Ill. 354-364, it is said that “jurisdiction does not depend upon the rightfulness of the decision. It is not lost because of an erroneous decision, however erroneous that decision may be” (citing cases) .and it is further said that where the allegations of a bill give the. court jurisdiction to pass upon its sufficiency (p. 365) “whether the court decided correctly or incorrectly could not affect the question of jurisdiction, nor the duty of all persons having notice to obey the order until reversed by a court of competent jurisdiction.” In Franklin Union v. The People, 220 Ill. 355-369, it is said: “The principle is of universal force that the order or judgment of a court having jurisdiction is to be obeyed no matter how clearly it may be erroneous.” Christensen v. The People, 114 Ill. App. 40-58; Sumner v. Village of Milford, 214 Ill. 388-393. If it is the duty of all persons to obey the order, whether correctly or incorrectly entered, can it be that the court which entered it with jurisdiction so to do has no jurisdiction to enforce such duty and compel obedience to it until it is reversed by a court of competent jurisdiction, notwithstanding an appeal to determine the correctness of the injunction order itself? In re Debs, 158 U. S. 564-596, it is said, quoting from Cartwright’s case, 114 Mass. 230-238: “The summary power to commit and punish for contempts tending to obstruct or degrade the administration of justice is inherent in courts of chancery and other superior courts, as essential to the execution of their powers and to the maintenance of their authority, and is part of the law of the land within the meaning of Magna Charta and of the twelfth article of our declaration of rights,” * 6 * (p. 599) “that the proceeding by injunction is of a civil character and may be enforced by proceedings in contempt;” and (p. 595) that “a court without the power to protect itself against the assaults of the lawless or to enforce its orders, judgments or decrees against the recusant parties before it would be a disgrace to the legislation and a stigma upon the age which invented it.” We do not understand that an appeal from an injunction order or decree deprived a court of this inherent power to punish for its violation. Though the order should subsequently be reversed, until it is reversed by an appellate tribunal it remains a valid order, just as the lien of a judgment is still a valid lien pending an appeal from the judgment itself. A proceeding for contempt against those violating it is not a proceeding to enforce the injunction itself. An injunction order is effective against all who have notice of it from the time of its entry. It requires no writ of execution to enforce it. There is nothing to be stayed by an appeal from it. Such appeal raises only the question of its propriety, where the court had jurisdiction to enter the order. It is still the “duty of all persons having notice to obey the order until reversed by a court of competent jurisdiction. ’ ’ To compel such obedience is, we think, an exercise of the court’s inherent “power to protect itself against the assaults of the lawless,” from “contempts tending to obstruct or degrade the administration of justice.” In a contempt proceeding the propriety of the order granting the injunction is not a subject of consideration. An appeal from it does not of itself .bring before the reviewing court anything that has occurred, any conduct of the parties or acts of the chancery court subsequent to the allowance of the appeal. L. S. & M. S. Ry. Co. v. C. & W. I. Ry. Co., 100 Ill. 21-34. Without power in that court to protect itself and litigants against disobedience of its prohibitory orders and decrees pending the determination by a reviewing court of their propriety, it is apparent that the whole benefit of an injunction might be lost to the party in whose favor it is granted. A subsequent punishment for the contempt after, by disobedience of an injunction, irremediable harm has been done, and the whole purpose and effect of the injunction defeated, would neither protect the dignity of the court nor the rights of the party injured. By the mere filing of an appeal bond the defendant would be at liberty to proceed at his leisure in disregard of the order and defiance of the court.

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Chicago Typographical Union No. 16 v. A. R. Barnes & Co., 134 Ill. App. 11, 1907 Ill. App. LEXIS 325 (Ill. Ct. App. 1907).

134 Ill. App. 11 (Chicago Typographical Union No. 16 v. A. R. Barnes & Co.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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