Chissom v. Barbour

100 Ind. 1, 1885 Ind. LEXIS 153
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 24, 1885
DocketNo. 11,615
StatusPublished
Cited by34 cases

This text of 100 Ind. 1 (Chissom v. Barbour) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Chissom v. Barbour, 100 Ind. 1, 1885 Ind. LEXIS 153 (Ind. 1885).

Opinion

Zollars, C. J.

It is recited in the record before us that on the 9th day of March, 1883, appellees filed a motion in the above entitled cause to have a judgment in their favor entered nunc pro tunc.

It is contended by appellees that the motion is not in the record, because not brought into it by a bill of exceptions, and in support of that contention they cite us to the case of Ellis v. Keller, 82 Ind. 524. The case before us seems to fall within the ruling in that case, but we have concluded to examine it upon its merits. It is stated in appellees’ motion for a nunc pro tunc entry, that on the 1st day of July, 1867, judgment was rendered in their favor for costs against appellants, who were, and are, the plaintiffs in the action, and that the clerk neglected and failed to make a formal entry of that judgment. After various rulings, the court below heard the evidence and ordered and adjudged that the nu/nc pro tunc entry should be made, as asked by appellees. From this ruling appellants have* appealed. The action by appellants seems to have been to have a deed declared to be a mortgage, and to thus recover the real estate therein described.

The several reasons urged in this court for a reversal of the judgment ordering the nunc pro tunc entry, we notice in the order in which they are presented in argument. Upon the application of appellants, the venue was changed from the judge. Upon the granting of the change, Hon. James E. Heller, a practicing attorney of the Marion county, bar, was appointed as a special judge to hear and determine the case presented by the motion for a nunc pro tunc entry. It is claimed in argument that the appointment was unlawful, because no effort was made to procure a judge of some court to sit in the case before appointing an attorney. Section 415, E. S. 1881, provides that when a change of venue is granted [3]*3from the judge, as was done here, the court or judge shall call a judge of any court of general jurisdiction, etc., to preside in and try the case, “ or, if it shall be difficult, in the opinion of the court, for any cause, to procure the attendance of such judge, the court, in order to prevent delay, may appoint any competent and disinterested attorney of this State,” etc. The case before us is brought clearly within this statute. It is recited in the record as made by the clerk, and in a bill of exceptions, that in the opinion of the court it was difficult to procure the attendance of any other judge without unreasonable delay, and that Mr. Heller was appointed to prevent such delay, etc.

The court overruled a motion for a change of venue from the county and from the judicial circuit. This motion was supported by an affidavit, in which it is stated that on account of the influence of appellees over the citizens of Marion county, and local odium and prejudice, etc., appellants could not have a fair trial in the county. This motion was properly overruled, for several reasons. We need mention but two. In the first place, there was a rule of court that applications for a change of venue should be made not later than the day before the day set for the hearing or trial. Works Pr., sec. 1273, and cases there cited. In the second place, the record shows that at the time the motion and affidavit for the change were filed and presented to the court, counsel for appellants stated that they were filed and presented for the purpose of procuring, time.

It seems that the hearing had been postponed at a previous term on the agreement, on the part of appellants, that they would submit the matter at, or within a few days after, the opening of the term at which this application for a change of venue was made. Upon the opening of the term, applications for postponement were renewed and overruled. The application for a change of judge was also accompanied with the statement that it was made for the purpose of procuring further time. Such a statement amounts, really, to a confes[4]*4sion of perjury by the party making the application. Upon such a statement being made, the applications should have' been struck from the files. The court was not only justified in overruling the motion, but would have been justified in a resort to measures much more severe. The courts will neither encourage, countenance nor tolerate a practice that involves such moral turpitude.

It is contended further, on the part of appellants, that the power to order the nuno pro tunc entry is derived solely from section 396, R. S. 1881, and that under that section the application should have been made within two years after the judgment was pronounced. That this is not so, has been several times decided by this court. In the case of Burson v. Blair, 12 Ind. 371, it was said that all courts possess inherent power to correct clerical mistakes in their proceedings. In the case of Miller v. Royce, 60 Ind. 189, the application was for a nunc pro tunc entry of the amount of the judgment, that having been left in blank by the clerk making the entry of the judgment. The application was made more than twelve years after the rendition of the judgment. In the opinion by this court, it was said: “ It is well settled, by numerous decisions of this court, that the courts of this State are possessed of full and ample powers to correct mistakes and supply omissions in their records, whenever and wherever the records supply the means for making such corrections or supplying such omissions. The powers of the courts in the premises are derived chiefly from acts of Parliament, which, with the common law of England, are parts of the laws of this State, and especially from 8 Henry VI., c. 12.”

The case of Makepeace v. Lukens, 27 Ind. 435, was an application for a nunc pro tunc entry of an order made by the court, but not entered by the clerk. After a learned review of the English statutes, including 8 Henry VI., c. 12, it was said that under the authority of these statutes alone, amendments can be made of the record, where the proceedings are [5]*5no longer in fieri, and the term is passed in which the record was made.

The case of Smith v. State, 71 Ind. 250, was also an application for a nunc pro tune entry. There it was said again that the courts of the State are possessed of full and ample powers to correct mistakes and supply omissions in their records, whenever and wherever the record affords the means for making such corrections and supplying such omissions, and that these powers are derived chiefly from 8 Henry VI., c. 12. See, also, Sidener v. Coons, 83 Ind. 183, where the case of Miller v. Boyce, supra, is cited and quoted from with' approbation. See, also, as bearing upon the question, Ellis v. Keller, supra, and Newhouse v. Martin, 68 Ind. 224.

The case of Reily v. Burton, 71 Ind. 118, restates the proposition, that the power of the courts to order nunc pro tunc entries of their judgments is derived chiefly from 8 Henry VI., c. 12, and holds valid such an entry made three years after the rendition of the judgment. Section 396, R. S. 1881, relied upon by appellants, provides that the courts shall relieve a party from a judgment taken against him through his excusable neglect, etc., “ and supply an omission in any proceedings on complaint or motion filed within two years.” The

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Bluebook (online)
100 Ind. 1, 1885 Ind. LEXIS 153, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/chissom-v-barbour-ind-1885.