City of Buffalo v. Murphy

228 A.D. 279, 239 N.Y.S. 206, 1930 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 12154
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedJanuary 15, 1930
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 228 A.D. 279 (City of Buffalo v. Murphy) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
City of Buffalo v. Murphy, 228 A.D. 279, 239 N.Y.S. 206, 1930 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 12154 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1930).

Opinion

Thompson, J.

The Charter of the City of Buffalo, adopted in 1927 pursuant to the City Home Rule Law but not published with Local Laws of Cities in State, contains the following provisions for the enforcement of ordinances:

[281]*281“ Article 18
“ Actions and Proceedings * * *
“ § 320. Ordinance; criminal action. Where the violation of an ordinance is punishable by fine or imprisonment or both, the person charged may be proceeded against in the way provided by law for proceedings against persons charged with a criminal offense.
§ 321. Ordinance; civil action. Where a penalty may be imposed for the violation of an ordinance, the person charged may be proceeded against by civil action brought in the name of the city. If the action is brought in the City Court of Buffalo, the first process shall be a summons, which summons shall be in the form and shall be issued, served and returnable as provided in article two of the-act which established said court.”

The Buffalo City Court Act (Laws of 1909, chap. 570) has the following provisions:

Article III.
Criminal Jurisdiction and Procedure.
ce * * *
§ 65. Judges are magistrates. The judges of said court are magistrates and shall have and exercise all the jurisdiction and powers not inconsistent with this act which are conferred by law upon magistrates.
§ 66. Violations of ordinances. If any person is charged with a violation of any ordinance of the city, where such violation is punishable by fine or imprisonment, or both, he shall be proceeded against before a judge who shall summarily hear, try and determine the charge; and if he shall find such person to be guilty he shall sentence him pursuant to the ordinance.”
“ § 70. Jurisdiction in criminal actions. For the trial of criminal actions the City Court of Buffalo shall be a Court of Special Sessions, and each judge when so assigned shall hold such court, and shall have, In the first instance, exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine all charges of misdemeanors committed within the city of Buffalo, except charges of libel.” [Amd. by Laws of 1910, chap. 228.]
“ § 76. Appeals. A judgment upon conviction rendered by a judge of the City Court of Buffalo sitting as a Court of Special Sessions, Children’s Court or magistrate may be reviewed by the County Court of the county as prescribed in title three, part five of the Code of Criminal Procedure; and all of the proceedings thereon shall be as set forth therein.”

[282]*282Subdivision 8 of section 147 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (as added by Laws of 1909, chap. 571) provides:

“ Who are magistrates. The following persons are magistrates * ^ ^
8. The judges of the City Court of Buffalo.”

Reading the sections from the Buffalo City Court Act together, it appears that enforcement of the Ordinances of the City of Buffalo criminally shall be before a judge of the City Court of Buffalo sitting as a magistrate, and that violations of criminal statutes, aside from the city ordinances, are to be prosecuted in the City Court of Buffalo sitting as a Court of Special Sessions.

The Buffalo City Court Act also contains the following:.

Article II.
Civil Jurisdiction and Procedure.
¿t * * sj«
§ 20. Jurisdiction. * * *
[Subdiv.] 15. In an action for a fine or penalty not exceeding one thousand dollars, including the' action to recover a penalty given by the charter of the city of Buffalo or any by-law or ordinance thereof or any statute of the State.” [Amd. by Laws of 1911, chap. 343.]
§ 23. Commencement of action; summons and parties. An action must be commenced by the service of the summons or the voluntary appearance of the parties. The summons shall state the names of all the parties plaintiff and defendant, but if the defendant’s name is unknown, a fictitious name shall be stated. It shall summon the defendant to appear before the clerk of the court * * * to answer the plaintiff’s complaint; if no written complaint is served with the summons it must state the amount for which plaintiff will take judgment if the defendant fails to appear and answer. It shall be issued and signed by a judge of the court or the chief clerk or deputy chief clerk * * [Amd. by Laws of 1917, chap. 477.]
§ 55. Appeals. Appeals in civil causes may be had from judgments of said court or final orders or orders affecting a substantial right to the Supreme Court, Erie county, upon questions of fact or of law in the same manner and with the like effect as appeals are now had by law to the County Court from Justices’ Court judgments, * * * but nothing herein contained shall be deemed to grant the right to a new trial in the appellate court. Appeal may be taken from the judgment of the Supreme Court to the Appellate Division. * * * [Amd. by Laws of 1916, chap. 428.]
[283]*283“ § 56. Civil Practice Act, Rules of Supreme Court applicable; when. The provisions of the Civil Practice Act and rules and regulations of the Supreme Court as they may be from time to time, shall apply to the City Court of Buffalo as far as the same can be made applicable and are not in conflict with the provisions of this act; in case of such conflict this act shall govern.” [Amd. by Laws of 1922, chap. 142.]

By rules 15 and 16 of the Supreme Court Rules in Erie county appeals upon the law from the City Court of Buffalo are heard .at Special Term.

Defendant was arrested by an officer for disorderly conduct, committed in his presence, in resisting an officer and being intoxicated in a public place in violation of sections 5, 8 and 24 of chapter 9 of the Ordinances of the City of Buffalo, punishment for which is provided in section 30 of said chapter as follows:

“ § 30. Except where a different fine or penalty is specifically prescribed, every person who shall violate any of the provisions of this chapter shall be hable to a penalty of not less than $2 nor more than $50, to be recovered in a civil action, or, upon being convicted thereof in a court of criminal jurisdiction, such person shall be subject to a fine of not less than $2 nor more than $50, and in case the person so convicted does not immediately pay such fine, he or she may be committed to the Erie County Penitentiary for the term of one day for each and every dollar of such fine not paid. A judgment for any penalty prescribed by any of the sections of this chapter may be enforced by a body execution as provided in section 25 of the charter.” (See, also, Buffalo City Court Act, §67.)

The case was tried before one of the judges of the City Court of Buffalo sitting as a magistrate and the decision was against the defendant.

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Bluebook (online)
228 A.D. 279, 239 N.Y.S. 206, 1930 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 12154, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/city-of-buffalo-v-murphy-nyappdiv-1930.