City of Jacksonville v. Lentz

13 Fla. Supp. 192
CourtCircuit Court of the 4th Judicial Circuit of Florida, Duval County
DecidedDecember 1, 1958
DocketNos. 2984, 2985, 2986, 3047, 3051, 3059, 3083, 3084, 3085, 3090, 3103, 3121, 3136, 3163, 3168, 3195
StatusPublished

This text of 13 Fla. Supp. 192 (City of Jacksonville v. Lentz) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Circuit Court of the 4th Judicial Circuit of Florida, Duval County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
City of Jacksonville v. Lentz, 13 Fla. Supp. 192 (Fla. Super. Ct. 1958).

Opinion

WILLIAM H. MANESS, Circuit Judge.

In each of the above cases, the appellant was convicted in the municipal court of the city of .Jacksonville, and thereafter began an appeal to this court by following the provisions of section 932.52, Florida Statutes 1957, to the extent of filing a timely notice of appeal, assignment of errors and the posting of a supersedeas bond with the clerk of this court conditioned to prosecute the appeal with dispatch and to abide by the judgment of the court.

In due course, the clerk of the municipal court transmitted to the clerk of this court the entire original record made in the court below, (except in cases numbered 3051, 3059, 3084, 3085, 3103, 3136, 3163 and 3168, where the certificate shows no copy or transcript of proceedings below was provided) and, pursuant to subsection (12) of section 932.52, notified the appellant' of such filing.

Although the appellant in some of these cases asserts, such notice was not given, the affidavit of the clerk of the municipal court attached to appellee’s brief and now attached to the original of this order states otherwise and, in the absence of any other formal proof that notice was not given, is conclusive on the point.

No other action was taken by the appellant, by the filing of a brief or otherwise. After some time had elapsed in each case, ranging from 35 days to more than a year and a half, the city filed a motion to dismiss each appeal principally on the ground that the appellant had failed to perfect and prosecute the appeal within the time required by law.

This motion was presented to this court by counsel for the city, the appellee, in each case without notice to the appellant, and each appeal was forthwith dismissed.

No order of dismissal or copy thereof was ever sent to the appellant or to the surety.

On January 14,1958, at least 12 weeks after the dismissal of each appeal, upon certificate of the clerk of the municipal court that the judgment and sentence of that court had not been complied with by appellant, this court ordered the supersedeas bond in each case forfeited pursuant to provisions of section 932.521 (2).

Now, the appellant and/or the surety in each case has moved this court to quash its order of forfeiture in each case upon several grounds. Among the grounds asserted is that section 932.521 is unconstitutional — but the validity of that act was upheld by this [194]*194court by its memorandum opinion dated November 24, 1958, and filed in City of Jacksonville v. Smith, appeal case no. 2866 [18 Fla. Supp. 188]. The application of that act to the facts in the case at bar is substantially the same and that opinion disposes of the constitutional question.

The main question raised in this case that was not involved in the Smith case, supra, is the appellant’s contention that the failure to furnish him with a copy of the motion to dismiss, failure to give notice of the hearing thereon, and the failure to furnish a copy of the order of dismissal, deprived him of his property without the due process of law guaranteed by the federal and state constitutions.

Before the surety can assert a denial of due process of law, it must foe established that the appellant’s rights were violated. Although the surety is a “quasi-party” to the proceeding in which it has posted a bond, due process of law as to the rights of the surety is achieved if it has notice and an opportunity to be heard before its rights are finally cut off. Such due process is provided the surety under section 932.521 (2) where the law provides ten days after the entry of the forfeiture within which the appellant, surety or sureties, may explain the breach of the undertaking and secure a discharge of the forfeiture. That right is now being asserted and this is the surety’s “day in court”. No attempt has been made to explain the breach of the undertaking — so the surety’s rights depend solely on the rights of the appellant.

A determination of the appellant’s rights requires a consideration of his duties upon the filing of the notice of appeal.

Reference to chapter 932.52 reveals that appeals under this section shall he perfected by filing a simple notice of appeal which shall include or be accompanied by assignments of error in brief form, subsection (3). This was done in each case now under consideration.

Appellant’s next duty was to obtain and deliver to the clerk of the municipal court a transcript or certified statement of the testimony and trial proceedings for inclusion in the original record for transmittal by that clerk to this court as required by subsection (10). This procedure was followed, except in cases numbered 3051, 3059, 3084, 3085, 3101, 3136, 3163 and 3168, where no transcript or certified statement of the testimony was ever furnished or included in the record-on-appeal.

Now, unless subsection (5) requires the filing of a brief by appellant, in at least eight of the cases under consideration, appellant had complied with the duties required to perfect an appeal and the next move was up to this court under subsections (13) and (14).

[195]*195A review of section 932.52, in its entirety, reveals that most of the usual provisions relating to appeals generally and the time and method of proceeding are specifically treated. In addition, subsection (15) provides — “The rules of the supreme court shall be applicable to appeals under this section except in so far as they may be in conflict herewith.”

The Florida Supreme Court Rules in effect and controlling at the time this appeal was taken provided, in part—

“Rule 35. APPEALS IN CRIMINAL CASES
1. How Prosecuted. Appeals in criminal cases shall be prosecuted in accordance with the provisions of chapter 924, Florida Statutes; and, except as herein stated, with such provisions of these rules as are not inconsistent with the provision of said chapter.
2. Exceptions. * * *
(c) BRIEFS, TIME FOR FILING. Within 30 days after filing the transcript of record, the appellant shall file the original and one copy of his brief with the clerk of this court and serve one copy on appellee.”

Unless subsection (15), quoted above, was intended to provide for and make mandatory the rules of the Supreme Court, which require a brief in criminal appeals, it would have no meaning. All other matters usual and necessary in appellate proceedings are covered by the act, except form, content and time for filing of a brief and motions. This court must ascribe that meaning to subsection (15) in order to give any effect to the plain language of that subsection.

Appellant having failed in each case to file a brief within thirty days as required by the quoted portion of the rules of the Supreme Court, it follows that each appeal was subject to dismissal.

Also incorporated into section 932.52 by subsection (15) is rule 39 of the rules of the Supreme Court, which clearly requires that appellee furnish appellant with a copy of its motion to dismiss the appeal in this case.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
13 Fla. Supp. 192, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/city-of-jacksonville-v-lentz-flacirct4duv-1958.