City of Springfield v. Stevens

216 S.W.2d 450, 358 Mo. 699, 1949 Mo. LEXIS 521
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedJanuary 7, 1949
DocketNo. 40549.
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 216 S.W.2d 450 (City of Springfield v. Stevens) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
City of Springfield v. Stevens, 216 S.W.2d 450, 358 Mo. 699, 1949 Mo. LEXIS 521 (Mo. 1949).

Opinions

*703 [452]

ELLISON, J.

This case, founded on an ordinance of the City of Springfield, was argued and submitted in Division I of this court at the April session, where an opinion was prepared by Dalton, C. It failed of adoption, two of the judges in that Division having concurred and two dissented. For that reason it was transferred to the court en banc, and submitted at the present October session on the briefs, without oral argument. We have appellate jurisdiction under Art. V, Sec. 3, Const. Mo. 1945, because a constitutional question is involved, the appellate contending the ordinance violates Art. Ill, Sec. 40, par. 30, Const- Mo. 1945, in that it is a local and special *704 law where a general law could have b’een made applicable. We set out the opinion below, with a few minor changes but without quotation marks, and have numbered the paragraphs dor convenience in reference hereafter. ■ ■

(1) Defendant ivas convicted of violating an- ordinance of the City of Springfield prohibiting taxicab drivers -from having in their possession, carrying or transporting in their taxicabs intoxicating beverages of any kind and a fine of $10 and costs was: imposed. He has appealed. The errors assigned concern the sufficiency of the complaint and the evidence, the validity of the ordinance and its construction, if valid, and the admission of evidence.

(2) Appellant, a taxicab driver, was employed by a licensed taxicab company of the City of -Springfield and was operating a licensed taxicab. On January 30, 1947., about 9:30 a. ni., A. C. Boehm, the official Taxicab Inspector of the City of' Springfield, saw appellant operating his taxicab and saw him park-in front of the St. Louis Street Liquor Store in said city. Appellant got out and went into the store and, a little later, returned to the taxicab with a package which he laid on the seat beside him. Boehm testified: “I hurried up there, and he started his engine, ready to start out, and I stopped him and took the package and looked into it, and I found this bottle here.” Appellant was alone in the taxicab. The bottlej a fifth' of wine, was marked “Italian Swiss Colony, Type-California Port, Alcohol 20% by volume.” Boehm took possession- of it and it was offered in evidence at the trial. ....

(3) With reference to his arrest by Boehm, appellant testified: “He just got in and asked me where I was going, and I told him I was taking some wine to a sick lady, and he said, ‘Is that all you got in your bottle?’ and I said, ‘Yes, sir’ .■ • and'he sáid, ‘Where are you going with that wine ? ’ and I said, ‘ 900-block on Hamilton. ’ And he said, ‘No, you are not, you are going to the police station with me.’ ” Appellant admitted that he was on duty for the taxicab conn pany by whom he was employed; and that he was making a special [453] trip to get and deliver the wine. Appellant further offered evidence to the effect that the wine was intended fot use as medicine by a sick person who had no one else to send for it.

(4) Appllant contends the court erred in .overruling his mo: tion to dismiss the complaint on the ground that it did not comply with Sec. 6796 R. S. 1909 and Sec. 847.36 R. S. A., Laws 1943, p. 369, Sec. 36. Appellant insists the facts stated in the information are too indefinite and uncertain to bar another action for the. same offense; that no relief whatever is demanded, or fine sought; and that appellant was entitled to be informed concerning the relief demanded.

(5) The complaint is, in part, as follows: “John A, Carr, City Prosecutor within and for the City qf Springfield, County of Greene, State of Missouri, being by- me duly sworn, upon his information and *705 belief, informs the Court that on or about the 30th day of January 1947, one Freddie Stevens, a taxicab driver, at the aforesaid City and within the limits of said.City, did then and there wilfully and unlawfully have in his possession and carry and transport in his taxicab, intoxicating beverage or liquor, towit: one bottle of wine, contrary to the City Ordinance, Section 443 (sic) Article 4, Chapter VI, Revised Ordinance of City Spfd (sic) 1946, in such cases made and provided and against the peace and dignity of the City.”

(6) We assume the number “443” is a typographical error in the record. No reference is made to it and no objection was made to the admission in evidence of Sec. 554 and all other sections of Article 4, Chapter VI of the ordinance, except Sec. 561, the penalty section, which called for the imposition of a fine of $10 to $50 for its violation. In the brief appellant states that' the action is based on Sec. 554 of the ordinance.

(7) Section 6796, supra, provides: “All prosecutions for the violation of any city ordinance shall be entitled ‘The City of-against -’ (naming the city and the person or persons charged), shall be in writing and shall set forth the offense in plain, ordinary language, giving the ordinance and section violated; may contain one or more counts for the same or different offenses; and shall 5.e governed by the rules of civil 'procedure as to form, and substance, except that the truth thereof shall be sworn to upon the information and belief of some person whose signature shall appear on the complaint.” (Italics ours). Section 847.36, supra, of the new Civil Code, in part, provides: “A pleading which sets forth a claim for relief . . shall contain (1) . . and (2) a demand for judgment for the relief to which he deems himself entitled. If a recovery of money be demanded, the amount shall be stated . . . ” In this respect the section is very similar to Sec. 916 R. S. 1939, which has been repealed.

(8) The information was suffifficient in form and substance. This proceeding originated in the city court before the municipal. judge. Sec’s 6794 and 6803 R. S. 1939. A prosecution in violation of a city ordinance is in the nature of a civil action. City of St. Louis v. Fitch, 353 Mo. 706, 183 SW. (2d) 828; City of Cape Girardeau v. Smith (Mo. App.) 61 SW. (2d) 231. The same strictness is not required as in a criminal prosecution. City of Poplar Bluff v. Meadows, 187 Mo. App. 450, 173 SW. 11, 12. Appellant was specifically advised of the time and place and particular in which he had violated the ordinance. The allegations fully advised him of the nature of the .complaint against him and the number of the ordinance (article and chapter) upon which the prosecution was based. It would be difficult to believe that appellant was misled as to the purpose of the prosecution or the relief sought.

*706 (9) A complaint in a prosecution for. the violation of a city ordinance is ordinarily sufficient where it describes the.act complained of in the language of .the ordinance. City of St. Louis v. Weitzel, 130 Mo. 600, 612, 31 SW. 1045. The complaint met tbe specific requirements of Sec. 6796, supra. The failure exactly to comply with the provisions of Sec., 847.36; supra, by.including in the complaint a demand for relief by the imposition of a fine, was mot fatal. It has not been so held heretofore under, the similar statute, • Sec. 916, supra. [454] Eldon Ice & Fuel Co. v. Van Hooser, 163 Mo. App. 591, 593, 147 SW. 161; Lakey v. Hoops, 80 Mo. App. 508. The charge was definite enough to bar a subsequent prosecution.for the same offense.

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Bluebook (online)
216 S.W.2d 450, 358 Mo. 699, 1949 Mo. LEXIS 521, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/city-of-springfield-v-stevens-mo-1949.