Clark v. Alloway

170 P.2d 425, 67 Idaho 32, 1946 Ida. LEXIS 119
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedJune 14, 1946
DocketNo. 7247.
StatusPublished
Cited by38 cases

This text of 170 P.2d 425 (Clark v. Alloway) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Clark v. Alloway, 170 P.2d 425, 67 Idaho 32, 1946 Ida. LEXIS 119 (Idaho 1946).

Opinions

*36 BUDGE, Justice.

Appellant’s complaint, filed in the District Court for Ada County, set forth two causes of action. The first seeks damages in the sum of $15,000 actual and $5,000 punitive damages, alleged to have been sustained by reason of the acts of respondents in maliciously and unlawfully procuring her arrest, September 3, 1944, on a charge of vagrancy. The second cause of action seeks to recover damages in the same amounts from respondents for having falsely imprisoned appellant after her arrest on said charge.

Respondents, in their answer, deny all the allegations of the complaint, except they admit they are police officers; that respondents Alloway and Sherman arrested plaintiff for the violation of sec. 4-1501, Boise City Code, 1936, of begging as a business; that a criminal complaint was filed against her on that charge by the Boise City Chief of Police; that she was held in custody upon said charge, which was subsequently dismissed by the police judge on motion of the city attorney.

The cause was tried to the court and jury. At the close of all the evidence appellant moved to dismiss the complaint as against defendant Gunderson, which motion was granted. The jury returned a verdict in favor of the remaining defendants on both causes of action. Judgment was entered on the verdict, hence this appeal.

The testimony is voluminous, consisting of 434 pages. It might be here observed that there is a direct conflict upon every material issue of fact.

The primary contention of appellant upon which she bases her right of recovery is that at the time of her arrest she was, and had been for a considerable period of time, engaged as an evangelist pastor and missionary for various religious and charitable organizations; that her solicitation of funds was for these organizations; that she was not engaged in begging as a business ; that her arrest and imprisonment on the charge of begging as a business was malicious and without probable cause.

On the other hand, respondents have bottomed their defense upon the ground that the evidence clearly establishes the fact that appellant was not engaged in *37 religious or charitable work in soliciting funds as claimed by her, but was engaged in begging as a business in violation of sec. 4-1501, Boise City Code; that probable cause existed for her arrest at the time she was taken into custody, absence of malice and, as to the second cause of action, no wrongful or unlawful detention.

In limine, actions for malicious prosecution are not favored in law, hence have been hedged about by limitations more stringent than in the case of almost any other act causing damage to another. In order to recover in such an action the plaintiff must allege and prove (1) that there was a prosecution; (2) that it terminated in favor of plaintiff; (3) that the defendants were prosecutors; (4) that they were actuated by malice; (5) that there was want of probable cause; and (6) the amount of damages that plaintiff has sustained. Russell v. Chamberlain, 12 Idaho 299, 85 P. 926, 9 Ann.Cas. 1173, and cases therein cited; Luther v. First Bank of Troy, 64 Idaho 416, at page 421, 133 P.2d 717.

“As it is essential that the plaintiff in his complaint affirmatively allege all the facts necessary to support his action, it follows that he must assume the burden of proof in respect to each of these allegations, and by his evidence establish to the satisfaction of the court and jury that he has been prosecuted by the defendant, that the prosecution has terminated in his favor, that it was malicious, and without probable cause; and if by his evidence he does not make out a prima facie case upon all of these issues, he must fail.” Ross v. Hixon, 46 Kan. 550, 26 P. 955, 12 L.R.A. 760, 26 Am. St.Rep. 123, Note at page 153.

“To sustain an action for malicious prosecution, there must be a concurrence of malice and want of probable cause. Neither, however clearly established, will support an action in the absence of the other.” Ross v. Hixon, supra, 26 Am.St. Rep., Note, page 149.

Numerous definitions of probable cause have been given. A definition sufficiently exact to meet satisfactorily every possible test would be difficult, if not impossible, to furnish. It may be nearly accurate to say that probable cause consists of a belief in the charge or facts alleged, based on sufficient circumstances to reasonably induce such belief in a person of ordinary prudence in the same situation. Boeger v. Langenberg, 97 Mo. 390, 11 S.W. 223, 10 Am.St.Rep. 322.

“Probable cause as is applicable to this action is (the existence of such facts or circumstances as would excite the belief of a reasonable mind, acting on the facts within the knowledge of the prosecutor, that the person charged was guilty of the crime for which he was prosecuted.)” Luther v. First Bank of Troy, 64 Idaho 416, 420, 133 P.2d 717, 719.

The rule seems to be well established that where the evidence bearing upon the question of probable cause is conflict *38 ing, it is the province of the jury to determine which of the witnesses speak the truth. Ross v. Hixon, supra, 126 Am.St. Rep., Note, page 141.

The jury by its general verdict found probable cause for the arrest of plaintiff, and absence of malice. The evidence is sufficient, though contradictory, to support the verdict.

“False imprisonment is the unlawful restraint by one person of the physical liberty of another,” or more exactly, “the direct restraint by one person of the physical liberty of another without adequate legal justification” or without probable cause. (11 R.C.L. 791.) The jury found upon conflicting evidence there was probable cause for plaintiff’s arrest and detention. The rule is well established in this jurisdiction that where the evidence is conflicting, and there is substantial evidence to support the verdict, it will not be disturbed on appeal. Frost & Co. v. Coeur d’Alene Mines Corporation, 63 Idaho 20, at page 28, 115 P.2d 928.

We will now consider appellant’s assignments of error alleged to have occurred during the trial to determine whether or not the trial judge committed reversible error.

Appellant has assigned 18 specifications of error. We will direct our attention to such of them as we consider material, but not in. the order in which stated in the brief.

Assignments numbered 7 to 11, inclusive, are predicated upon the proposition that the court erred in permitting respondents to testify, over objection, as to whether or not they were influenced by malice in instituting proceedings against appellant. They all testified, in effect, that at no time did they entertain malice or ill will toward appellant or seek to injure her. The burden was on appellant to establish each and every allegation of her complaint, that is, both lack of probable cause and malice, such proof in an action of this character is indispensable. (38 C. J. § 146, p. 475.)

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Bluebook (online)
170 P.2d 425, 67 Idaho 32, 1946 Ida. LEXIS 119, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/clark-v-alloway-idaho-1946.