Couzens v. Sellers

168 N.W. 653, 199 Mich. 457, 1917 Mich. LEXIS 999
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 27, 1917
DocketDocket No. 71
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 168 N.W. 653 (Couzens v. Sellers) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Couzens v. Sellers, 168 N.W. 653, 199 Mich. 457, 1917 Mich. LEXIS 999 (Mich. 1917).

Opinion

Per Curiam.

In the city of Detroit, a woman named Jessie West was arrested by a policeman, taken to and locked in police quarters. It was during the forenoon of Saturday, May 19, 1917. Later on, on Monday, May 21, 1917, a complaint was made by the officer to one of the police justices of Detroit, in which complaint she was charged with being a disorderly person because she was a common prostitute “for the above-mentioned offense committed in his presence and view as such police officer.” A warrant was issued, dated May 21, 1917, the woman was arraigned and convicted, and sentence was suspended. She is not asserting any right here nor complaining of any wrong.

Soon after she was taken to police headquarters, on Saturday, a member of the Wayne county bar appeared before Albert F. Sellers, one of the police justices of the city of Detroit, in behalf of Jessie West. He produced a man willing to enter into a recognizance for her immediate release. A written recognizance was prepared and executed by him, dated on that day, which recited that Jessie West was arrested and in custody at Central Police Station “on suspicion of being a disorderly person, to which charge the said Jessie West is ready to plead not guilty, and said Jessie West was ordered to recognize herself in the sum [459]*459of $100 with one surety in the like sum, for her appearance at the police court for arraignment on said charge.” It recited that Jessie West as principal, and Noah A. Rounds as surety, personally came before the undersigned and severally and respectively acknowledged themselves indebted to the people of the State of Michigan in the sum of $100, etc. The condition was that if Jessie West appeared personally in the court on the 21st day of May, 1917, at 9 o’clock in the forenoon for arraignment on said charge, etc., the recognizance should be void. The instrument was subscribed before Albert F. Sellers, one of the police justices. No complaint had been, in fact, made against the woman in any court. She did not appear before the said police justice, or in his court, she did not sign the recognizance, and, except as it may be inferred that the attorney was acting in her interest, the record of the court does not show that she was demanding bail or interested in the matter. The recognizance having been thus executed, the said magistrate executed and delivered to the said attorney an instrument partly printed and partly in writing, which in its caption and otherwise recited and indicated that it was issued out of the police court, addressed to James Couzens, commissioner of police, Ernest Marquardt, superintendent of police, and to “any officer” of the metropolitan police department. The precise form of this instrument is somewhat in dispute, but in substance it commanded the persons, so addressed to forthwith release from custody the said Jessie West “now being held at P. H. Station on a charge of dis. person,” stating, also, that she was to appear in the police court on the 21st day of May, 1917, at 9 o’clock a. m. It was signed, “Albert F. Sellers, One of the Police Justices of the City of Detroit.” It contained no recital that a recognizance had been taken in her behalf. The attorney presented this document at the police station, [460]*460and the clerk in charge, after conferring with his superior, refused to release the said Jessie West, returning the order for her release to the said attorney.

On the 23d of May, at a session of the police court, the said Roxborough presented an affidavit and petition, in which he set out various matters, among others the order hereinabove referred to, which in his petition does not, however, contain the words, “defendants not to be released if held on a warrant or some other charge,” sets up that he presented it to John Hayes, lieutenant of the clean-up squad of the department, who in obedience to an order issued by James Couzens, police commissioner, refused to discharge from custody the persons named therein; that some time prior to May 19,1917, the said James Couzens issued an order to the police officers, directing and ordering them to refuse to honor and obey orders of release signed by Albert F. Sellers, one of the police magistrates of the police court. The affidavit of the said Roxborough continues by saying that in issuing that order James Couzens knew that he was ordering and commanding said officers of the metropolitan police department to wilfully disobey lawful orders of Albert F. Sellers, a police magistrate of the police court of the city of Detroit, and that in issuing said order said James Couzens wilfully became guilty of contempt of the police court of the city of Detroit:

“In that the said action upon his part tends to defame and degrade and insult Albert F. Sellers, one of the police magistrates of said police court, and the said police court of the city of Detroit, and that action of the said James Couzens in issuing the said order brings the said Albert F. Sellers as a police magistrate and said police court, one of the most important departments in the judicial branch of the State government, charged with the enforcement of law, and the administration of justice, into disrepute, contumely and contempt, and tends to and does destroy the power [461]*461and influence of the said Albert F. Sellers as a police magistrate and the said police court _ as_ one of the most important departments, of the judicial branch of the State government in the enforcement of the law and the administration of justice, and tends to and does excite and inflame the feelings and prejudices of the people against the said Albert F. Sellers as a police magistrate and the said police court, and tends to and does affect the said Albert F. Sellers as a police magistrate and the said police court so as to interfere with the due administration of law and justice by the said Albert F. Sellers as a police magistrate and the said police court.”

Upon receiving this paper, the said Albert F. Sellers signed, and there was issued out of the police court, an order which, after stating in substance the contents of the said Roxborough affidavit, commands James Couzens, Ernest Marquardt, and John Hayes to appear before Albert F. Sellers, one of the police magistrates, on the 29th day of May, 1917, at 2 o’clock in the afternoon, at the police court, to show cause-why each and all of them should not be punished for contempt of court in issuing said order and in obeying the same. -s

As the others were discharged, it is important only to consider the case of James Couzens, who showed cause in writing to the effect:

(1) That he had been served with no papers in the matter other than the order of the court and the affidavit of the said Roxborough.

(2) That he never made any order directing Marquardt and Hayes, -or either of them, or any officer of the police department, wilfully or otherwise, to refuse to honor and obey the lawful orders of Honorable Albert F. Sellers, one of the police magistrates of the police court.

(3) That at the time of the making of the order for the release of Jessie West she had been arrested [462]*462and was held by the metropolitan police department at the detention home on the charge of being a common prostitute.

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Bluebook (online)
168 N.W. 653, 199 Mich. 457, 1917 Mich. LEXIS 999, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/couzens-v-sellers-mich-1917.