Crescent Wharf & Warehouse Co. v. Pillsbury

93 F.2d 761, 1938 U.S. App. LEXIS 4728, 1938 A.M.C. 689
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedJanuary 4, 1938
DocketNo. 8374
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 93 F.2d 761 (Crescent Wharf & Warehouse Co. v. Pillsbury) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Crescent Wharf & Warehouse Co. v. Pillsbury, 93 F.2d 761, 1938 U.S. App. LEXIS 4728, 1938 A.M.C. 689 (9th Cir. 1938).

Opinion

MATHEWS, Circuit Judge.

On February 9, 1935, Alfred E. Hunter (hereafter called claimant) was employed by the Crescent Wharf & Warehouse Company (hereafter called the employer), in maritime employment, upon navigable waters of the United States. To secure payment of compensation to its employees under the Longshoremen’s and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, § 1 et seq. 44 Stat. 1424—1446, as amended, 33 U.S.C.A. §§ 901-950, the employer had, pursuant to section 32 of the act, 33 U.S.C.A. § 933, insured payment of such compensation with the Pacific Employers Insurance Company (hereafter called the carrier).

On April 8, 1935, claimant filed with Warren H. Pillsbury, a deputy commissioner of the United States Employees’ Compensation Commission, a claim for compensation for disability alleged to have resulted from an accidental injury arising out of and in the course of his aforesaid employment and alleged to have occurred on February 9, 1935. After notice and hearing, as provided in section 19 of the act, 33 U.S.C.A. § 919,1 the deputy commissioner on June 27, 1935, issued an order rejecting the claim.

On July 8, 1935, claimant petitioned the deputy commissioner for a rehearing of his case. On July 25, 1935, the deputy commissioner vacated his order of June 27, 1935, and granted claimant’s petition for rehearing. A rehearing was had on August 17, 1935, the employer and the carrier appearing and participating therein. On August 19, 1935, the deputy commissioner issued an order awarding compensation to claimant in the sum of $675, payable forthwith, and the further sum of $25 a week, payable each two weeks until termination of disability.

On September 18, 1935, in the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of California, the employer and the carrier commenced a proceeding in admiralty against claimant and the deputy commissioner under section 21 of the act, 33 U.S.C.A. § 921, to enjoin and set aside the compensation order of August 19, 1935. Answers were filed, the case was heard, and the District Court on September 24, 1936, entered its decree dismissing the libel,2 affirming the compensation order, and awarding costs and attorney's fees to claimant. From that decree, the employer and the carrier have appealed.

The appeal was taken (1) by filing with the clerk of the District Court and serving on the proctors for appellees a notice of appeal, as provided in rule 1 of our then existing Admiralty Rules;3 (2) by filing, [763]*763with the notice of appeal, an assignment of errors and a bond for the costs of the appeal; and (3) by presenting the bond to the judge of the District Court and obtaining from him his written approval thereof. The notice was served on October 13, 1936. The notice, the assignment of errors, and the bond were filed on October 14,' 1936, and the bond was on that date presented to and approved by the District Judge.

Appellees have moved to dismiss the appeal upon the ground that there was no allowance thereof. In support of their motion, they cite Alaska Packers Ass’n v. Pillsbury, 301 U.S. 174, 57 S.Ct. 682, 81 L.Ed. 988, decided April 26, 1937, wherein the Supreme Court, reversing our decision in 9 Cir., 78 F.2d 587, held that our then existing Admiralty Rule 1 was void, because in conflict with section 8(c) of the Act of February 13, 1925, 28 U.S.C.A. § 230, which provides:

“No * * * appeal intended to bring any judgment or decree before a circuit court of appeals for review shall be allowed unless application therefor be duly made within three months after the entry of such judgment or decree.”

In the cited case, a deputy commissioner of the United States Employees’ Compensation Commission and a claimant to whom compensation had been awarded under the Longshoremen’s and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act attempted to appeal from a decree setting aside the award. This they attempted to do simply by filing and serving a notice of appeal, as provided in our then existing Admiralty Rule 1. No bond was required of the deputy commissioner,4 and none was filed by him. The claimant filed a bond, but it was not presented to or approved by the District Court or any judge thereof within three months after entry of the decree. There was, within the three-month period, no application for or allowance of the attempted appeal. It was accordingly held by the Supreme Court that the attempted appeal could not be entertained.

In the case at bar, appellants, within three months after entry of the decree, not only filed and served a notice of appeal, but also filed with the clerk and presented to the judge of the District Court a bond for the costs of the appeal and obtained from the judge his approval thereof. The bond recites that appellants are about to take an appeal to this court from the decree which the District Court entered in this cause on September 24, 1936.

There was, it is true, no formal order allowing the appeal. Such orders, though customary and proper are not indispensable. No statute prescribes the form or manner in which appeals to this court shall be allowed. In this case, we think the approval of the appeal bond was, in legal effect, an allowance of the appeal. Sage v. Central Railroad Co., 96 U.S. 712, 714, 24 L.Ed. 641; Draper v. Davis, 102 U.S. 370, 371, 26 L.Ed. 121; Brandies v. Cochrane, 105 U.S. 262, 26 L.Ed. 989; Brown v. McConnell, 124 U.S. 489, 491, 8 S.Ct. 559, 31 L.Ed. 495; Harkrader v. Wadley, 172 U.S. 148, 163, 19 S.Ct. 119, 43 L.Ed. 399; Alaska United Gold Mining Co. v. Keating, 9 Cir., 116 F. 561, 564; Standard Oil Co. v. Robins Dry Dock & Repair Co., 2 Cir., 32 F.2d 182, 183; Henderson County v. Wilkins, 4 Cir., 43 F.2d 670, 672; Louisville Trust Co. v. Stockton, 5 Cir., 72 F. 1, 2; Ross v. White, 6 Cir., 32 F.2d 750, 752; Chamberlain Transportation Co. v. South Pier Coal Co., 7 Cir., 126 F. 165, 166; Simpson v. First National Bank, 8 Cir., 129 F. 257, 259.

■[2,3] A further ground of appellees’ motion is that “no citation has been issued within the statutory period.” There is no statutory period for the issuance of citation on appeal. If a citation were necessary, it could be issued now, but it is not necessary. Such citation is not jurisdictional. Its only purpose is to give notice to the appellee, so that he may appear and be heard in the appellate court. Mitchell v. Lay, 9 Cir., 48 F.2d 79, 85; Nome & Sinook Co. v. Ames Mercantile Co., 9 Cir., 187 F. 928; Sutherland v. Pearce, 9 Cir., 186 F. 783, 787; Martin v. Burford, 9 Cir., 176 F. 554. That being its purpose, it may be waived. Nome & Sinook Co. v. Ames Mercantile Co., supra.

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Bluebook (online)
93 F.2d 761, 1938 U.S. App. LEXIS 4728, 1938 A.M.C. 689, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/crescent-wharf-warehouse-co-v-pillsbury-ca9-1938.