Fields v. Fields

326 P.2d 451, 307 P.2d 528, 213 Or. 522, 1958 Ore. LEXIS 215
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedJune 4, 1958
StatusPublished
Cited by27 cases

This text of 326 P.2d 451 (Fields v. Fields) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oregon Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fields v. Fields, 326 P.2d 451, 307 P.2d 528, 213 Or. 522, 1958 Ore. LEXIS 215 (Or. 1958).

Opinion

BRAND, J.

The plaintiff brought an action for damages on account of personal injury suffered as a result of the alleged negligence of the defendant. The jury returned a verdict for plaintiff in the total amount of $88,227.47. Defendant appealed and the case is now before us upon a motion by the plaintiff to strike the bill of exceptions. We take it that a motion to strike, when filed in this court, means “to strike” from a transcript which is on file here. The motion to strike the bill of exceptions was filed on 24 January 1957 but the bill of exceptions was not filed with the clerk of this court until 6 February 1957. The motion was therefore premature. However, since the plaintiff could immediately re-file his motion to strike, we will consider the merits of his motion as if it was filed after the filing of the bill of exceptions. The cause was tried in the circuit court for Sherman County. Judgment for the plaintiff upon the verdict of the jury was *524 signed on 13 November 1956 and entered on 15 November 1956.

Prom the affidavit of an attorney for the defendant-appellant it appears that a proposed bill of exceptions was mailed to John Liveira, clerk of the circuit court at Canyon City which is in Grant County, “with the request that he mark it submitted and then deliver it to the Honorable E. H. Howell, Circuit Judge for the Eleventh Judicial District;”. John Liveira, as clerk of the circuit court for Grant County (which is not the county in which the case was tried) certifies that he received the proposed bill of exceptions on 2 January 1957 “with a request that I mark it ‘submitted’ and deliver it to Judge E. H. Howell for his consideration.” He further certified “That on the 2nd day o.f January, 1957, I did deliver to Judge Howell the said Bill of Exceptions at the Courthouse in Canyon City, Oregon, but I did not mark it ‘submitted’, for the reason that I am not the Clerk of Sherman County, Oregon.” The transcript of testimony certified by the court reporter was not physically attached to the short bill of exceptions but was certified, incorporated by reference and settled as a part of the bill by order of the trial judge signed on 15 January 1957. The bill bears the indorsement of the clerk of Sherman County, as follows:

“Bill of Exceptions tendered January 15, 1957
“Bill of Exceptions filed January 16,1957
“Marie Hoskinson, County Clerk”.

The authenticated and settled but unattached transcript of testimony also bears the indorsement:

“Piled Jan. 16,1957
‘‘ Marie Hoskinson
“ County Clerk”.

*525 To summarize, the relevant events in chronological order were as follows:

15 November 1956—Entry of judgment for the plaintiff.
2 January 1957—Proposed bill of exceptions received by the clerk of Grant County.
2 January 1957—Proposed bill delivered to Judge Howell.
14 January 1957—60th day after entry of judgment.
15 January 1957—Bill of exceptions settled by order of Judge Howell.
16 January 1957—Bill of exceptions filed with the clerk of Sherman County.

The statute provides:

“A proposed bill of exceptions may be tendered by presenting it to the clerk of the court within 60 days after the entry of the judgment, or within such further time as may be granted by order of the court if application is made during the said period of 60 days or within any extension that may be granted.” ORS 19.100.

The clear legislative intent as expressed in the statute is that the clerk of the court to whom the proposed bill of exceptions may be “presented” is the clerk of the court which tried the case. This case was tried in Sherman County and we find no authority for presenting the bill to the clerk of the circuit court for Grant County. Any other construction would mean that a bill could be tendered to the trial court by presenting it to any one of several county clerks, with the result that the records and files of the trial court would be incomplete. We conclude that the presentation of the bill to the clerk of the circuit court for Grant County did not constitute a tender thereof to the judge within *526 the meaning of ORS 19.100. The tender to the clerk of the Sherman County circuit court was one day late, no extension of time having been requested or given. Rayburn v. Norton, 150 Or 140, 36 P2d 986, 43 P2d 919. We have repeatedly held that a proposed hill of exceptions must he tendered within the time specified in OES 19.100.

“It is clear from a reading of the provisions of section 2-703, as amended, that it was the intention of the statute to limit the right to prepare and tender a proposed hill of exceptions to a period of sixty days after the entry of the judgment or within such further time as may he granted hy the trial court, providing that the order granting such extension is made during the time when the right to file the hill exists and that an order made extending the time after the right to file the hill had ceased to exist would he unauthorized and void.” State v. Stapleton, 139 Or 402, 405, 10 P2d 600.

See also State v. Terwilliger, 141 Or 372, 11 P2d 552, 16 P2d 651; Hart v. State Ind. Acc. Comm., 148 Or 692, 38 P2d 698; Bird v. Ellingsworth, 156 Or 103, 59 P2d 261, 65 P2d 674; Williams v. Ragan, 174 Or 328, 143 P2d 209.

The opinion in State v. Stapleton, supra, 139 Or 402, 10 P2d 600, was cited with apparent approval in State v. Terwilliger, supra. Insofar as those cases hold that the application for extension of time must he made during the period of 60 days or within any extension that may he granted, they are in harmony with the statute and correctly state the law. Insofar as they intimate that the order extending time as well as the application therefor must he made within 60 days or within any extension that may he granted, they were overruled hy State ex rel. v. Leonard, 164 Or 579, 94 P2d 1113, 102 P2d 197.

*527 In Bird v. Ellingsworth, supra, the court said of Hart v. State Industrial Accident Commission, supra, 148 Or 692, 38 P2d 698:

“ * * * It was therein held that it was mandatory that the application and order for extension of time be made before the applicant is in default. * * #” (Italics ours.)

The Hart case did not so hold. See 148 Or at 700.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
326 P.2d 451, 307 P.2d 528, 213 Or. 522, 1958 Ore. LEXIS 215, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fields-v-fields-or-1958.