Hall v. Dunn

97 P. 811, 52 Or. 475, 1908 Ore. LEXIS 148
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 27, 1908
StatusPublished
Cited by45 cases

This text of 97 P. 811 (Hall v. Dunn) 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
Hall v. Dunn, 97 P. 811, 52 Or. 475, 1908 Ore. LEXIS 148 (Or. 1908).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Moore

delivered the opinion of the court.

1. The right of an equity tribunal to grant an injunction in the case at bar is challenged on the ground that the plaintiff could, by a writ of review, have tested the validity of the order of the county court directing an election to be held in the entire county, and, as an adequite remedy at law was thus afforded, errors were committed in overruling the demurrer and in granting the relief awarded. A suit in equity may be maintained in this State for the enforcement or protection of a private right, or the prevention of or redress for an injury thereto, in all cases where there is not a plain, adequate, and complete remedy at law: Section 390, B. & C. Comp. The right of an equity tribunal to hear and determine a cause, of which a court of law may have concurrent jurisdiction, is not defeated unless the legal remedy, in respect to the final relief and the mode of securing it, is as efficient as the redress which a court of chancery can afford under the same circumstances: South Portland Land Co. v. Munger, 36 Or. 457, 473 (54 Pac. 815, 60 Pac. 5) ; Benson v. Keller, 37 Or. 120, 129 (60 Pac. 918) ; Livesley v. Johnston, 45 Or. 30, 50 (76 Pac. 13, 496: 65 L. R. A. 783: 106 Am. St. Rep. 647). The statute, prohibiting equitable intervention except in the cases specified, is probably declaratory of a pre-existing rule, founded upon the principle that in the ascertainment of disputed questions of fact the fundamental law guarantees in all civil cases the right to a trial by jury: Constitution Oregon, Art. I, § 17; Phipps v. Kelly, 12 Or. 213, 215 (6 Pac. 707).

2. The writ of review, which is substantially the common-law writ of certiorari, is denominated a “special proceeding”: Section 594, B. & C. Comp. The return to the writ brings up the record of the inferior court, officer, or tribunal, not for the purpose of ascertaining an issue of fact, but to determine whether or not the functions of the court, officer, or tribunal have been exercised erron[480]*480eously, or that the jurisdiction employed has been exceeded : Section 597, B. & C. Comp. It will thus be seen that the only inquiry to be considered, upon the return to a writ of review, is a question of law, in the examination of which the parties are not entitled to a jury trial, thus taking the proceedings out of the reason usually assigned for excluding equitable interposition.

3. If a writ had been issued to review the specified action of the county court, every sale by the plaintiff of intoxicating liquor in Medford, until the proceedings had been finally determined, might have subjected him to criminal prosecutions for alleged violations of the provisions of the local option liquor law; whereas a temporary injunction would have prevented the maintenance of such actions until the suit in equity had terminated. Multiplicity of criminal actions against the plaintiff, or-of civil actions by him for the recovery of the damages which he might sustain, is not alone deemed sufficient always to authorize a court of equity to assume jurisdiction and to grant an injunction in a cause in which relief could have been obtained in an action at law: 22 Cyc. 791.

4. Though an individual may, under some circumstances, maintain an action against a municipal officer for enforcing the provisions of a void criminal law, any judgment that might be rendered in such action would be fruitless if the officer were insolvent; for municipal corporations are not generally liable for trespasses committed by their officers in the enforcement of void enactments in the attempted exercise of police powers: 20 Am. & Eng. Einc. Law (2 d.), 1195. It is evident that a writ of review is not as efficient in the case at bar as the remedy which injunction affords.

5. In Sandys v. Williams, 46 Or. 327, 336 (80 Pac. 642, 645), it is said: “Where criminal prosecutions under color of a void law are threatened, which act, if enforced, would deprive a party of a property right, a [481]*481preliminary injunction may properly be issued to prevent the menaced injury: 1 Spelling (2 ed.), § 24. Equity has jurisdiction to interpose by injunction where public officers, under a claim of right, are proceeding illegally to injure the property of individuals or corporations.” The legal principle thus announced has been followed in the cases of Marsden v. Harlocker, 48 Or. 90 (85 Pac. 328: 120 Am. St. Rep. 786), and Renshaw v. Lane County Court, 49 Or. 526 (89 Pac. 147).

6. The rule is quite general that a court of equity has no jurisdiction by injunction to restrain the enforcement of criminal proceedings. This precept, nevertheless, is subject to an exception, in referring to which a text-writer observes: “There are some cases, however, in which a cqurt of equity may enjoin acts affecting property rights though such acts may also be indictable”: Beach, Modern Equity Practice, §762. The deviation adverted to is well recognized, and is based on the ground that a suit for an injunction is against the officer individually, and therefore not against the municipality, state, or other sovereign power for which he assumes to act: 11 Am. & Eng. Enc. Law (2 ed.), 199; 22 Cyc. 903; Delaware Surety Co. v. Layton (Del. Ch. 50 Atl. 378, 380; Nelson v. State Board of Health, 108 Ky. 769, 782 (57 S. W. 501: 50 L. R. A. 383) ; Gile v. Stegner, 92 Minn. 429, 431 (100 N. W. 101) ; Mutual Life Ins. Co. v. Boyle (Fed.) 82 Fed. 705, 710; Board of Liquidation v. McComb, 92 U. S. 531, 541 (23 L. Ed. 623) ; Noble v. Union River Log. Ry. Co. 147 U. S. 165, 172 (13 Sup. Ct. 271: 37 L. Ed. 123); Smyth v. Ames, 169 U. S. 466, 518 (18 Sup. Ct. 418: 42 L. Ed. 819). If it is assumed, therefore, that a writ of review would have afforded the plaintiff a legal remedy for the injury, which he might have sustained in the manner indicated, a court of equity, based on the facts alleged in the complaint, also has concurrent jurisdiction of the subject-matter of the suit and was authorized to grant a temporary injunction.

[482]*4827. The next question to be considered is whether or not the City of Medford is exempted from the operation of the provisions of the local option liquor law. The determination of this inquiry necessitates an examination of certain enactments deemed applicable to the discussion. The legislative assembly passed an act.February 6, 1901, granting a charter to that city, which authorized the council to enact ordinances and adopt regulations, inter alia, as follows:

“To license, tax, regulate or prohibit barrooms, drinking shops, billiard rooms, bowling alleys, dance houses^ and all places where spirituous, malt, or vinous liquors are sold or kept for sale; provided, that no license for the sale of spirituous, malt, or - vinous liquors shall be granted for any less amount than is or may be provided by the general laws of the State in force at the time of the granting thereof”: Sp. Laws Or. 1901, p.

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Bluebook (online)
97 P. 811, 52 Or. 475, 1908 Ore. LEXIS 148, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hall-v-dunn-or-1908.