Hammond v. Rice

239 A.D. 539, 267 N.Y.S. 534, 1933 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 8089
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedNovember 14, 1933
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 239 A.D. 539 (Hammond v. Rice) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hammond v. Rice, 239 A.D. 539, 267 N.Y.S. 534, 1933 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 8089 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1933).

Opinion

Bliss, J.

This is a submission of a controversy upon agreed facts pursuant to sections 546, 547 and 548 of the Civil Practice Act. The following are the agreed facts in the case of petitioner Hammond: He is a resident of Richmond county in the Second Judicial District and is' a skilled stenographer, having been official stenographer to the County Court and Surrogate’s Court of Richmond county. On March 19, 1932, the defendants called an examination for the office of " Supreme Court stenographer, First and Second Judicial Districts,” which examination was held on May 21, 1932, and open only to legal residents of the First and Second Judicial Districts. Hammond took the examination and on August 31, 1932, the defendants notified him that he passed the examination above the minimum of seventy-five per cent and that Ms name had been placed upon the proper fist of applicants eligible for appointment. The defendants certified that Ms standing in the examination was mnety-eight and two one-hundredths per cent, and that Ms name was number 1 on the eligible fist. Prior to September 27, 1932, the justices of the Supreme Court residing in Kings county requested the State Civil Service Commission to certify to them from the fist resulting from the examination held on May 21, 1932, the names of applicants eligible for appointment as Supreme Court stengrapher and the defendants certified to said justices certain names, but omitted from such certification the name of petitioner. They submitted the names of only those on the general eligible fist who were residents of Kings county. The petitioner then made a demand upon the defendants to immediately certify to the said ustices Ms name on the eligible fist, wMch request the defendants demed.

The following question is then submitted to tMs court: Was the above named petitioner legally entitled to have the above named William Gorham Rice, John C. Clark, and Howard G. E. Smith, as Commissioners of the Department of Civil Service of the State of New York, in pursuance of the authority conferred by law on said Department of Civil Servicé, to certify to the Justices of the Supreme Court residing in the County of Kings, the name of the petitioner herein, and Ms position on the list as qualified for appointment to the office or position of Supreme Court Stenographer, First and Second Judicial Districts, and to certify him as eligible and qualified for the appointment of Supreme Court Stenographer in the Supreme Court of Kings County? ”

The agreed facts as to the petitioner Sweeney are the same as those concermng the petitioner Hammond except that she is a resident of Queens county in the Second Judicial District; that her standing on the examination was mnety-seven and eighty-seven [541]*541one-hundredths per cent and that her relative standing on the list was number la, or number 2. Likewise her name was omitted from the eligible list certified by the defendants to the justices of the Supreme Court residing in Kings county, and after demand the defendants have refused to certify her name on such eligible list.

As to the petitioner Sweeney the following submission is made: “And upon this petition, describing the status of the said Fanny S. Sweeney, she seeks the same relief as may be awarded to her co-petitioner, viz., that a peremptory mandamus order be granted directing the defendants herein as Commissioners of the Department of Civil Service of the State of New York to certify to the Justices of the Supreme Court residing in Kings County, the name of your petitioner, and her position on the list as qualified for appointment to the office or position of Supreme Court Stenographer, First and Second Judicial Districts, and certifying her as eligible and qualified for the appointment of Supreme Court Stenographer in the Supreme Court of Kings County."

The stipulations provided that if the questions submitted are answered in the affirmative, then judgment is to be rendered in favor of the petitioners directing that a peremptory order of mandamus be granted commanding the State Civil Service Commissioners to certify their names to the justices of the Supreme Court residing in Kings county, as eligible and qualified for appointment to the office of Supreme Court stenographer in Kings county.

Section 546 of the Civil Practice Act provides that the parties to a question in difference “ which might be the subject of an action or special proceeding ” may submit such question to the court upon an agreed statement of facts. The question here might be the subject of a special proceeding.

The status of these two petitioners is the same. Each is a resident of the Second Judicial District but neither resides in Kings county. Each is asking to have his or her name submitted to the Supreme Court justices residing in Kings county as eligible to the position of Supreme Court stenographer in Kings county.

Article VI, section 1, of the New York State Constitution provides for the continuance of the existing judicial districts of the State and section 140 of the Judiciary Law provides that the Second Judicial District shall consist of the counties of Richmond, Kings, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk.

The following portions of the Judiciary Law apply:

Subdivisions 2 and 3 of section 161:

“ 2. The justices of the supreme court, residing in the county of Kings, or a majority of them, may appoint and may at pleasure remove sixteen stenographers.
[542]*5423. The justices of the supreme court for the second judicial district, who do not reside in the county of Kings, or a majority of them may appoint, and may at pleasure remove twelve stenographers.”

Subdivisions 1 and 2 of section 309:

§ 309. Stenographers appointed by justices of supreme court to attend terms. 1. The stenographers appointed pursuant to section one hundred and sixty-one of this chapter, by the justices of the supreme court, residing in the county of Kings, shall severally attend, as directed by the respective justices appointing them, the terms of the appellate division and trial and special terms of the supreme court, in the county of Kings.
2. Each of the stenographers appointed pursuant to said section one hundred and sixty-one, by the justices of the supreme court, for the second judicial district, who do not reside in the county of Kings, must attend as directed by the justice appointing him the trial and special terms of the supreme court, held in the counties of Suffolk, Queens, Nassau and Richmond, or either of them, and, when not thus officially engaged, the stated terms of the county court, in each of those counties.”

Subdivisions 1 and 2 of section 316:

“ § 316. Salary of stenographers appointed by justices of the supreme court residing in the second judicial district, * * *

1. The stenographers appointed pursuant to section one hundred and sixty-one of this chapter, by the justices of the supreme court residing in the county of Kings shall receive an annual salary to be fixed by said justices, or a majority of them, and the expenses thereof shall be raised with the annual tax levy as a county charge. * * *

“ 2.

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Related

Rivet v. Burdick
255 A.D. 131 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1938)

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Bluebook (online)
239 A.D. 539, 267 N.Y.S. 534, 1933 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 8089, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hammond-v-rice-nyappdiv-1933.