Isbell v. Bay Circuit Judge

183 N.W. 721, 215 Mich. 364, 16 A.L.R. 971, 1921 Mich. LEXIS 773
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 19, 1921
DocketCalendar No. 29,525
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 183 N.W. 721 (Isbell v. Bay Circuit Judge) 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
Isbell v. Bay Circuit Judge, 183 N.W. 721, 215 Mich. 364, 16 A.L.R. 971, 1921 Mich. LEXIS 773 (Mich. 1921).

Opinion

Steere, C. J.

Plaintiff’s son, Charles S. Isbell, was arrested, proceeded against before a committing magistrate and by him held for trial at the next ensuing term of the Bay county circuit court on a charge of unlawfully having intoxicating liquor in his posses[365]*365sion. Bail for his appearance at the time and place specified by the court was fixed by the magistrate at the sum of $500, in default of which he was remanded to the county jail to await trial or until released on bail. Counsel who had charge of his case consulted with plaintiff in regard to securing bail for his son, resulting in plaintiff borrowing $500 from a bank in Detroit which he caused to be sent to the attorneys to deposit in lieu of bail for his son’s release, as he was advised could lawfully be done. The remittance was made by a Western Union Telegraph Company check, payable to order of the attorneys. They indorsed and deposited it with the clerk of the court,, who accepted and subsequently cashed the same, and the son was released from custody in compliance with, the statute in such case provided.

The son, Charles S. Isbell, duly appeared as his bail required at the ensuing September, 1920, term of the Bay county circuit court, was arraigned on the charge for which he was bound over, pleaded guilty to the information filed against him for unlawfully having in possession intoxicating liquor and on Octo^ ber 8, 1920, was sentenced therefor to confinement at hard labor in the State prison at Jackson for not less than 6 months nor more than 1 year, with a recommended maximum of 10 months, “and also pay to the people of the State a fine of $200 and costs of $50and, forthwith remanded to custody of the sheriff for execution of the prison sentence imposed upon him.

Oral request was then made for return to plaintiff of the money he had deposited as bail for his son’s appearance, which was refused. On October 16, 1920, he filed a verified petition supported by affidavits, showing his ownership of the money and the circumstances of its deposit, asking an order for its release and return to him. An adverse written [366]*366opinion, by the court was filed and treated by the clerk as an order of denial. Thereafter, on November 27, 1920, counsel for plaintiff presented to the court a petition asking that the opinion of the court previously filed and treated by the clerk as an order be vacated as such and the fund deposited as bail for his son’s appearance be ordered returned to plaintiff, or, at least, should any legal claim be established against any part thereof for fine or costs imposed that the balance be ordered returned to him. The court then denied both that and the previous petition by a formal order entered November 29, 1920, which concluded as follows:

“And it is further ordered that the sum of $200 fine and $50 costs imposed upon the said defendant, Charles S. Isbell, at the time of his sentence on the 8th day of October, 1920, be deducted from said deposit of $500, and that the remainder thereof be paid to the said defendant, Charles S. Isbell.”

i Plaintiff’s contentions against this order are interrogatively stated as follows:

“1. May a deposit in lieu of bail, under Act No. 332, Public Acts 1919, for the appearance of a defendant in a criminal case for trial, be appropriated by the court to the payment of fine and costs imposed upon the defendant by sentence?
“2. If so, may such a deposit in fact made- and owned by a third person, be appropriated to such purpose and the remainder, if any, be legally paid over to the defendant?”

The only authority for making this money deposit in lieu of bail or any proceedings had thereunder in this case rests in the provisions of Act No. 332, Pub. Acts 1919, entitled:

“An act' to provide for the furnishing and acceptance of cash, certified checks or certain obligations of the United States government or of municipal corporations in lieu of bonds or bail of other character required or permitted by law.”

[367]*367The act covers both civil and criminal proceedings and plainly contemplates that the obligation attaching to a deposit so made shall be co-extensive with the requirements or conditions of the bond or bail for which it is permitted to be substituted. In civil proceedings different forms of bonds with varying conditions according to the nature of the proceeding are required or permitted by various statutory provisions, which furnish a test for the obligations which attach to deposits made in lieu of bonds in such cases. Here we are considering a criminal case in which the defendant is held for trial at the ensuing term of the circuit court by the examining magistrate on a charge beyond his jurisdiction to try, under the following requirements of section 15682, 3 Comp Laws 1915:

“If it shall appear that an offense not cognizable by a justice of the peace has been committed, and that there is probable cause to believe the prisoner guilty thereof, and if the offense be bailable by the magistrate, and the prisoner offer sufficient bail, it shall be taken, and the prisoner discharged; but if no sufficient bail be. offered, or the offense be not bailable by the magistrate, the prisoner shall be committed to prison for trial.”

The statute provides no form of recognizance nor specifies conditions to be imposed in such cases, except that the bail required and accepted shall be “sufficient.” The amount of bail imposed in this case was $500. Cash to that amount furnished by plaintiff was thereafter deposited with the county clerk in lieu of such bail and his son was released from custody. Except as provided by statute, money cannot be deposited as security in. place of bail, and an officer empowered to let to bail has no authority to receive it as such (1 Bishop’s Criminal Procedure [2d Ed.], § 264). As applicable here section 1 of said Act No. 332 provides:

[368]*368“In any cause, action, proceeding or matter before any court * * * Where * * * bail of any character is required or permitted for any purpose, it shall be lawful for the party or parties required or permitted to furnish such bail * * * to deposit, in lieu thereof, in the manner herein provided for, cash * * * equal in amount to the amount of the * * * bail so required or permitted.”

While the parties transacting the business- were somewhat lax in following prescribed details, the money was received by the clerk of the court for the purpose it was offered, accepted and held as such ever since, and the prisoner was released on the strength of it. It has been consistently recognized and acted upon by all parties, including the court, as a deposit authoritatively made under the act in lieu of bail for the appearance of a defendant bound over for trial in a criminal case.

Under common-law criminal procedure, in the absence of special statutory provisions, the scope and purpose of bail in such cases is the appearance of the party accused at the time and place specified. It is called “sufficient surety for his appearance” in Blackstone’s chapter on “Commitment and Bail” (4 Bl. Com. p. 296). In the chapter of 1 Bacon’s Abridgement, p. 597, on “Bail in Criminal Cases” it is said:

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Bluebook (online)
183 N.W. 721, 215 Mich. 364, 16 A.L.R. 971, 1921 Mich. LEXIS 773, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/isbell-v-bay-circuit-judge-mich-1921.