Langdon v. Judges of the Wayne Circuit Court

43 N.W. 310, 76 Mich. 358
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 11, 1889
StatusPublished
Cited by42 cases

This text of 43 N.W. 310 (Langdon v. Judges of the Wayne Circuit Court) 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
Langdon v. Judges of the Wayne Circuit Court, 43 N.W. 310, 76 Mich. 358 (Mich. 1889).

Opinions

Champlin, J.

William W. Langdon sued out a writ of certiorari to the judges of the Wayne circuit court to bring before this Court, for review, certain proceedings then pending before the court wherein Langdon had been brought before the court upon attachment to answer for an alleged contempt.

In his petition for the writ he alleged that on the second-day of February, 1889, proceedings were instituted in the» circuit court for the county of Wayne against him for th© purpose of punishing him, as for a criminal contempt, for an alleged unlawful interference on his part with the proceedings in an action tried in ^said court wherein James-Hughes, by his next friend, was plaintiff, and the Detroit,. Grand Haven & Milwaukee Kailway Company was defendant; that he was brought before the court upon a warrant*, and gaye bail. The warrant and affidavits upon which it w-a® based, are set out as exhibits.

[360]*360That upon his appearance before the court it made an order that he should answer certain interrogatories, which are set out in an exhibit, which he answered, and filed therewith certain affidavits, copies of which are also set out as ■exhibits; that thereupon he, by his counsel, moved the court to dismiss said proceedings on the ground that they were not warranted by any statute law of this State, and that the court had no jurisdiction' to entertain such proceedings, which motion was denied; that upon the filing of his answers to the interrogatories the circuit court ruled that deponent should be examined upon an oral examination in open court touching the matters relating to the said alleged contempt; and’ that said proceedings are being carried on as a public prosecution against him by Charles Flowers, Esq., as attorney appointed by the court for that purpose.

He assigns error on the part of the court in refusing to . dismiss and quash the proceedings, as follows:

“1. That the alleged unlawful interference set forth in said warrant, and affidavits upon which the same was issued, does not constitute a criminal contempt under the provisions of chapter 255 of Howell’s Statutes of this State, or any statute or law of this State.
“ 2. That said court has no jurisdiction or legal authority to entertain said proceedings to punish, as for a criminal contempt, under the provisions of said chapter.
“3. That the court has no jurisdiction or power to entertain said proceedings under the provisions of chapter 256 of Howell’s Statutes, inasmuch as said proceedings are not instituted nor carried on for the purpose of enforcing any ■civil remedy, or to protect the rights of any party to any ■civil action pending_in said court.
“4. That said proceedings upon their face are without warrant of law, and beyond the jurisdiction or power of ■said court.”

The circuit court of Wayne county, by George Gartner, •one of its judges, made return to the writ of certiorari, from which it appears that, upon the fourteenth day. of Jan-[361]*361nary, A. D. 1889, there came on for trial in the circuit court for the county of Wayne, before him and a jury, a cause wherein one James Hughes, by his next friend, was plaintiff, and the Detroit, Grand Haven & Milwaukee Railway Company was the defendant, the trial of which cause continued from day to day, and terminated on the eighteenth of January, A. D. 1889, when a verdict was rendered in favor of the plaintiff.

That on the twenty-ninth of January there were filed in same court two affidavits, — one made by George W. Bryce, and one by James H. Brady. The contents of these affidavits are not material, and need not be stated, as they were not the basis of the attachment issued against Langdon.

The return further shows that upon February 2 there were filed in said court two affidavits, — one made by George F. Robison, and one by John Nicholson.

The affidavit of Robison was to the effect that he was personally acquainted with Langdon, and met him at Lansing, Michigan, on the twenty-ninth of January, when Langdon asked him if he was not the attorney of Nicholson in the matter talked of in the newspapers about contempt of court, and he replied that he supposed he was, or would be if proceedings against him for the matters talked of in the newspapers should ever be taken into court; that Langdon then told him that he had learned that Nicholson had been arrested and taken before the court, and urged him to use all means possible to clear Nicholson of the charge, saying it was a great shame that he should be arrested, or charged with snch an offense, and that he had plenty of friends who would see him through; that he replied that, if he should be retained, he would use his best endeavors to see that he had a proper defense.

That on the second day of February Langdon met him in Detroit, and asked him how Nicholson’s business was getting on, and he replied that he thought that Nicholson would [362]*362come out all right, and Langdon asked if there would be any money needed; that he replied that he had got his pay, and did not think there would be any more money needed; that Langdon then asked if there would not be money needed to pay Nicholson’s fine in said contempt proceedings; that, if any was needed, he would see that he was furnished with all that was necessary, and urged him to use every possible means to clear said Nicholson of said charge; that he replied that, as he then understood matters, Nicholson was all right, and would probably escape without much punishment.

The affidavit of Nicholson, made on the same day that Bobison swore to the above conversation, is as follows:

“State oe Michigan, County of Wayne,
“John Nicholson, being duly sworn, says he resides in the city of Detroit, in said county.
/(That upon the fourteenth day of January, 1889, there came on for trial in the circuit court for the county of Wayne, before Hon. Geo. Gartner, one of the judges of said court, a cause theretofore commenced and pending in said court, wherein James Hughes, by his next friend, was the plaintiff, and the Detroit, Grand Haven & Milwaukee Bailway Company was the defendant, and upon the day last aforesaid a jury was duly impaneled and sworn to try said action; that among the jurors so selected, impaneled, and sworn was one James H. Brady, and also one Fitzsimons, with both of whom this deponent is’well acquainted.
“ That said trial continued in said court until Friday, the eighteenth day of January, 1889, when the same was concluded, and a verdict was rendered therein.
“That upon Thursday, the seventeenth day of January, 1889, this deponent met one William W. Langdon, a resident of Detroit, and had a conversation with said Langdon, when said Langdon asked deponent if he (deponent) was acquainted with any of the jurors in said above mentioned cause; that deponent replied that he was acquainted with the said Brady, one of the j urors so sworn as aforesaid; that said Langdon asked deponent how well he knew him, and deponent replied that he knew him quite well; that said Langdon then related to deponent some of the merits of the case, and told deponent that, if a disagreement of the jury could be procured, [363]*363this deponent might offer one of the jurors $100.

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Bluebook (online)
43 N.W. 310, 76 Mich. 358, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/langdon-v-judges-of-the-wayne-circuit-court-mich-1889.