McIntosh v. Wales

134 P. 274, 21 Wyo. 397, 1913 Wyo. LEXIS 32
CourtWyoming Supreme Court
DecidedJune 20, 1913
DocketNo. 708
StatusPublished
Cited by33 cases

This text of 134 P. 274 (McIntosh v. Wales) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wyoming Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McIntosh v. Wales, 134 P. 274, 21 Wyo. 397, 1913 Wyo. LEXIS 32 (Wyo. 1913).

Opinion

Scott, Chirr justicr.

The defendant in error as plaintiff recovered judgment for the sum of $500 and costs against the plaintiffs in error as defendants in the District Court of Fremont County for an alleged malicious prosecution. A motion to set aside the verdict and for a new trial was filed, which the court overruled and the defendants bring error..

There are two separate counts contained in the petition, but the court withdrew the first and the issue as finally submitted to the jury was upon the second count and the evb dence directed thereto. It is alleged in the second count as follows:

“And the said plaintiff, Nancy Wales, further complains of the said named defendants, P. J. McIntosh, Jesse Johnson, and Donald A. Beaton, and each of them, and for her second cause of action alleges and says that on the 30th day of May, A- D. 1910, the said named defendants, and each of them, wrongfully, falsely and maliciously, and without probable cause, before Emil Jamerman, a Justice of the Peace in and for the County of Fremont in the State of Wyoming, charged that this plaintiff did, on the 22nd day of May, A. D. 1910, and during the last five years prior to said date, in Rongis, in the County of Fremont, State of Wyoming, unlawfully, maliciously and feloniously steal unbranded calves from the range adjacent to the ranch of this plaintiff and adjacent to the ranches of John Wales and William Johnson, and thereupon prayed and demanded that this plaintiff be forthwith apprehended on the said charge of the said defendants, and said defendants caused this plaintiff to be wrongfully arrested, detained and deprived of her liberty and be brought before the said magistrate and be arraigned to plead to the said charge on the said 30th day of May, A. D. 1910.
“That this plaintiff was so wrongfully detained, imprisoned and deprived of her liberty for the space of about five hours and was compelled to leave her home and work and be taken under arrest a distance of about eight miles and [406]*406to be taken before the magistrate in the presence of a large number of the friends and neighbors of this plaintiff and accompanied by the defendants as complainants, and the said defendants there caused and procured the said magistrate to order this plaintiff to give bond and this plaintiff was then and there-compelled to give bond in the sum of $500.00 for her further appearance before the said magistrate at a time fixed by him, and in default of said bond that she stand committed to the County Jail in said County of Fremont, that plaintiff was afterwards required without her consent and against her will to be and appear before the said magistrate on the 15th day of June, A. D. 1910, and again on the 25th of June, A. D. 1910, to answer said charge.
“That afterwards, on the 25th day of June, A. D. 1910, the said cause came on for hearing before Emil Jamerman, Justice of the Peace, and John Dillon, County and Prosecuting Attorney for the said County of Fremont, appeared on behalf of the prosecution of said cause, and after inquiry and investigation, said John Dillon as such Prosecuting Attorney failed and refused to prosecute said charge and the said charge against this plaintiff was without the consent of the said named defendants herein dismissed and this plaintiff was acquitted of said charge and then released from custody, and said prosecution is now ended and wholly determined.
“And this plaintiff says -that she was not guilty of the charge made by said defendants and was never before charged with being guilty of any crime whatever, and up to that time had always been esteemed a good and worthy citizen and respected by all her neighbors and acquaintances in the community where she resides, and the plaintiff further says that the charge was made by the defendants against this plaintiff and said arrest and detention of said plaintiff was made and caused without any probable cause to suspect the plaintiff guilty of the charge as made by said defendants, or of stealing any livestock whatever; and the said [407]*407arrest of plaintiff was malicious and was caused and procured by the said defendants in furtherance of their expressed intention and design to prosecute and litigate this plaintiff and involve this plaintiff in expensive litigation until she would be forced to abandon her' residence and home in the community and dispose of her holdings "to the said defendants and those interested with them, to the end that the said defendants for their benefit and profit might have the fences removed from around the lands of this plaintiff and of her husband and permit the said defendants easy access to the open territory and stock range upon the mountain and beyond the holdings of this plaintiff and of her said husband.
“That by reason of the wrongful acts of the said defendants this plaintiff has been greatly injured and damaged in her credit, standing and reputation in the community where she resides, and has been brought into public scandal, infamy and disgrace, and has suffered great anxiety, mental anguish, great humiliation, shame and disgrace, and has been obliged to expend the sum of $100.00 in procuring her discharge from said prosecution and imprisonment.
“That the whole of said proceedings by said defendants against this plaintiff were unlawful, wanton and malicious, and have greatly distressed and humiliated plaintiff and injured her in her good name and reputation, and by reason of the premises plaintiff has been damaged in the sum of Ten Thousand Dollars.
“WsRRRRORR, Plaintiff prays judgment against the said named defendants, P. J. McIntosh, Jesse Johnson, and Donald A. Beaton, and each of them, in the sum of Ten Thousand Dollars, and that Plaintiff may have and recover such other further or different relief as may be just and equitable.” .

The defendants answered jointly, denying generally and specifically each allegation of the petition, alleged that defendants stated the facts to the justice in good faith, for good cause believed to exist as a duty to the public and for [408]*408no other reason whatsoever, and denied that they brought about her arrest without probable cause. The plaintiff filed her reply putting in issue the new matter alleged in the answer.

It is assigned as error (1) that the court erred in overruling defendant’s demurrer to the second cause of action on the ground that it failed to state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action; (2) that the court erred in refusing plaintiff’s motion at the close of the testimony to instruct the jury to find for the defendants; and (3) that.the evidence does not support the verdict and that the court erred in not granting the motion for a new trial. The essential elements necessary to be shown by the petition and evidence in an action for malicious prosecution are (1) the institution of the proceedings; (2) without probable cause; (3) with malice; (4) that the proceedings have terminated and in plaintiff’s favor; (5) damage to plaintiff. (19 A. & E. Ency. of Law, 653, 13 Ency. PI. & Pr. 427.) In the case here the evidence tends to support the allegations of the second cause of action contained in the petition and if sufficient to entitle the plaintiff to recover what we have to say on that question would be determinative of the sufficiency of the petition.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
134 P. 274, 21 Wyo. 397, 1913 Wyo. LEXIS 32, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcintosh-v-wales-wyo-1913.