Moss v. United States

23 App. D.C. 475, 1904 U.S. App. LEXIS 5277
CourtCourt of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
DecidedMay 3, 1904
DocketNos. 1386 and 1387
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 23 App. D.C. 475 (Moss v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Moss v. United States, 23 App. D.C. 475, 1904 U.S. App. LEXIS 5277 (D.C. Cir. 1904).

Opinion

Mr. Chief Justice Alvey

delivered the opinion of the Court:

1. There is no statutory provision in the Code of laws enacted by Congress for this District applicable to contempts of [481]*481court generally, or to this particular class of contempts. But it has heretofore been supposed that the act of Congress of March 2, 1831, § 1 (4 Stat. at L. 487, chap. 99), now embodied in § 725 of the Bevised Statutes of the United States, U. S. Comp. Stat. 1901, p. 583, did apply to the courts of general jurisdiction in this District. United States v. Emerson, 4 Cranch C. C. 188, Fed. Cas. No. 15,050.

Following § 724 of the Bevised Statutes, U. S. Comp. Stat. 1901, p. 583, which confers upon the courts of the United States power to order the production of books and writings in the trial of actions at law, § 725, U. S. Comp. Stat. 1901, p. 583, contains the following provision in relation to contempts in said courts:

“The said courts shall have power to impose and administer all necessary oaths, and to punish, by fine or imprisonment, at the discretion of the court contempts of their authority: Provided, that such power to punish contempts shall not be construed to extend to any cases except the misbehavior of any person in their presence, or so near thereto as to obstruct the administration of justice, the misbehavior of any of the officers of said courts in their official transactions, and the disobedience or resistance by any such officer, or by any party, juror, witness, or other person, to any lawful writ, process, order, rule, decree, or command of the said courts.” This section embodies in it a clause taken from § 17 of the judiciary act of 1789, which declares that said courts shall have power to punish by fine or imprisonment, at the discretion of said courts, all contempts, etc.

Now it is contended on the part of the United States, that the supreme court of the District of Columbia is not a court of the United States, within the meaning of § 725 of the Bevised Statutes of the United States, U. S. Comp. Stat. 1901, p. 583, ,and. therefore the said section does not apply in this case. And this presents a question that has often been presented and discussed, and, as we think, definitely decided by the highest authority: But why is the supreme court of this District not a court of the United States, within the meaning of the terms, [482]*482“courts of the United States,” as employed in the act of 1831, and § 725 of the Revised Statutes, U. S. Comp. Stat. 1901, p. 583 ? It is said that the judicial power imparted to it is not a part of the judicial power delegated to the United States by art. 3, § 1, of the Constitution. But that was but a general delegation of judicial power, and should be construed in connection with all other delegated powers confided to the United States government by the Constitution. That provision of the Constitution which declares (art. 1, § 8) that Congress shall exercise exclusive legislation, in all cases whatsoever, over such district (not exceeding, etc.) by cession of particular States, and the acceptance of Congress as shall become the seat of the Government of the United States, vests in Congress plenary power over this District for all purposes. Such grant of power necessarily implies the power of Congress to ordain and establish such courts as should be found necessary for the orderly and’ proper government of the District and the people residing therein ; the cession being made and accepted by Congress for the United States as a permanent seat of government organized under the Constitution. And though the courts of the District are created and established by act of Congress, the power for such creation.-and estáblishment is no less derived from the Constitution than the power under art. 3, § 1, of the Constitution, to ordain and establish inferior courts to the Supreme Court of the-United States. All courts thus established by Congress, while the creations of Congress, are authorized by the Constitution,, and are therefore courts of the United States for the administration of the laws of the United States. The courts of general jurisdiction of tifie District of Columbia are certainly not mere-municipal courts; and they have always been distinguished from mere territorial courts, created for a temporary purpose,, and the judges of which may be appointed for a limited time,, subject to removal by the President. Indeed, the courts of general jurisdiction of this District have been treated and regarded, from the time of their first creation and establishment down to-the present time, as courts of the United States; and it is difficult to perceive how they could be otherwise designated. They [483]*483have been so declared by the Supreme Court of the United States, upon more than one occasion. Embry v. Palmer, 107 U. S. 3, 9, 10, 27 L. ed. 346, 348, 349, 2 Sup. St. Rep. 25; Phillips v. Negley, 117 U. S. 665, 674, 675, 29 L. ed. 1013, 1015, 6 Sup. Ct. Rep. 901. And such being the nature and status of the supreme court of this District, why should not § 725 of the Revised Statutes of the United States, U. S. Comp. Stat. 1901, p. 583,. apply to cases of contempts occurring therein, as well as in other courts of the United States ? The provisions of the statute-embodied in that section were intended to define and regulate-the subject of contempts in all the courts of the United States generally; and there is no good reason why such provisions, should not apply to contempts occurring in the courts of this District as well as in the other courts of the United States.

In the case of Ex parte Robinson, 19 Wall. 505, 22 L. ed,. 205, where an attorney had been disbarred for a contempt of court, and he applied for a mandamus to be restored, the question of the application of the act of March 2, 1831, was very fully considered by the Supreme Court, — the opinion being delivered by Mr. Justice Field. In that case it was said by the court: “The power to punish for contempts is inherent in all courts: its existence is essential to the preservation of order in judicial proceedings, and to the enforcement of the judgments, orders, and writs of the courts, and consequently to the due administration of justice. The moment the courts of the United States were called into existence and invested with jurisdiction over any subject, they became possessed of this power. But the power has been limited and defined by the act of Congress of March 2, 1831. The act, in terms, applies to all courts;, whether it can be held to limit the authority of the Supreme Court, which derives its existence and powers from the Constitution, may perhaps be a matter of doubt. But that it applies to the circuit and district, courts there can be no question. These-courts were created by act of Congress. Their powers and duties depend upon the act calling them into existence, or subsequent acts extending or limiting their jurisdiction. The act of' 1831 is, therefore, to them the law specifying the cases in which [484]*484summary punishment for contempts may be inflicted.” And in another part of the opinion, the court said: “The law happily prescribes the punishment which the court can impose for con-tempts. The 17th section of the judiciary act of 1789 declares that the court shall have power to punish contempts of their authority in any cause or hearing before them, by fine or imprisonment, at their discretion.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Wynn v. United States
48 A.3d 181 (District of Columbia Court of Appeals, 2012)
Gay v. United States
411 U.S. 974 (Supreme Court, 1973)
Hobson v. Hansen
265 F. Supp. 902 (District of Columbia, 1967)
General Electric Co. v. Hygrade Sylvania Corporation
61 F. Supp. 476 (S.D. New York, 1944)
In Re Bradley
318 U.S. 50 (Supreme Court, 1943)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
23 App. D.C. 475, 1904 U.S. App. LEXIS 5277, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/moss-v-united-states-cadc-1904.