Mugge v. Jackson

50 Fla. 235
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedJune 15, 1905
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 50 Fla. 235 (Mugge v. Jackson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mugge v. Jackson, 50 Fla. 235 (Fla. 1905).

Opinion

Hocker, J.

This is the second time this case has been before this court. It was decided in the case of Spencer, Sheriff, v. Mugge, 45 Fla. 585, 34 South. Rep. 271, that upon the facts as presented therein, the plaintiff was not entitled to recover against the sheriff.' That case is referred to as showing the nature of the suit.

[237]*237The original defendant in the court below, T. K. Spencer, Sheriff, died on May 6th, 1901, while the case was pending here on the first writ of error; that on June 11th, 1903, W. C. Spencer, Administrator of T. K. Spencer, upon suggestion of the death of the latter was substituted as defendant, by order of the court, and that on December 12th, 1903, W. T. Lesley as Sheriff of Hillsborough county was substituted as sole defendant, and that the name of W. C. Spencer as administrator was stricken out as defendant. Subsequently, on the suggestion of the death of W. T. Lesley, Sheriff, E. A. Jackson, Sheriff, his successor was made party defendant here.

On December 12th, 1903, the plaintiff Mugge filed a document which purports to be a plea in abatement, demurrer and exceptions, questioning the authority of this court-to render its former decision, because at the time the decision was rendered T. K. Spencer was dead, the case had not been revived, and proper parties were not before the court, and therefor, that the original case was still pending here, and the Circuit Court had no jurisdiction.

Upon a hearing this pleading was overruled, and this ruling is made the basis of the first assignment of error here.

The final judgment in the case of Spencer v. Mugge was rendered here on April 17th, 1903, and our records show that the case was -submitted to this court on briefs by both parties on June 19th, 1900. Our mandate remanding the case issued on May 25th, 1903. The fact that oral argument was asked for when the briefs were filed, does not have the effect of postponing the submission under the proper construction of Eule 17 of the Supreme Court Practice (1895).. This was decided in the case of Clark-[238]*238son v. Gilbert, Per Curiam Mem. 44 Fla. 824, 36 South. Rep. 1045. We do not think the court erred in substituting W. T. Lesley, Sheriff in the place of W. O. Spencer as administrator of T. K. Spencer formerly Sheriff, as this was done with the consent of W. C. Spencer and W. T. Lesley as¡ successor in the sheriffalty to T. K. Spencer, represented the creditors in attachment and was the proper party to- continue the litigation.

The next assignment of error is that the court erred in permitting the introduction in behalf of defendant Lesley of an agreement between the attorneys -of the parties as to the facts of the case, which was filed in the former trial before the Referee. The grounds of the objection below were: 1st. It is not a part of the record in the cause on a new trial.

2nd. Because it can not be considered a part of the record without holding the court bound in a new trial for the acts and doings of the Referee in the former trial, which plaintiff insists is not the law.

3rd. Because it is incompetent as evidence in the cause.

1. As to the first ground, it clearly appears, from the record in the cause, which was brought here in the first appeal that this -stipulation was a part of said record, and if it is not proper evidence here some specific objection •showing why it could not he used should have been made. If there was anything in the stipulation which limited its use to a trial before the Referee, that fact should have been pointed out to the trial judge in a specific objection. Objections' to testimony ought to be specific. Hoodless v. Jernigan, 46 Fla. 213, 35 South. Rep. 656, and cases cited.

2. It does not follow that because it was part of the record- in the former case that the plaintiff was bound by [239]*239the acts and doings of the Referee on the former trial. It was subject in this case to any proper and specific objection which the plaintiff might have made.

3. A general objection for incompetence, not specifying in what particulars the evidence was incompetent, is not sufficient unless the evidence was wholly bad, and not competent for any purpose. This is an established rule in this court, and other courts. 8 Ency. Pl. & Pr., 218 to 228 inclusive; Hoodless v. Jernigan, supra.

The rule is. that such agreements when by their terms not limited to a particular occasion or temporary object may be used on a second trial. 1 Am. & Eng. Ency. Law (2nd ed.) 698, 699; 1 Greenleaf on Ev. (16th ed.) Secs. 169-186-205; Doe v. Bird, 7 C. & P. 6; Farmers Bank of Maryland v. Sprigg, 11 Md. 389; Merchants’ Bank v. Marine Bank, 3 Gill 96, S. C. 43 Am. Dec. 300, and note 306, 16 Cyc. 973.

The third assignment of error is that the court erred in refusing to permit attorneys for the plaintiff to withdraw their joinder in demurrer to the evidence tendered by attorneys for defendant, because the demurrer did not correctly state the evidence, and did not in a proper manner state the evidence established on behalf of the plaintiff.

The record shows that after the first demurrer to the evidence by the defendant, the plaintiff asked that the case be reopened and he be allowed to introduce other evidence. This the court allowed, and other evidence was introduced by the plaintiff. After the plaintiff had again rested the defendant again demurred to the evidence in writing, and the plaintiff’s attorneys joined in the demurrer. Before argument of the same the plaintiff’s attorneys asked permission of the court to withdraw their joinder on demurrer to the evidence, because it did not correctly state the evidence on behalf of the plaintiff. The court refused [240]*240to permit the withdrawal of the joinder on demurrer, to which ruling the plaintiff excepted. It does not appear that the plaintiff’s attorney pointed out to the court in any way whatever any defects in the statement of the evidence. The court was left to discover any such defects if they existed by examining the evidence and comparing it with the statement thereof in the demurrer.

In Morrison v. McKinnon, 12 Fla. 552, this court held that it is discretionary with a court whether it will compel a party to join in demurrer to evidence. Before we would- be justified in reversing the action of the trial judge, we should -be assured that he abused his discretion; and inasmuch as there were no defects pointed out to him, we do not feel called upon to reverse his action. We have found no case directly in point, but the analogy of the rule which requires that objections to evidence, and objections to findings of -fact, must be specific, and must point out insufficiencies and defects in order that they may be intelligently dealt with, we apply to this case and hold that the trial judge -committed no- reversible error. 8 Ency. Pl. & Pr., 276; Hoodless v. Jernigan, supra. To encourage a loose and general method of making objections is simply to create pitfalls for trial judges.

The fourth assignment of error is that the court erred in sustaining the demurrer to the evidence. That demurrer was in the following words: “Now comes the defendant in the above entitled cause, by his attorneys Solon B. Turman and F. M.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
50 Fla. 235, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mugge-v-jackson-fla-1905.