Mulcahey v. Vehon

229 Ill. App. 454, 1923 Ill. App. LEXIS 57
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedMay 28, 1923
DocketGen. No. 27,979
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 229 Ill. App. 454 (Mulcahey v. Vehon) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mulcahey v. Vehon, 229 Ill. App. 454, 1923 Ill. App. LEXIS 57 (Ill. Ct. App. 1923).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Johnston

delivered the opinion of the court.

A bill of complaint was filed in this cause by-Thomas Mulcahey, appellee, to vacate and set aside certain judgments obtained ag'ainst appellee by Michael Vehon, appellant, and to enjoin the collection of the judgments by the sheriff of Vermilion county. Charles N". Knox, appellant, on the ground that the judgments were obtained on a note given in consideration of a gambling transaction involving the future differences in the price of grain, and that, therefore, the judgments were void within the meaning of section 131, chapter 38 of the Statute of ,the Criminal Code of Illinois relating to “Gambling and Gambling Contracts,” and could be vacated in equity under section 135 of the statute. [Cahill’s Ill. St. ch. 38, inr 309, 313.]

The substance of the bill of complaint is as follows: The first judgment obtained against appellee was by confession in the sum of $1,339.52. On the filing of an affidavit by appellee stating that the note was given in consideration of a gambling contract, the judgment was suspended, and appellee was granted leave to plead. He thereupon filed a plea of general issue and a special plea. He alleged in the special plea “that the sole and only consideration” of the note upon which suit was brought was given for money lost in gambling upon the market price of grain, and in buying and selling options in which it was understood by both the appellee and appellant Vehon that neither was to receive or deliver the grain bought or sold, but that the loss or gain resulting from such transactions should be settled by payment of the difference between the price agreed upon and the market value of the grain at the time of delivery. (It appears from the record, although not alleged in the bill, that the case was submitted to a jury and that a verdict was returned in favor of appellant Vehon in the sum of $1,339.52. The judgment entered upon the verdict was that the first judgment should stand in full force and effect.) In an amendment to the bill, appellee alleges “that he received no notice and had no knowledge of the day upon which said trial was to be had, and was not present in court when said cause was tried, and no evidence was offered by him or on his behalf in defense of said action at law, and he never knew or was advised that a judgment had been rendered against him in said cause until he was served by a deputy sheriff of the County of Vermilion with execution issued on such judgment.” The bill sets forth in detail the facts which it is alleged constitute the gambling transaction for which the note was given on which the verdict and judgment were rendered. To the bill and amended bill appellants filed a general demurrer. The demurrer was overruled and appellants were ruled to plead or answer. Appellants filed a plea of res adjudicata. In the plea, among other things, it is alleged that in the action at law after appellee pleaded to appellants’ declaration, filing thereto a plea of the general issue and a special plea averring that the note was given in consideration of a gambling transaction, “said cause was afterwards set down for hearing on said pleadings and issues joined as aforesaid; that on February 8, 1922, said cause was reached on the trial call of Judge Hebei of this court, a jury was regularly impaneled, sworn and accepted to try said cause and hearing was duly had on the pleadings and issues joined in said cause and said jury thereupon returned a verdict, being in words and figures as follows: ‘We, the jury, find the issues for the plaintiff. ’ That thereupon the judgment of this court was rendered upon said verdict that the judgment entered April 19, A. D. 1919, for thirteen hundred thirty-nine dollars and fifty-two cents ($1,339.52) to stand in full force and effect.”

Vehon, one of the appellants, filed a petition for a change of venue, which was denied. A second petition for a change of venue was filed by appellant Vehon. Appellant Knox did not join in the petition, but filed a certificate in which he stated that he had “no objection to said change of venue being granted.” The second petition for a change of venue was denied. A hearing was had on appellants’ bill of complaint and appellee’s plea of res adjudicata and the plea was overruled. Appellants elected to stand by the plea, and a final decree was entered enjoining the collection of the judgments.

The two principal errors assigned by counsel for appellants are: First, that the court erred in overruling the plea of res adjudicata; second, that the court erred in denying the second change of venue.

Sections 131 and 135 of the statute in the Criminal Code relating to ‘‘ Gambling and Gambling Contracts ’ ’ are the sections of the statute involved in the consideration of the objection on res adjudicata. [Ca-hill’s Ill. St. ch. 38, ¶¶ 309, 313.] Section 131 is as follows :

“All promises, notes, bills, bonds, covenants, contracts, agreements, judgments, mortgages, or other securities or conveyances made, given, granted, drawn or entered into, or executed by any person whatsoever, where the whole or any part of the consideration thereof, shall be for any money, property or other valuable thing, won by any gaming, or playing at cards, dice, or any other game or games, or by betting on the side or hands of any person gaming, or by wager or bet upon any racé, fight, pastime, sport, lot, chance, casualty, election or unknown or contingent event whatever, or for the reimbursing or paying any money or property knowingly lent or advanced at the time and place of such play or bet, to any person or persons go gaming or betting, or that shall, during such play or betting, so play or bet, shall be void and of no effect.”

Section 135 is as follows:

“All judgments, mortgages, assurances, bonds, notes, bills, specialties, promises, covenants, agreements, and other acts, deeds, securities, or conveyances, given,' granted, drawn or executed, contrary to the provisions of this act, may be set aside and vacated by any court of equity, upon bill filed for that purpose, by the person so granting, giving, entering into, or executing the same, or by his executors or administrators, or by any creditor, heir, devisee, purchaser or other person interested therein; or if a judgment, the same may be set aside on motion of any person aforesaid, on due notice thereof given.”

On the question of res adjudicate/, counsel for appellants contend that the special plea of appellee, in the action at law, alleging that the note was given in consideration of a gambling contract, raised the issue on the trial before the jury as to whether the transaction was void under section 131, chapter 38 .of the Criminal Code; that the verdict of the jury was adverse to the appellee, and that the issue on the plea was necessarily involved in the verdict of the jury; that the judgment on the verdict is a conclusive adjudication of the issue; and that' on the doctrine of res adjudieata the issue cannot be litigated in any subsequent proceeding either at law or in equity.

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

Related

In re Marriage of Faletti
2017 IL App (3d) 160323 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2017)
Dine v. Edwards
158 F.2d 17 (Seventh Circuit, 1946)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
229 Ill. App. 454, 1923 Ill. App. LEXIS 57, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mulcahey-v-vehon-illappct-1923.