Municipal Court v. State ex rel. Platter

126 Ohio St. (N.S.) 103
CourtOhio Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 11, 1933
DocketNo. 23665
StatusPublished

This text of 126 Ohio St. (N.S.) 103 (Municipal Court v. State ex rel. Platter) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Municipal Court v. State ex rel. Platter, 126 Ohio St. (N.S.) 103 (Ohio 1933).

Opinion

Day, J.

In this case the record shows that there was no suspension of sentence to enable the various defendants to prosecute error; nor was there a suspension of imposition of sentence and a placing of the various defendants on probation; nor was there a conditional sentence, allowable in misdemeanor cases. The record does show, however, that upon trial and conviction the municipal court sentenced the defend[107]*107ants to pay a fine of twenty-five dollars and costs or be committed until the same were paid, and that thereupon said municipal court suspended generally the execution of such sentences so imposed upon the various defendants.

Three questions are presented by this record: First, is mandamus the proper remedy to compel vacation of the claimed void orders of suspension of execution of the various sentences and enforcement of the original sentences imposed, or is there an adequate remedy at law afforded defendant in error? Second, were the orders of suspension of execution of sentence lawful and within the powers of the municipal court? Third, does the fact that the orders of suspension of execution were made at a former term of the municipal court make them final and beyond the power of the municipal court to change?

As to the first proposition, we are of opinion that mandamus is the proper remedy by which to compel the court to set aside and vacate an order suspending the execution of a sentence made in a criminal case, where a court has exceeded its authority by making such order of suspension for purposes other than for an error proceeding. We regard the case of Ex parte United States, 242 U. S., 27, 37 S. Ct., 72, 61 L. Ed., 129, L. R. A., 1917E, 1178, Ann. Cas., 1917B, 355, as determinative of this issue. The first paragraph of the syllabus of that case, as reported in 61 L. Ed., L. R. A., 1917E, and 37 S. Ct., recites: “Mandamus is the proper remedy where a Federal district court has exceeded its power by ordering that the execution of a sentence to imprisonment imposed by it upon a plea of guilty be suspended indefinitely during good behavior upon considerations wholly extraneous to the conviction.”

The discussion of Chief Justice White in rendering the opinion is most persuasive as to the remedial appropriateness of a writ of mandamus in cases of this [108]*108character, and his opinion contains citations to many adjudicated cases sustaining this view. See, also, Ex parte Bradley, 74 U. S. (7 Wall.), 364, 19 L. Ed., 214; In re Winn, 213 U. S., 458, 29 S. Ct., 515, 53 L. Ed., 873; Ex parte Metropolitan Water Co. of W. Va., 220 U. S., 539, 31 S. Ct., 600, 55 L. Ed., 575; In re Metropolitan Trust Co. of City of New York, 218 U. S., 312, 31 S. Ct., 18, 54 L. Ed., 1051; 38 Corpus Juris, 647; United States, ex rel. Campbell, v. Bishop, Morale Officer (C. C. A.), 47 F. (2d), 95.

Nor do we think that the state was afforded an adequate remedy at law, as the powers of the state to prosecute error from an adverse judgment are created by statutory provision alone.

As to the second proposition, pertaining to the power of the municipal court to suspend execution of sentence, it should be noted that there is a distinction between suspension of imposition of sentence and suspension of execution of sentence. We find no statutory authority to suspend the execution of the sentences previously imposed by such court on conviction of violating a state law, except to enable defendant to prosecute error or to be placed on probation, as provided by statute; nor did the municipal court have inherent power so to do.

We are cited to the cases of Weber v. State, 58 Ohio St., 616, 51 N. E., 116, 41 L. R. A., 472, and In re Nunley, 102 Ohio St., 332, 131 N. E., 495. Neither of these cases is authoritative, for the reason that the same are no longer controlling, because of legislative enactment. The Legislature has made provision for the suspension of the imposition of sentence and the placing of an accused on probation by Sections 13452-1 to 13452-11, General Code; second, for suspension of execution of sentence pending perfection of error proceedings, by Sections 13453-1 to 13453-6, General Code; and, third, for the conditional sentence of per[109]*109sons convicted of misdemeanors, by Section 13451-8, General Code.

As is said in Madjorous v. State, 113 Ohio St., 427, at page 433, 149 N. E., 393: “Tbe Ohio Legislature having dealt with the subject, and having made certain provisions and certain exceptions thereto, it will be presumed that the Legislature has exhausted the legislative intent, and that it has not intended the practice to be extended further than the plain import of the statutes already enacted. The well-known maxim, eccpressio unius est exclusio alterius, applies.”

It cannot rightly be claimed that Section 13453-1, General Code, is applicable, for that expressly provides for the execution of a sentence being suspended for the purpose of permitting a person convicted of a bailable offense to institute error proceedings. The various defendants here did not prosecute error from the judgment of September 25,1931.

Section 13453-4, General Code, provides that if no error proceedings are instituted, or the judgment of the trial court is affirmed, the sentence which has been pronounced upon the accused shall be carried into execution.

It cannot be claimed that these defendants were given conditional sentences, or probated on condition, as provided in Section 13451-8, General Code.

The Legislature having made these statutory provisions for suspension of execution of sentences, we find no statutory authority available to the defendants in these cases; and, unless the court had an inherent power to suspend, such suspensions were without authority.

In view of the fact that in this state crimes are defined by statute, and procedure in criminal cases is of statutory provision, we must look to the statute for authority to suspend execution of sentence. 12 Ohio Jurisprudence, 49; Weaver v. State, 120 Ohio St., [110]*11044, 165 N. E., 573; Stockum v. State, 106 Ohio St., 249, 253, 139 N. E., 855.

This court has heretofore, in the case of Madjorous v. State, supra, considered the question of the inherent powers of courts to suspend execution of sentence in criminal cases. The language of the opinion, at page 433, is pertinent: “It would be unprofitable to discuss the many cases cited in the briefs of counsel, as we think the best authority upon this subject is the very well-considered opinion of Chief Justice White, in which he reviews and discusses the leading cases at length and reaches the conclusion that the courts do not possess the inherent power to suspend a sentence in a criminal prosecution, except to stay the sentence for a time after conviction, for the purpose of giving an opportunity for a motion for a new trial or in arrest of judgment or during the pendency of a proceeding in error.”

In the Madjorous case a writ of certiorari filed in the Supreme Court of the United States was denied, 270 U. S., 662, 46 S. Ct., 471, 70 L. Ed., 787. An excellent discussion of the inherent powers of courts touching the suspension of sentence in criminal cases under the Ohio decisions is found in 12 Ohio Jurisprudence, 682, Section 667 et seq.

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

Related

Ex Parte Bradley
74 U.S. 364 (Supreme Court, 1869)
In Re Winn
213 U.S. 458 (Supreme Court, 1909)
In Re Metropolitan Trust Co. of New York
218 U.S. 312 (Supreme Court, 1910)
Ex Parte Metropolitan Water Co. of West Virginia
220 U.S. 539 (Supreme Court, 1911)
Ex Parte United States
242 U.S. 27 (Supreme Court, 1916)
Sorrells v. United States
287 U.S. 435 (Supreme Court, 1932)
State v. McKelvey
246 P. 550 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1926)
Davis v. State
277 S.W. 5 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1925)
State Ex Rel. Preston v. Hamilton
220 N.W. 313 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1928)
Woodcock, Jailer v. Richey
8 S.W.2d 389 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky (pre-1976), 1928)
State Ex Rel. Browning v. Kelly
274 S.W. 731 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1925)
State Ex Rel. Buckley v. Drew
74 A. 875 (Supreme Court of New Hampshire, 1909)
In Re Hinson
72 S.E. 310 (Supreme Court of North Carolina, 1911)
Weaver v. State
165 N.E. 573 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1929)
Madjorous v. State
149 N.E. 393 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1925)
State v. Abbott
70 S.E. 6 (Supreme Court of South Carolina, 1911)
Snodgrass v. State
150 S.W. 197 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1912)
State v. Zolantakis
259 P. 1044 (Utah Supreme Court, 1927)
State ex rel. Tingstad v. Starwich
206 P. 29 (Washington Supreme Court, 1922)
Maine v. Sturgis
85 A. 474 (Supreme Judicial Court of Maine, 1912)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
126 Ohio St. (N.S.) 103, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/municipal-court-v-state-ex-rel-platter-ohio-1933.