People ex rel. Graufield v. Perkins

3 Ill. Cir. Ct. 492
CourtIllinois Circuit Court
DecidedJuly 1, 1868
StatusPublished

This text of 3 Ill. Cir. Ct. 492 (People ex rel. Graufield v. Perkins) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Illinois Circuit Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People ex rel. Graufield v. Perkins, 3 Ill. Cir. Ct. 492 (Ill. Super. Ct. 1868).

Opinion

McAllister, J.:—

The writ of habeas corpus was allowed in this case for the purpose of inquiring into an alleged illegal imprisonment of one Dennis G-raufield, a boy a little over fourteen years of age, and who has been confined since the 20th of July, 1866, in the reform school of the city of Chicago. The writ was served on the superintendent at the reform school, and he admitted due service. He appeared, however, by the city attorney, who moved to quash the writ on two grounds, viz:

1. The reform school being beyond the city limits, the court has no jurisdiction.

2. The statute, defining the powers of the court, requires ten days’ notice of the application of the writ.

He also moved that the ease be transferred to the superior court of Chicago.

Neither of the grounds stated for the motion to quash is tenable.

First, then, as to jurisdiction: The recorder’s court is a city court; and whatever locality the corporation holds, in its character of land proprietor, and governs by its common council, is within the territorial jurisdiction of this court. The institution in question is called “The Reform School of the City of Chicago.” The site upon which it stands was, pursuant to authority, given by the legislature, selected and purchased, and is held by the city for that purpose; and the institution, by the same authority, was committed to the full control of the city. This locality is as much a part of the city as any portion of Lake street is; and a crime committed there, if otherwise cognizable by this court, would be as ■clearly within its jurisdiction as if committed in the armory.

Secondly. As to the ten days’ notice: If the position of the city attorney is correct, then, when a person in jail is ready to give bail in eases pending in this court, and desires a writ of habeas corpus for that purpose, he must give the sheriff ten days’ notice, lie' in jail until the time expires, and then the sheriff may, by filing a request, as is done in this case, have the application transferred to another court. The act creating this court clearly gives it power to issue the writ of habeas corpu-s, the same as the circuit court may. The subsequent act relied on declares that “Neither the said recorder’s court, nor the judge thereof, shall grant any writ of ne exeat, injunction, or other writ or process, which said court or judge shall have power to issue in civil eases, excepting original writs of summons, capias, attachment, etc., unless the person against whom such writ is granted shall have ten days’ notice,” etc.

It is a familiar rule of construction that, when certain things are specified in a statute, and followed by general words, as in this case, “other writ or process,” nothing will be included under the general words except what belongs to the same class as those specified. The writs that are here specified are such as are auxiliary to the original process and proceedings. The writ of habeas corpus is not auxiliary to any other writ; but is the original summons. The writ of habeas corpus, like the common-law certiorari, is one of right and will never be deemed taken away by implication. The motion to quash the writ, and transfer the ease to the superior court must be overruled.

We must, then, meet the questions involved on the merits -of the case, viz: Was the boy Dennis Graufield illegally committed to the reform school, and is he there illegally detained? The evidence in the case shows that at the time of his capture he had and still has both father and mother living in this city. His father was and is in good circum•stances, worth, as he states, between $10,000 and $15,000; had a good and respectable home, at which the boy lived, -and had as good parental care as a majority of children in the city. He was not accused, indicted, or convicted of any «crime, but was brought before Judge Jameson of the superior court, acting as commissioner under the reform school act, and, by his order, committed to the reform school, and that commitment is the only legal cause for his caption and -detention relied upon. The city attorney strenuously insists that this commitment is final and conclusive upon the whole world. If this be true, there exists among us a power -of the most dangerous and alarming character. This boy’s parents were well settled and known citizens of the city. 'They were able and willing to take care of him, yet he was seized, and, without their knowledge, taken to the reform school, as it is called, wherein the superintendent claims the right to detain him until he is twenty-one years of age. So, in the same way, by the exercise of this power and its easy abuse, the little boy, of the tenderest of parents, may be seized whenever he has reached the age of six years and a day, and be sent to the same supposed reform school, and there detained in spite of the tears and waihngs of his parents until he is twenty-one. There is no appeal from the decision of the judge, and no writ of error will lie. Even the governor cannot release by pardon, because there is no offense to pardon. The only possible avenue of relief would be through the discretionary action of the board of guardians, which may be composed of men jealous of power or fond of it. Are the free-born subjects of this state, really, by the law of the land, to be placed in a position where, being themselves wholly innocent of crime, and their children likewise innocent, they are to be forced to beg on their knees, before some board, for the privilege of enjoying the custody and society of their own children? These are grave questions, and from the cases that have come before this court may well be asked at every fireside. I propose now to analyze this claim of power, and see whether it have legally any foundation or not.

The father who, by law, is entitled to the custody and earnings of his child during his minority, comes and claims that custody. The respondent says no. By a legal proceeding you have been divested of that right, and it has been vested in me, and shows the commitment of a judge of the superior court to establish his position. If the statute under which this proceeding was had has any validity, it is one not according to the course of the common law or any regular proceedings in the courts. It is a special proceeding. The judge does not act as a court; but as an officer with special and limited jurisdiction, in which case there is no presumption in favor of jurisdiction, but compliance with every provision of the statute essential to jurisdiction must be shown. The eighth section of the original act requires the commissioner to issue a summons or notice to the father of the boy, if living and resident in the city, to appear before him at such time and place as he shall in such summons or notice appoint; and to show cause, if any there be, why the said boy shall not be committed to the reform school. And upon appearance before him of the party named in said summons or order, or if, after due service had of the summons or order, there shall be no such appearance, the said commissioner shall, upon expiration of the time named in said summons or order for said appearance, proceed to examine said boy, etc. Municipal laws, pp. 132, 133. By the fourth section of the act of 1867, in reference to the reform school, the powers and duties of the commissioner are conferred upon the judges of the superior and circuit courts.

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Bluebook (online)
3 Ill. Cir. Ct. 492, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-ex-rel-graufield-v-perkins-illcirct-1868.