People v. Finch

88 Misc. 2d 581, 388 N.Y.S.2d 820, 1976 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2707
CourtJustice Court of Village of Monticello
DecidedSeptember 29, 1976
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 88 Misc. 2d 581 (People v. Finch) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Justice Court of Village of Monticello primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Finch, 88 Misc. 2d 581, 388 N.Y.S.2d 820, 1976 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2707 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1976).

Opinion

Burton Ledina, J.

In each of the cases considered herein, the defendant has moved to dismiss upon the grounds that the ordinance, the violation of which the defendants stand charged, is a nullity by virtue of the contentions, first, that the municipality was without authority and jurisdiction to [582]*582enact the same, and second, that the municipality lacked any legitimate purpose or police power to enact such ordinance and, third, that the ordinance deprives the defendant of due process of law under the State and Federal Constitutions.

On July 19, 1971 the Board of Trustees of the Village of Monticello enacted Ordinance No. 3.21.1 and on January 5, 1976, said board recodified the village laws, incorporating said ordinance in the new code as section 39-1 of chapter 39 and it reads as follows: "No person shall drink or consume an alcoholic beverage on any public street, public sidewalk or public parking area within the Village limits of the Village of Monticello.”

Section 39-2, taken together with section 1-18, provide for punishment for a violation of such ordinance of a fine not to exceed $250 or by imprisonment for a term not exceeding 15 days or by both such fine and imprisonment.

On June 18, 1976 at 270 Broadway in the Village of Monticello, at about 3:00 p.m. it is alleged that the defendant, said Samuel Finch, drank wine from a one pint bottle while standing on a public sidewalk.

On July 2, 1976 at Prince Street in the Village of Monticello, at 8:45 a.m. it is alleged that the defendant Edward Evasko consumed an alcoholic beverage in a public place within the village limits.

The New York State Constitution provides in section 2 of article IX that:

"(c) In addition to powers granted in the statute of local governments or in any other law, (i) every local government shall have power to adopt and amend local laws not inconsistant with the provisions of this constitution or any general law relating to its property, affairs or government and, (ii) every local government shall have power to adopt and amend local laws not inconsistant with the provisions of this constitution or any general law relating to the following subjects * * *

"(10) The government, protection, order, conduct, safety, health and well-being of persons or property therein”.

Section 10 of the Municipal Home Rule Law provides:

"1. In addition to powers granted in the constitution, the statute of local governments or in any other law,

"(i) every local government shall have power to adopt and amend local laws not inconsistant with the provisions of the [583]*583constitution or not inconsistant with any general law relating to its property, affairs or government and,

"(ii) every local government, as provided in this chapter, shall have power to adopt and amend local laws not inconsistant with the provisions of the constitution or not inconsistant with any general law, relating to the following subjects, whether or not they relate to the property, affairs or government of such local government, except to the extent that the legislature shall restrict the adoption of such local law relating to other than the property, affairs or government of such local government:

"a. A county, city, town or village; * * *

"(11) The protection and enhancement of its physical and visual environment.

"(12) The government, protection order, conduct, safety, health and well-being of persons or property therein.”

Section 4-412 of the Village Law provides: "1. General Powers of the Board of Trustees. In addition to any other powers conferred upon villages, the Board of Trustees of a village shall have management of village property and finances, may take all measures and do all acts, by local law, not inconsistant with the provisions of the Constitution, and not inconsistant with the general law except as authorized by the municipal home rule law, which shall be deemed expedient or desirable for the good government of the village, its management and business, the protection of its property, the safety, health, confort, and general welfare of its inhabitants, the protection of their property, the preservation of peace and good order, the suppression of vice, the benefit of trade, and the preservation and protection of public works”.

Defendants contend that the ordinance violates the due process clause of the Federal and State Constitutions. As to this, the rules are clear. "Every legislative enactment carries a strong presumption of constitutionality including a rebuttable presumption of the existence of the necessary factual support for its provisions (Borden’s Co. v. Baldwin, 293 U. S. 194, 209, 210). If any state of facts, known or to be assumed, justify the law, the court’s power of inquiry ends (United States v. Carolene Products Co., 304 U. S. 144, 154). Questions as to wisdom, need or appropriateness are for the Legislature (Olsen v. Nebraska, 313 U. S. 236, 246). Courts strike down statutes only as a last resort (Matter of Ahern v. South Buffalo Ry. Co., 303 N.Y. 545, 555, affd. 244 U. S. 367) and [584]*584only when unconstitutionality is shown beyond a reasonble doubt (Lindsley v. Natural Carbonic Gas Co., 220 U. S. 61, 79; Matter of Fay 291 N. Y. 198, 206, 207). But, for all that, due process demands that a law be not unreasonable or arbitrary and that it be reasonably related and applied to some actual and manifest evil (Matter of Jacobs, 98 N. Y. 98, 100; Fisher Co. v. Woods, 187 N.Y. 90; Nebbia v. New York, 291 U. S. 502). And even though a police power enactment may have been or may have seemed to be valid when made, later events or later discovered facts may show it to be arbitrary and confiscatory (Abie State Bank v. Bryan, 282 U. S. 765, 772).” (Defiance Milk Prods. Co. v Du Mond, 309 NY 537, 540-541.)

Under the statutes above quoted, the village has broad power to regulate the use of the village streets, sidewalks and parking areas and to provide, by local law, for the good government of the village and the preservation and promotion of the health, safety and general welfare of its inhabitants. Local laws are valid which have a substantial relation to matters within the field where legislative power is vested in the local legislative body of the village by the Constitution and statutes of New York. They must be reasonably calculated to achieve a legitimate public purpose. (Good Humor Corp. v City of New York, 290 NY 312.)

"Any use of the streets, and certainly any use of the streets for a private business purpose, which interferes unduly with the use of the streets by others for travel, may doubtless be prohibited, in proper case, by the Legislature.” (Good Humor Corp. v City of New York, supra, p 317; People v Cook, 34 NY2d 100.)

Aesthetic considerations and the appearance of the community have long been held proper subject of legislative concern in enacting laws designed to promote health and safety.

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Bluebook (online)
88 Misc. 2d 581, 388 N.Y.S.2d 820, 1976 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2707, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-finch-nyjustctmontice-1976.