People v. Havey

167 N.W.2d 308, 382 Mich. 58, 1969 Mich. LEXIS 88
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedMay 5, 1969
DocketCalendar 8, Docket 51,943
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 167 N.W.2d 308 (People v. Havey) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Havey, 167 N.W.2d 308, 382 Mich. 58, 1969 Mich. LEXIS 88 (Mich. 1969).

Opinion

Per Curiam.

,1. The Pacts and Proceedings.

-■..On February 5, 1964, Birney T. Havey was arraigned in police court in the city of Grand Rapids qn a, charge of armed robbery. He waived examination and was bound over to superior court. Bond was. set in the -sum of $20,000. The defendant, United Bonding Insurance Company, an Indiana corporation authorized to do business in Michigan (hereinafter referred to as United), executed the bond as surety.

On February 17, 1964, Havey and codefendant, Kenneth Raymond Midling, were arraigned in superior court. Havey, present with counsel, stood mute. A plea of not guilty was entered by the court. On March 3, 1964, the court remanded the cause to police court for. preliminary examination, previously waived, and after such examination, Havey, and Midling were again bound over to superior court.

On March .24, 1964, the date set for trial, Midling .appeared. Havey did not. His bond was forfeited and a bench warrant issued. Order estreating bond was filed April 3,1964, and on that date the prosecuting attorney filed a motion for summary judgment against United, together with supporting affidavit of the -chief assistant -prosecutor. A copy of the notice, motion, affidavit, and order estreating bond were served upon Bertram Mitchell, agent for United, who had signed the bond on its behalf.

' On April 24, 1964, Clem Block, an attorney at law, filed a- motion tc dismiss the motion for sum *61 mary judgment. By affidavit in support of the motion, Block swore: (1) that he was attorney for United, and (2) that there was a question of law as well as a question of fact as to whether the people were entitled to summary judgment because the date for appearance of Havey in superior court was never set by that court and because that court lost jurisdiction when it sent the ease back to police court for further proceedings.

No question was raised by Block as to the propriety of the service upon United’s agent, Mitchell. At the hearing on the motion to dismiss, Block stated in open court that he was representing United because it was also on Midling’s bond, and that he was representing Havey’s bonding company but not Havey. Following further proceedings in which United was represented by Block, the superior court entered a judgment against United on October 5, 1964 of $20,000 in favor of the superior court for the city of Grand Rapids and the city of Grand Rapids.

On October 22, 1964, Block appealed for United to the Court of Appeals. On three occasions, stipulations for extensions of time to perfect the appeal were signed by him — twice as “attorney for bonding co.”, once as “attorney for defendant and appellant.” On November 9, 1965, the Court of Appeals dismissed the appeal. On February 3, 1966, United, by Goldfarb & Iludnut, attorneys, filed a petition for leave to file delayed motion for rehearing in the Court of Appeals. The petition stated that the petitioner was presently represented by new counsel. On February 11, 1966, the Court of Appeals granted the petition and gave permission to file delayed motion for rehearing. Such motion was denied on May 25, 1966. On June 14, 1966, United, through Goldfarb, Hudnut & Harris, filed another *62 petition for rehearing which was granted on July 5, 1966.

On November 29, 1967, the prosecuting attorney having failed to file a brief within the required time, the Court of Appeals reversed the superior court judgment upon the ground that United was a foreign insurance corporation and that the notice which was served on Mitchell, as agent of the company, should have been served on the insurance commissioner under CLS 1961, § 500.456 (Stat Ann 1957 Rev § 24.1456) and OCR 1963, 105.4. 8 Mich App 436.

The prosecuting attorney’s motion for rehearing on the ground that any irregularity in service was waived by United by the filing of pleadings by its attorney in superior court and by taking part in the proceedings throughout was filed on December 18, 1967 and denied January 9,1968.

We granted leave to appeal on March 15, 1968. 380 Mich 761.

2. The Questions.

Three questions are presented:

1. Was the bond given by defendant for his appearance in superior court discharged by the remand to police court for preliminary examination!

2. Do the statutes and rules require that notice to a surety, a foreign bonding company, in a proceeding under the criminal code to enter judgment on a defaulted bail bond be served on the insurance commissioner ?

3. Was failure to make service on the insurance commissioner, if required, waived by the attorney for the bonding company by his participation by motion and otherwise in the proceedings in the trial court, without objection to the court’s jurisdiction?

*63 3. The Law.

(a) The Effect of the Remand.

"With reference to question number 1, the condition of the bond reads as follows:

“That if the said respondent shall be and appear personally at the present term of the superior court of Grand Rapids to be held in the city of Grand Rapids on the 10th day of February, 1964, at the court rooms thereof, in said city, then and there to answer to any indictment, complaint or information which may be preferred against him for the offense above mentioned, and to do and receive what shall by said court be then and there enjoined upon him, and shall appear in said court day to day, from time to time and term to term thereafter, as ordered by said court, and shall not depart from said court without leave, then this recognizance to be void, otherwise to remain in full force and virtue.”

Havey failed to answer to the information which was preferred against him at the time he was required to do so, he did not appear, and he did depart from the court without leave. The bond was never discharged by order of the court. It remained in full force and effect. It is stated in People v. Dennis (1857), 4 Mich 609, 617:

“A man’s bail are his jailors, and they are bound to have him as much in the power of the court as if he were within its prison walls. Without appearance, or an order of court to that effect, they are never discharged.”

See, also, People v. Havey (1968), 11 Mich App 555; Dimmers v. Hillsdale Circuit Judge (1939), 289 Mich 482; and People v. Hanaw (1895), 106 Mich 421. See 8 CJS, Bail, § 79, p 218, for a discussion to the effect that unless the terms of a bond so provide, *64 even action discontinuing the prosecution will not operate to discharge bail.

(b) The Requirement as to Service.

With reference to question number 2, United relies upon a provision of the insurance code (CLS 1961, § 500.456, Stat Ann 1957 Rev § 24.1456), and the last sentence of PA 1961, No 236, § 1920, the revised judicature act (CLS 1961, § 600.1920, Stat Ann 1962 Rev § 27A.1920), which same provision also appears in GrCR 1963, 105.4.

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Related

People v. Harbin
276 N.W.2d 607 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1979)
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201 N.W.2d 282 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1972)

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Bluebook (online)
167 N.W.2d 308, 382 Mich. 58, 1969 Mich. LEXIS 88, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-havey-mich-1969.