Platt v. Shields

119 A. 520, 96 Vt. 257, 1923 Vt. LEXIS 163
Supreme Court of Vermont·Decided January 4, 1923·Published·Cited by 59 cases

Opinion

Powers, J.

The plaintiff is the widow and administratrix of Frederick S. Platt, late of Rutland, who was an attorney of unusual ability and high standing, and also-clerk of the district court for the-District of Vermont. The defendants are the surviving members of the law firm of Dunnett, Shields & Conant, all of whom are recognized as attorneys of excellent character and standing. Especially is this true of the senior member of the firm, the late Alexander Dunnett, who was a lawyer of conspicuous ability and attainments — a fact of which the members of this court have abundant knowledge, and to which 'they attest with pleasure.

The controversy grows out of the following facts: Platt lost his life on December 10, 1918, in an accident which [263] occurred on the Boston & Maine Railroad, while it was being operated by the government. The plaintiff first placed her claim for damages in the care of H. Russell Platt, a brother of the deceased and a lawyer practicing in Chicago. Later, it was decided that a local attorney could handle the matter to better advantage, and the plaintiff employed Dunnett, Shields & Conant. This was on or about December 28, 1918, and from that time on, that firm had full charge and management of the claim. They brought an action in the district court against the Director General of Railroads, and. all attempts at a settlement having failed, the case was brought to trial before a jury, and a verdict for the plaintiff for $23,500 was obtained. The defendant carried the case to the Circuit Court of Appeals, sitting in New York City, where the judgment on the verdict was, in due time, affirmed. Dunnett, Shields & Conant collected the judgment, deducted thereform the amount charged for their services and disbursements, and remitted the balance to the plaintiff. The charge for their services was $5,000. The plaintiff insists that this charge is unreasonable and excessive, and sues to recover the amount of the overcharge. The defendant answered by 'a general denial and a complaint in offset on book account, claiming thereunder the charges and disbursements so deducted from the avails of the judgment, and an item of 50 cents for cash, paid out after the remittance to the plaintiff as .aforesaid. The case stood for trial at the June Term, 1921, of the Caledonia county court, being there set to the jury by the plaintiff. Judge Wilson was regularly assigned to preside at that term, and Charles W. Thurber and Oscar C. Woodruff were the assistant judges^ Judge Wilson was disqualified to sit in this ease, and Judge Moulton was assigned to preside at the trial of it. Arrangements were so made that Judge Wilson and Judge Woodruff proceeded with a jury trial in the regular county court room at St. Johnsbury and Judge- Moulton and Judge Thurber, sitting in another part of the building, entered upon the trial of this case, an agreement having been made that the whole case should be tried by the court. The jury trial ended on September 9. On that day, Judge Wilson directed that this case, then being tried as above stated, be entered “With court, Moulton, Presiding Judge,” and then adjourned the term without day. The trial of this case continued until late in the afternoon of September 10, when the evi[264] dence was completed. Thereafter, and before any consultation had been had between Judges Moulton and Thurber to determine upon the facts, the latter died. The plaintiff seasonably objected to the completion of the case by Judge Moulton, and this objection being overruled, excepted. Thereupon, Judge Moulton, acting alone, proceeded to find the facts, filed the same, and rendered judgment ‘ ‘ for the defendants to recover upon their declaration in offset in accordance with their specification on file.” We take the terms of this judgment from the docket entries, to which we may refer, since the record before us does not show them. Brown v. Vermont Mutual Fire Ins. Co., 92 Vt. 272, 102 Atl. 1042.

The plaintiff suggests that the whole procedure whereby two courts were at the same time being conducted, and each (as we shall see) acting as the county court of Caledonia County, was without warrant of law. But she does not brief this claim nor rely upon it. So, of course, we do not consider it, though we do not overlook its importance.

We start our examination of this record, then, upon the assumption that the court before which this trial commenced was lawfully constituted and legally empowered to proceed to final judgment therewith. We will consider the exceptions saved in the order in which they are discussed, in the plaintiff’s brief. So far as the authority of the trial court is concerned, two questions are for consideration: (1) Could that court proceed after the adjournment of the term? and, (2) could Judge Moulton proceed after Judge Thurber’s death? G. L. 1603 provides that one judge of the county court may try and determine a cause pending in that court when the other judges are disqualified. G-. L. 1607 provides that the county court may, in vacation, hear and render judgment in a cause wherein a jury trial is waived. 4. L. 1608 provides that such hearing may be held and such judgment rendered by the superior judge who presided at the last' stated term, without the assistant judges, and that such judgment shall have the same effect as if rendered at the term. These are the only statutory provisions relied upon to support the authority of the court below to proceed as it did. As already suggested, it was all the time the county court that was acting no new tribunal being created by the statute. Thorworth v. Blanchard, 87 Vt. 38, 87 Atl. 52, Ann. Cas. 1916 A, 1226. The [265] authority of the county court to try jury-waived cases in vacation is fully provided for in G. L. 1607. This section, however, contemplates action by a quorum of that body, and does not, standing alone, authorize a single judge thereof to act. G. L. 1608 does authorize action in such eases by a single judge, provided he is the superior judge who presided at the last stated term. None other is therein referred to, and it is only by force of G. L. 1610 that any other superior judge can act in such matters, and then only by. agreement of parties. As applied to this ease, section 1608 refers to Judge Wilson, and not Judge Moulton; for the former presided at the term, while the latter only presided at this trial.

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Platt v. Shields, 119 A. 520, 96 Vt. 257, 1923 Vt. LEXIS 163 (Vt. 1923).

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