Pugh v. Pugh

124 N.W. 959, 25 S.D. 7, 1910 S.D. LEXIS 32
CourtSouth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 9, 1910
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 124 N.W. 959 (Pugh v. Pugh) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering South Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pugh v. Pugh, 124 N.W. 959, 25 S.D. 7, 1910 S.D. LEXIS 32 (S.D. 1910).

Opinion

CORSON, J.

This case comes before us on an appeal by the plaintiff from an order of the circuit court sustaining the defendant’s demurrer to the complaint of the plaintiff, and from the final judgment entered by the court on said order dismissing the complaint.

The action wa's commenced on January 2, 1909, and the complaint to which the demurrer was interposed and sustained is as follows:

“First. That the plaintiff now is, and for a period of more than six months next and immediately preceding the commencement of this action hais been, an actual and bona fide resident in good faith of the state of South Dakota, having at all times since the 15th dry of Tune, 1908, maintained hi'sr sole domicile within the state of South Dakota, with the intention of making the said state of South Dakota his sole residence and domicile indefinitely. That the plaintiff is a citizen of the United States, over the age of 2i years, and now, and at all times since the 15th day of December, 1908 (at which last-named date he had been a bona fide resident of the state of South Dakota for six months), has been a bona fide citizen and qualified elector of the state of South Dakota, and at the time of the commencement of this action is ¡such bona fide citizen and qualified elector of this state, and as such is entitled to the privileges of all of its law equally with every other citizen and elector as provided by - section 18 of article 6 of the Constitution of the state of South Dakota, which is in words and figures as follows: ‘No- law shall be passed granting to any citizen, class of citizens or corporation, privileges or immunities which, upon the same terms, shall not equally belong to all citizens or corporations.’
“Second. Plaintiff further alleges and shows to the court that the plaintiff and the defendant herein legally inferma.rried, the one with the other, in the state of Pennsylvania, on or about the 28th day of April, 1889, and have since remained and now are husband and. wife, and that no children were born as issue of this marriage.
[9]*9“Third. And for a cause of action herein the plaintiff further alleges that on or about the 22d day of July, 1906, at Baltimore, in the state of Maryland, the defendant herein, without any sufficient cause or reason on the part of the plaintiff, did willfully, voluntarily, and unlawfully desert and abandon this plaintiff, and at all times since has continued, and still so continues, to willfully, voluntarily, and unlawfully desert and abandon this plaintiff, and to live separate and apart from him, without sufficient cause, or any reason, and against his will and without his consent.
“iwurth. And for a cause of action herein the plaintiff further alleges and reiterates all of the foregoing paragraphs of this complaint, the same as if they, the first, second, and third paragraphs of this complaint, were set out in full in this paragraph, and further alleges: That under the law or statute of the state of South Dakota, known as Senate Bill 95, passed by the Legislature, of the state of South Dakota of 1907, duly referended as provided by the Constitution of the state of South Dakota, favorably voted upon, and now at any times since about the 5th day of December, '1908, in force and effect within this state as a statute or law of this state, being chapter 132 of the Session Laws South Dakota 1907, a true and certified copy of which law or statute of this slate is hereto attached, marked ‘Exhibit A’ for identification and made a part of this complaint, is unconstitutional and void under ¡section 1 of the fourteenth amendment to the Constitution of the LTnited States, which is in words and figures as follows: ‘All persons bom or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States, and cf the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person cf life, liberty or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.’ And that said law or statute i:s void and unconstitutional under section 18 of article 6 of the Constitution of the state of South Dakota, which is in words and figures as follows: ‘No law shall be passed granting to any citizen, class of [10]*10citizens or corporation, privileges or immunities which, upon the same terms, shall not equally belong to all citizens or corporations.’ That said statute or law, hereto attached, marked 'Exhibit A,’ and made a part of this complaint, is unconstitutional and void as discriminatory or class legislation, in that it allows or permits one class of citizens or persons within the borders of this state to maintain an action for divorce without any stated term of residence or domicile within the state, viz., those persons who were married 'within this state, and allows another class of citizens, or persons within the borders of this state, to' maintain air action for divorce on a residence or domicile of six months, viz., those persons whose cause of action arose in this state, while the class of citizens or persons within the borders of this state to- which your complainant belongs are compelled by said law or statute to reside and have their domicile within this state for one year betore having the privilege or right -to maintain an action for divorce. That said law or statute, hereto attached marked for identification as 'Exhibit A,’ and made a part of this complaint, is unconstitutional and void under the Constitution of the state of South Dakota conferring- upon all male persons over the age of 21 years, and who are citizens of the United States, full citizenship and the benefit of all of'its,laws equally with every other citizen, class of citizens, or corporations. And that said law or statute hereto attached, marked ‘Exhibit A,’ for identification, and made a part hereof, is unconstitutional and void under the Constitution of the United States and the amendinents thereto, and under the Constitution of the State of- South Dakota and the amendments thereto.
“Wherefore, the plaintiff demands judgment herein, and prays: That the bonds of matrimony heretofore and until now existing between this plaintiff and this defendant be, by judgment and decree of this court, absolutely dissolved, and that the parties plaintiff and defendant be absolutely released from said marriage and restored to the status - of single persons.”

To the complaint was annexed a copy of “An act relating to action for divorce, and the proceedings therein. Approved March 8, 1907,” and constituting- chapter 132, Sess. Daws 1907, which reads as follows:

[11]*11“Section i. The plaintiff in an action for divorce must have been an actual resident, in good faith, of this state for one year, and of the county wherein such action is commenced for three months next preceding the commencement of said atcion, except as herein otherwise provided.
■ “Sec. 2. H the parties were married in this state and the plaintiff shall have resided therein from, the time ■ of marriage until the commencement of the action, said action may be commenced at any time after the cause of action has arisen.
“Sec. 3.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
124 N.W. 959, 25 S.D. 7, 1910 S.D. LEXIS 32, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pugh-v-pugh-sd-1910.