Schmelzel v. Board of County Commissioners

100 P. 106, 16 Idaho 32, 1909 Ida. LEXIS 23
Idaho Supreme Court·Decided February 17, 1909·Published·Cited by 10 cases

Opinions

AILSHIE, J.

This is an appeal from a judgment of the district court reversing an order of the board of county commissioners of Ada county. The respondents, a firm of barbers, doing business in Boise City, presented to the board of commissioners of Ada county a bill for the sum of $81.65, charged by them for services in shaving jurors and cutting their hair while serving as jurors in the cases of State v. Haywood and State v. Pettibone, theretofore tried in the district court in and for Ada county. The board of commissioners rejected the bill and refused to allow the same on the ground that the charge is not authorized by law. The claimants appealed to the district court and the order of the board of commissioners was reversed and they were directed to audit and allow the bill. The board of commissioners have appealed from the judgment.

The only provisions to be found in the statutes of this state relative to compensation of jurors and their care are to be found in the following sections: Sections 6136 and 6137 of the Revised Codes provide for per diem compensation of jurors and the mileage to be paid them. Sections 7900 and 7901, Revised Codes, are as follows:.

“See. 7900. A room must be provided by the commissioners of each county for the use of the jury upon their retirement for deliberation, with suitable furniture, fuel, lights and stationery. If the commissioners neglect, the court may order -the sheriff to do so, and the expenses incurred by him in carrying the order into effect, when certified by the court, are a county charge.”
“Sec. 7901. "While the jury are kept together, either during the progress of the trial or after their retirement for deliberation, they must be provided by the sheriff, at the expense of the county, with suitable and sufficient food and lodging.”

It will be seen at once that none of the provisions of the foregoing sections apply to the particular charge involved [35] in this action. It must also be conceded that the allowance of costs is a matter dependent wholly upon the statute, and where there is no statute authorizing it, no costs can be allowed. (11 Cye. 24, 493, and eases cited.) It seems to be admitted by respondents in this ease that the bill ordered paid cannot be sustained or justified as items of coste, but that if sustained it will, at most, rest upon the “inherent power of the court to authorize the performance of the services which were performed by respondents,” so as to thereby become a legal charge against the county. It is contended that under the provisions of section 13, article 5 of the constitution, providing that ‘ ‘ The legislature shall have no power to deprive the judicial department of any power or jurisdiction which rightly pertains to it as a co-ordinate department of the government,” etc., it would be an interference with thé inherent power of the courts, as the constituted tribunals for the administration of justice, if the legislature could, by a failure to enact a statute, cut off the necessary and incidental expenses that must inevitably attend the administration of the judicial functions of the court. We think, upon the outset, that, without discussion or controversy, it must be admitted that the courts have the inherent power and authority to incur and order paid all such expenses as are necessary for the holding of court and the administration of the duties of courts of justice. (State v. Davis, 26 Nev. 373, 68 Pac. 689; Board of Commrs. v. Stout, 136 Ind. 53, 36 N. E. 237, 22 L. R. A. 398; In re Janitor of Supreme Court, 35 Wis. 410; Stowell v. Jackson Co. Supervisors, 57 Mich. 31, 23 N. W. 557; Bates v. Independence Co., 23 Ark. 722; Fernekes v. Milivaukee Co. Supervisors, 43 Wis. 303; State v. Armstrong, 19 Ohio, 116; White v. Polk Co., 17 Iowa, 413.)

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Schmelzel v. Board of County Commissioners, 100 P. 106, 16 Idaho 32, 1909 Ida. LEXIS 23 (Idaho 1909).

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