State Bank v. Plummer

46 Colo. 71
CourtSupreme Court of Colorado
DecidedApril 15, 1909
DocketNo. 6416
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 46 Colo. 71 (State Bank v. Plummer) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Colorado primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State Bank v. Plummer, 46 Colo. 71 (Colo. 1909).

Opinion

Mr. Justice White

delivered the opinion of the court:

Appellees have interposed a motion to dismiss this appeal. Of the four grounds upon which it is based, two only are of such character as to require consideration. They are as follows:

1. No authenticated copy of the record of the judgment or decree appealed from has been lodged in this court.

2. The appeal bond was never approved by the trial court, nor was an order of said court made authorizing the approval thereof by the clerk of said court.

I.

Authentication of the copy of the record of the judgment as required by law is essential to the jurisdiction of this court.—Yuma County v. Lovell, 20 Colo. 80, 83; Northrop v. Jenison, 12 Col. App. 523, 524; Denver v. Capelli, 3 Colo. 235, 236.

And on appeal the approval of the bond is equally so.—Greenlaw L. & T. Co. v. Chambers, 39 Colo. 110.

The certificate of the clerk of the district court purporting to authenticate the transcript or copy of the record of the judgment or decree appealed from is to the effect that it is ‘ ‘ a true, perfect and complete transcript of all the files and of all orders of court, made and entered in the” case.

The particular objection urged is that this certificate does not include a copy of the final judgment. Now if the final judgment is not included this objection is fatal, for the jurisdiction of this court has not attached, and cannot be invoked.—Jones v. Vanatta, 19 Col. App. 6; Wilson v. Hickman, 19 Col. App. 141.

[73]*73By § 371, Mills’ Ann. Code, “Every direction of a court or judge made or entered in writing and not included in a judgment is denominated an order. ’ ’

Appellees therefore argue that an order is not a judgment, and that said code section expressly excepts it from a judgment. The section in question recognizes that certain directions of a court enter into and constitute the judgment, while others do not, and the latter are denominated orders. It does not say that a judgment under the code may not be an order, nor is never so denominated. However, having designated those not included in a judgment as orders, if there be nothing more in the code disclosing the sense in which the words are used, the presumption would doubtless be conclusive, that an “order” is never a “judgment.”

The converse of this is true, however. For by express provision, § 442, Mills’ Ann. Code, the word judgment is declared to mean “all final orders, decrees and determinations in an action; also all orders upon which executions may issue.”

By § 389, Mills’ Ann. Code, an appellant is required to “lodge in the office of the clerk of the supreme court an authenticated copy of the record of the judgment or decree appealed from,” within a designated time. It therefore necessarily follows that an appellant has complied with this code provision when he has lodged with said clerk “a true, perfect and complete transcript of all the files and of all orders of court made and entered in the case.” “All the files” include, all the pleadings, and process and such other documents as may be filed in the case; and ‘ ‘ all orders of court made and entered, ’ ’ include those that are final, as well as those that are interlocutory. Especially is this true when, as here, we turn to these orders so certified, and find an order which is the final judgment in the cause.

[74]*74The code prescribes no rule or form for the authentication of the record, and it is sufficient, if by fair and reasonable construction it affirms that all the papers and proceedings which constitute the record of the judgment are included.

In the case of O’Shea v. Wilkinson, 95 Cal. 454, 30 Pac. 538, it is said:

“The transcript contains what purports to be copies of the pleadings, order overruling the demurrer, minutes of the court, findings, and judgment, with a certificate of the clerk attached, which states that they are correct, but does not say that they con-' stitute the judgment-roll. Respondent claims that we cannot consider matters contained in these papers without a certificate of the clerk that they are copies of the records which constitute the judgment-roll. This contention cannot be sustained. The code specifies what documents shall constitute the judgment-roll. Except in cases of default, it is made up by attaching together ‘the pleadings, a copy of the verdict of the jury or finding of the court or referee, all bills of exception taken and filed, and a copy of any order made on demurrer, or relating to change of parties, and a copy of the judgment.’—Code Civ. Proc., sec. 670. It is no part of. the duties of the clerk to certify that the papers contained in the transcript constitute the record on appeal although it is the general practice, and is proper for the clerk in his certificate to state that the transcript contains a copy of the judgment-roll. In the absence of a showing to the contrary, we must presume that the pleadings, order, findings-, and judgment mentioned in the certificate are those which constitute the judgment-roll. If they do not, it is an easy matter for the respondent, upon suggestion of diminution of the record, to have the transcript corrected here. ’ ’

[75]*75The certificate in question authenticates certain documents as true copies of the originals. Among these is found everything essential to constitute a record of the judgment, including the judgment itself. What matters it if the clerk has failed to designate the papers by their technical name? What would it profit an appellant if a clerk should certify “the above and foregoing to be a true and correct copy of the record of the judgment,” and yet upon inspection there were no pleadings nor judgment? Now, if he certifies that particular papers, to wit: “all the files and all orders of the court made, and entered” are true and correct copies of the originals in the case, and upon inspection such papers constitute the record of the judgment, in the ease, is it not manifestly sufficient? It is true that the certificate in question is not very formal nor technical.' Fairly and reasonably construed, however, it is evident therefrom that the transcript contains a full, true and correct “authenticated copy of the record of the judgment.” All the requirements'of the code were reasonably satisfied. This view is strengthened by the fact that, by express provision, the code and all proceedings thereunder shall be liberally construed* with a view to promote its object and assist the parties in obtaining justice. — § 443, Mills’ Ann. Code.

II.

Section 388, Mills’ Ann. Code, as amended (Sess. Laws 1907, p. 278), expressly declares that “the party praying for such appeal shall * * . * give bond with sufficient surety to be approved by the court from which the appeal is taken (or by the clerk thereof when the order granting the appeal may so direct), and file the same in the office of the clerk of the court from which the appeal is taken, within the time limited by the court.” This language is [76]*76mandatory and nothing less than a reasonable compliance therewith will give this court jurisdiction of this appeal. The order granting the appeal is conditioned that the bond be filed within sixty days, but in no wise authorizes the clerk to approve the same. This power then, under the code, remains in the court, and the court alone.

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Bluebook (online)
46 Colo. 71, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-bank-v-plummer-colo-1909.