State ex rel. Broussard v. Henderson

45 So. 430, 120 La. 535, 1907 La. LEXIS 670
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedNovember 18, 1907
DocketNo. 16,653
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 45 So. 430 (State ex rel. Broussard v. Henderson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State ex rel. Broussard v. Henderson, 45 So. 430, 120 La. 535, 1907 La. LEXIS 670 (La. 1907).

Opinion

Statement of the Case.

MONROE, J.

Relator applied to the district court for a writ of mandamus to compel the sheriff to pay over to him, from fines collected by the sheriff, after deducting a commission of 10 per cent, due to the latter, one-fifth of the balance, to which he alleges that he is entitled under the law. The sheriff alleged that the balance referred to belongs to the school board of the parish, and that it is his intention to turn it over to that body, unless he should be otherwise ordered by the court. The district court issued the mandamus, as prayed for, and its judgment having been affirmed by the Court of Appeal, the sheriff now invokes the jurisdiction of this court for the review of the ruling so made.

It is undisputed that prior to January 1, 1906, the sheriff had paid the commission here claimed to the district attorney and his predecessors in office, and that, in so doing, he was sustained by the opinions of the two Attorneys General who preceded the present [537]*537incumbent, but that the officer last mentioned has advised that the money be paid to the school board.

In 1870 the compensation of district attorneys throughout the state was regulated by certain provisions Of the Revised Statutes, the substance of which (and, where considered necessary, the language) may be stated as follows, to wit:

Section 1044 (with which sections 1169 and 1519 are identical):

“The several district attorneys throughout the state shall be entitled to demand and receive one fifth of all sums, first deducting the percentage allowed by law to the sheriff for [collecting] and paying over the same, which may be collected on forfeited bonds, recognizances and finés imposed in criminal prosecutions and misdemeanors by any court.”
“See. 1145. They shall be allowed a compensation of five per cent, on all amounts by them recovered and paid to the state, in cases not otherwise provided by law.
“Sec. 1146. The Attorney General and district attorney shall be entitled to receive the sum of fifteen dollars on each criminal prosecution in which the accused shall be convicted, to be taxed with the costs.”

Section 1174 provides for the imposition of fines in certain cases upon judges, justices of the peace, and recorders, and allows a fee of $50 to the district attorney for the conviction.

Sections 1149 and 1176 provide for compensation in certain cases where the district attorney is employed by the State Auditor. Act No. 10, p. 12, of 1877 (Extra Sess.), repeals all laws authorizing the Auditor to employ special counsel.

The Constitution of 1879, referring to the district attorney, provides: Article 124 (having no application to the parish of Orleans):

That “he shall receive a salary of $1,000 per annum * * *. He shall also receive fees, but no fees shall be allowed in criminal cases except on conviction.”

Act No. 96, p. 122, of 1880, is entitled:

“An act defining the duties of district attorneys throughout the state and fixing their fees.”

Section 1 provides that it shall be the duty of the district attorneys (parish of Orleans excepted) to attend the sessions of the courts in their respective districts, and represent the state in all civil and criminal actions, and that, in districts where the Supreme Court holds its sessions, they shall also represent the state in all criminal eases coming before that tribunal.

Section 2 provides that it shall be the duty of the district attorney and his assistant, in the parish of Orleans, to conduct the prosecution of all criminal cases in the courts of that parish.

Section 8 provides:

“That the district attorneys throughout the state shall be entitled to receive, in addition to their salaries as allowed by the Constitution, the following -fees, to-wit: Five dollars for each conviction on which the accused is finally sentenced only to pay a fine; ten dollars for each conviction on which the accused is finally sentenced to imprisonment in jail; fifteen dollars for each conviction on which the accused is finally sentenced to imprisonment in the penitentiary for a term shorter than life; twenty dollars for each conviction on which the accused is finally sentenced to imprisonment in the penitentiary for life; twenty-five dollars on which the accused is finally sentenced to death. He shall receive only one fee in any case, and shall not be paid his fee until the sentence has become final, on appeal or otherwise.”

Section 4 provides that the district attorneys shall advise and represent the police juries and the school boards.

Section 5 provides:

“That the district attorneys throughout the state [the parish of Orleans excepted] shall receive a commission of five per cent, on all amounts they may collect in any suit in favor of the state, parish or school boards, and the commissions, as now allowed by law, for collections on forfeited bonds.”

Section 6 reads:

“That all laws or parts of laws in conflict with this act be and the same are hereby repealed.”

The Constitution of 1898 (article 125), referring to the district attorney, provides that:

“He shall receive a salary of $1,000 per an-num. * * * He shall also receive fees; but no fee shall be allowed in criminal cases, except on conviction, which fees shall not exceed five dollars in cases of misdemeanor.”

[539]*539Article 180 reads:

“No officer whose salary is fixed by the Constitution shall be allowed any fees or perquisites of office, except where otherwise provided for by this Constitution.”

Act No. 151, p. 322, of 1904, amends section 1 of Act No. 96, p. 122, of 18S0, in so far as to relieve the district attorney for the parish of Orleans (where the Supreme Court holds its session) from the necessity of appearing in the city courts, and provides that, when they do appear, they shall collect their fees from the party convicted.

Opinion.

Article 125 of the Constitution, as we have seen, allows a fee in a criminal case only on conviction, and limits the amount, in case of misdemeanor, to $5. When, therefore, the district attorney, after securing a conviction in such case, collects a fee of $5, he has received all that the law allows, and, if he collects part of the fine imposed as a fee, he collects a fee in excess of $5 in violation of the article. Upon the other hand, if he collects part of the fine as a commission, he violates article 180; since, if commission be not another name for fee, the collection falls within the prohibition that “no officer whose salary is fixed by the Constitution shall be allowed any * * * perquisites of office, except where otherwise provided for by this Constitution,” as commissions, under such circumstances, are unquestionably perquisites, and are not thus provided for.

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Bluebook (online)
45 So. 430, 120 La. 535, 1907 La. LEXIS 670, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-broussard-v-henderson-la-1907.