State Ex Rel. Goodwin v. Dist. Cour

• Court: Montana Supreme Court
• Decided: June 12, 1975
• Docket: 13012
• Status: Published

Opinion

No, 13012

I N THE SUPREME COURT O THE STATE OF M N A A F OTN

THE STATE OF M N A A e x rel. OTN FORREST GOODWIN,

Relator,

THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE TENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT OF THE STATE OF M N A A i n and OTN f o r t h e County of F e r g u s , and t h e HONORABLE LEROY L. McKINNON, P r e s i d i n g Judge,

Respondents.

ORIGINAL PROCEEDING:

F o r Rela t o r :

S a n d a l l , Cavan and Edwards, B i l l i n g s , Montana A. C l i f f o r d Edwards argued, B i l l i n g s , Montana

F o r Respondents :

William A , Spoja, County A t t o r n e y , a r g u e d , Lewistown, Montana

Submitted: A p r i l 29, 1975

Decided : j ~ 1 2 & l5 g Filed : doh! 1 1975 J u s t i c e Gene B. Daly d e l i v e r e d t h e Opinion of t h e Court.

This i s an o r i g i n a l proceeding. R e l a t o r F o r r e s t Goodwin p e t i t i o n s f o r a w r i t of s u p e r v i s o r y c o n t r o l d i r e c t e d t o t h e d i s t r j c o u r t of t h e t e n t h j u d i c i a l d i s t r i c t , county of Fergus, and t h e Hon. LeRoy L. McKinnon, p r e s i d i n g judge. R e l a t o r a s k s t h i s Court t o quash an o r d e r of t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t t h a t r e v e r s e d t h e j u s t i c e o f t h e peace c o u r t and s e t a m a t t e r concerning v i o l a t i o n o f an ordinance of t h e town of Denton, Fergus County, Montana, f o r t r i a l i n t h e j u s t i c e c o u r t of Lewistown township. This Court a f t e r ex p a r t e a p p l i c a t i o n s e t t h e m a t t e r f o r h e a r i n g and o r a l argument on A p r i l 29, 1975. A f t e r o r a l argument t h e m a t t e r was taken under advisement by t h e Court. R e l a t o r F o r r e s t Goodwin was charged i n j u s t i c e c o u r t , Lewistown Township, Fergus County, Montana by a complaint d a t e d November 12, 1974, w i t h v i o l a t i n g s e c t i o n 4-414, R.C.M. 1947. The complaint a l l e g e s r e l a t o r v i o l a t e d s e c t i o n 4-414 i n terms of an a l l e g e d s a l e of b e e r a f t e r t h e hour of 1:00 a.m., i n controvention of an ordinance of t h e town of Denton, Montana. d el at or's counsel f i l e d , i n t h e j u s t i c e c o u r t , a motion t o d i s m i s s t h e complaint and a memo i n support t h e r e o f , on t h e ground t h a t t h e substance o f t h e s t a t e ' s c a s e was n o t an a l l e g a t i o n o f a v i o l a t i o n of s e c t i o n 4-414, b u t r a t h e r , an a l l e g a t i o n speaking t o a purported v i o l a t i o n of an ordinance o f t h e town of Denton and t h t h e r e f o r e , t h e j u r i s d i c t i o n s t a t u t e s of t h e Revised Codes of Monta c l e a r l y r e q u i r e d t h a t t h e c a s e be brought i n t h e name o f t h e town of Denton and be prosecuted by t h a t town i n i t s p o l i c e c o u r t . David S a t h e r , j u s t i c e of t h e peace of t h e Lewistown town- s h i p , Fergus County, Montana, subsequently ordered t h e complaint on f i l e a g a i n s t r e l a t o r be dismissed on t h e above s t a t e d grounds. T h e r e a f t e r , t h e Fergus county a t t o r n e y appealed j u s t i c e of t h e peace s a t h e r ' s o r d e r t o tk d i s t r i c t c o u r t , Tenth J u d i c i a l D i s t r i c t , county of Fergus, where, a f t e r a h e a r i n g , D i s t r i c t Judgt LeRoy McKinnon r e v e r s e d t h e judgment of t h e j u s t f c e r i i t h e peace and remanded t h e c a s e t o t h e j u s t i c e c o u r t f o r .-rr 1.. 5

The complaint on f i l e c l r l r l y e s t a b l i s h e s t h a t r e l a t o r was chatged v ~ t t l ii v i o l a t i o r l z ri;' ;%i ; ordinance of t h e town of Dentoi Fergus Ca!mty, :.Tort Cana : "That he t h e s a i d FORREST GOODWIN d i d then a n d r h e r e w i l l f u l l y , u n l a w f u l l y and wrongfully s e l l b e e r a t an e s t a b l i s h m e n t l i c e n s e d under t h e Montana Beer Act, a f t e r t h e hour of 1:00 o ' c l o c k A.M., and b e f o r e t h e hour of 8:00 o ' c l o c k P.M. of s a i d day, and c o n t r a r y t o t h e ordinances of t h e Town of Denton, Fergus County, Montana, s o provided; s a i d s a l e was made by an agent of t h e Defendant h e r e i n . " (Emphasis supplied). It i s w e l l e s t a b l i s h e d i n Montana law t h a t p o l i c e c o u r t s a r e c o u r t s of l i m i t e d j u r i s d i c t i o n and have such a u t h o r i t y a s i s e x p r e s s l y c o n f e r r e d upon them. S t a t e v. Tropf, ; Mont . 530 P.2d 1158, 32 St.Rep. 56, 59. S e c t i o n 4-414, R.C.M. 1947, e s t a b l i s h e s t h e c l o s i n g hours f o r l i c e n s e d premises i n t h e s t a t e of Montana a s 2:00 a.m., and provides a u t h o r i t y f o r a c i t y o r tow t o r e s t r i c t f u r t h e r t h e hours w i t h i n t h e c i t y o r town: "*** provided, however, when any c i t y o r i n c o r p o r a t e d o r unincorporated town has any ordinance f u r t h e r r e s t r i c t i n g t h e hours of s a l e of l i q u o r , such r e s t r i c t e d hours s h a l l b e t h e hours d u r i n g which s a l e of l i q u o r a t r e t a i l s h a l l n o t b e permitted w i t h i n t h e j u r i s d i c t i o n o f any such c i t y o r town." (Emphasis supplied). The town of Denton, pursuant t o t h i s g r a n t of a u t h o r i t y , passed an ordinance f u r t h e r r e s t r i c t i n g t h e s a l e of l i q u o r t o 1:00 a.m. S e c t i o n 11-1603, R.C.M. 1947, provides i n p e r t i n e n t p a r t : II J u r i s d i c t i o n f o r v i o l a t i o n of o r d i n a n c e s , and c i v i l and c r i m i n a l j u r i s d i c t i o n . The p o l i c e c o u r t a l s o h a s exclusive jurisdiction : "1. Of a l l proceedings f o r t h e v i o l a t i o n o f any ordinance of t h e c i t y o r town, both c i v i l and c - - m-i - a l . which must be prosecuted i n t h e name of t h e -ri n c i t y o r town ** *.It ( ~ m ~ h a s s u p p l i e d . ) is Here, we have an a l l e g e d v i o l a t i o n of a c i t y ordinance which i s n o t a v i o l a t i o n of t h e s t a t e law; t h e town has t h e a u t h . o r i t y t o o r d a i n on t h e s u b j e c t m a t t e r and has done so. The polil c o u r t i n t h e town of Denton, Montana h a s e x c l u s i v e j u r i s d i c t i o n over t h e m a t t e r . T h e r e f o r e , a w r i t s h a l l i s s u e from t h i s Court d i r e c t i n g t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t t o quash t h e judgment of t h a t c o u r t which r e v e r s e d t h e j u s t i c e of t h e peace c o u r t and d i r e c t i n g t h a t t h e complaint be dismissed. It i s s o ORDERED.

(. .

Justice

/ /chief Justice

\--83 J u s t i c e s . u