State Ex Rel. Ob-Gyn Group v. Dist.

• Court: Montana Supreme Court
• Decided: February 28, 1972
• Docket: 12168
• Status: Published

Opinion

No. 12168

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

THE STATE OF M N A A e x r e l . OB-GYN GROUP OTN OF BILLINGS, MONTANA, and ST. VINCENT'S HOSPITAL,

Relators,

THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE THIRTEENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT OF THE STATE OF M N A A i n and f o r t h e OTN County o f Yellowstone and t h e Honorable N a t A l l e n , Presiding Judge,

Respondents.

ORIGINAL PROCEEDING :

Counsel o f Record

F o r Relators:

S a n d a l l , Moses and Cavan, B i l l i n g s , Montana. C h a r l e s F. Moses a r g u e d , B i l l i n g s , Montana. Crowley, K i l b o u r n e , Haughey, Hanson and G a l l a g h e r , B i l l i n g s , Montana. Bruce R. T o o l e a r g u e d , B i l l i n g s , Montana.

F o r Respondents:

Hon. R o b e r t L. Woodahl, A t t o r n e y G e n e r a l , H e l e n a , Montana. Michael G. A l t e r o w i t z , B i l l i n g s , Montana.

Submitted: December 6 , 1 9 7 1

Decided: FEB 8 8 4972 a - . 2 $GFT F i l e d t t, Mr. John Conway H a r r i s o n d e l i v e r e d t h e Opinion of t h e C o u r t .

T h i s i s an o r i g i n a l proceeding s e e k i n g a w r i t o f s u p e r -

visory control, o r other appropriate w r i t . R e l a t o r s , The S t a t e

o f Montana, e x r e l . Ob-Gyn Group o f B i l l i n g s , Montana, and S t .

V i n c e n t ' s H o s p i t a l , a l l e g e t h a t Hon. Nat A l l e n f p r e s i d i n g judge

i n t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t o f t h e t h i r t e e n t h j u d i c i a l d i s t r i c t , county

o f Yellowstone, i n t h e case e n t i t l e d Michael J . Crowley and

Michele M. Crowley, Husband and Wife, Husband-Coached Lamaze

C h i l d b i r t h A s s o c i a t i o n and Bob E . H u l i t , M.D. v. S t . V i n c e n t ' s

H o s p i t a l and Ob-Gyn Group o f B i l l i n g s , Montana, r e f u s e d t o d i s -

q u a l i f y h i m s e l f upon t h e f i l i n g of an a f f i d a v i t o f d i s q u a l i f i c a -

t i o n more t h a n f i f t e e n d a y s p r i o r t o t h e t i m e s e t f o r t r i a l . Re-

l a t o r s contend t h a t Judge A l l e n ' s o r d e r o f d e n i a l was i n c o r r e c t

and t h e r e i s no a p p e a l from such o r d e r , e x c e p t by an o r i g i n a l

proceeding i n t h i s C o u r t where t h e l e g a l i t y o f t h e o r d e r c o u l d be

reviewed.

T h i s C o u r t h e a r d c o u n s e l f o r t h e r e l a t o r s e x p a r t e and

on November 11, 1971, i s s u e d an a l t e r n a t i v e o r d e r t o show c a u s e ,

r e t u r n a b l e December 6 , 1971.

Judge N a t A l l e n f i l e d a b r i e f b u t on t h e r e t u r n d a t e d i d

n o t a p p e a r o r have c o u n s e l a p p e a r t o a r g u e t h e matter. Counsel

f o r r e l a t o r s appeared on t h e r e t u r n d a t e and argued.

The f a c t s s e t f o r t h i n Judge A l l e n ' s r e t u r n b r i e f are of

import f o r t h e y s e t f o r t h h i s r e a s o n s f o r denying t h e d i s q u a l i f i -

cation. W e set them f o r t h i n some d e t a i l f o r t h e y p o i n t up a

p r o c e d u r a l problem o f which t h i s C o u r t h a s l o n g been aware, and

one w e f e e l must b e worked o u t under t h e powers g i v e n t h i s Court by C h a p t e r 1 6 o f t h e Laws o f Montana, 1963.

Judge A l l e n a l l e g e s he w a s c a l l e d i n t o t h e t h i r t e e n t h

j u d i c i a l d i s t r i c t t o assume j u r i s d i c t i o n by t h e Hon. R o b e r t H.

Wilson on October 8 , 1971; t h a t t h e matter w a s set f o r n o n j u r y

t r i a l on November 2 2 , 1971; t h a t a t t h e r e q u e s t o f a l l c o u n s e l

h e set a l l motions and t h e case f o r a p r e t r i a l h e a r i n g on Octo-

b e r 27, 1971; and, t h a t a l l p a r t i e s appeared. The c o u r t h e a r d

and r u l e d on a l l motions made by p l a i n t i f f s , a s w e l l as a motion

t o d i s m i s s and a motion t o quash t h e temporary r e s t r a i n i n g o r d e r

f i l e d by t h e i n t e r v e n i n g d e f e n d a n t s . A t the close of the p r e t r i a l

h e a r i n g , he d e n i e d t h e motions t o dismiss and t o quash t h e tempo-

rary restraining order. T h e r e a f t e r on November 5 , 1971, C h a r l e s

F. Moses, E s q . , on b e h a l f o f t h e i n t e r v e n i n g d e f e n d a n t s f i l e d

an a f f i d a v i t t o d i s q u a l i f y him. Judge A l l e n f u r t h e r states he

i s s u e d a n o r d e r d i r e c t i n g t h a t t h e a f f i d a v i t be s t r i c k e n from

t h e f i l e and on November 1 0 , 1971, h e amended h i s o r d e r by s t a t -

i n g i n more p a r t i c u l a r i t y t h e basis f o r t h e o r d e r s t r i k i n g t h e

a f f i d a v i t of d i s q u a l i f i c a t i o n .

Judge A l l e n s t a t e s t h e i s s u e b e f o r e t h i s C o u r t t o be:

Whether d i s q u a l i f i c a t i o n i s v a l i d a f t e r t h e p a r t i e s c o n s e n t t o

a d e t e r m i n a t i o n of t h e major i s s u e s .

Counsel f o r r e l a t o r s s t a t e s t h e i s s u e t o be: When d o e s

t h e t r i a l b e g i n , a t t h e p r e t r i a l stage o r c a n a d i s q u a l i f i c a t i o n

b e - f i l e d w i t h i n t h e t i m e allowed by s t a t u t e -- f i f t e e n days?

W e think the latter issue is controlling. W e are n o t

unaware o f t h e m e r i t i n t h e t r i a l j u d g e ' s argument t h a t t h e pur-

pose of s t a t u t o r y d i s q u a l i f i c a t i o n i s t o i n s u r e a f a i r t r i a l ; and t o u s e it t o " f e e l o u t " a judge a t a p r e t r i a l h e a r i n g i s a n

abuse o f t h e r i g h t by c o u n s e l . Here, w e a r e n o t c a l l e d upon t o

d e c i d e t h a t i s s u e f o r t h e f i l i n g was w i t h i n t h e s t a t u t o r y p e r i o d .

Heretofore t h i s Court has followed t h e s t a t u t e , Section

9 3 - 9 0 1 ( 4 ) , R.C.M. 1947, which r e a d s as f o l l o w s :

"Cases i n which judge may be d i s q u a l i f i e d -- c a l l i n g i n a n o t h e r judge. Any j u s t i c e , judge, o r j u s t i c e o f t h e peace must n o t s i t o r a c t a s such i n any a c t i o n o r proceeding:

"4. When e i t h e r p a r t y makes and f i l e s an a f f i d a v i t as h e r e i n a f t e r p r o v i d e d , t h a t h e h a s r e a s o n t o b e l i e v e , and d o e s b e l i e v e , he c a n n o t have a f a i r and i m p a r t i a l h e a r i n g o r t r i a l b e f o r e a d i s t r i c t judge. Such a f f i d a v i t may b e made by any p a r t y t o a n a c t i o n , motion, o r p r o c e e d i n g , p e r s o n a l l y , or by h i s a t t o r n e y o r a g e n t , and s h a l l be f i l e d w i t h t h e clerk o f t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t i n which t h e same may b e pending.

" * * * I n a l l o t h e r c a s e s t h e a f f i d a v i t must b e f i l e d a t l e a s t f i f t e e n (15) d a y s b e f o r e t h e day a p p o i n t e d or f i x e d f o r t h e h e a r i n g or t r i a l o f any such a c t i o n , motion, o r p r o c e e d i n g ( p r o v i d e d such p a r t y s h a l l have had n o t i c e of t h e h e a r i n g of such a c t i o n , motion, o r p r o c e e d i n g f o r a t l e a s t t h e p e r i o d o f f i f t e e n (15) d a y s and i n case he s h a l l n o t have had n o t i c e f o r such l e n g t h of t i m e , h e s h a l l f i l e s u c h a f f i d a v i t immediately upon r e c e i v i n g such n o t i c e ) . * * *"

The c a s e l a w i n Montana h a s l o n g r e c o g n i z e d t h e r i g h t of

disqualification. The r e a s o n s u n d e r l y i n g t h e enactment o f sec-

t i o n 93-901, R.C.M. 1947, are f u l l y set f o r t h i n I n re Woodside-

F l o r e n c e Irr. D i s t . , 1 2 1 Mont. 346, 194 P.2d 2 4 1 and S t a t e e x

rel. Peery v . D i s t . C t . , 145 Mont. 287, 400 P.2d 648. See a l s o

A n n o t a t i o n , 73 ALR2d 1238.

A s w e have n o t e d h e r e t o f o r e , C h a p t e r 1 6 of t h e Laws of

Montana, 1963 ( S e c t i o n 93-2801-1 - 2801-8, R.C.M. 1947) gave t h i s

C o u r t t h e power t o make r u l e s governing c i v i l p r o c e d u r e ; and, by processes set forth by our rules we intend to reexamine

this procedural problem.

The writ of supervisory control is therefore issued

directing the trial court to reinstate the affidavit of dis-

qualification, and that a new judge be selected to proceed

with the trial of the cause.

We concur: / \I i Associate Justice

Mr. Chief Justice James T. Harrison, deeming himself disqualified,

took no part in this Opinion.