STATE Ex Rel OREGON STATE BAR v. LENSKE

407 P.2d 250, 405 P.2d 510, 243 Or. 477, 1965 Ore. LEXIS 594
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 3, 1965
StatusPublished
Cited by72 cases

This text of 407 P.2d 250 (STATE Ex Rel OREGON STATE BAR v. LENSKE) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oregon Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
STATE Ex Rel OREGON STATE BAR v. LENSKE, 407 P.2d 250, 405 P.2d 510, 243 Or. 477, 1965 Ore. LEXIS 594 (Or. 1965).

Opinions

[479]*479HOLMAN, J.

Defendant is a member of the Oregon State Bar and was convicted in the District Conrt of the United States for the District of Oregon of “* * * wilfully and knowingly attempting to evade and defeat a large part of income tax due and owing by defendant * * The records of this conrt show that the Oregon State Bar filed with it a certified copy of the judgment of conviction; that, pursuant to Rule I of the rules of this court for admission of attorneys, this court summarily suspended defendant from the practice of law in Oregon; and that the Oregon State Bar was notified by letter of the order of suspension and a copy of the letter was mailed to the defendant.

Thereafter, the Oregon State Bar, as relator, instigated an original contempt proceeding in this court against defendant claiming he had violated the court’s order of suspension by continuing to practice law and holding himself out to the public and members of the bar as eligible to practice law. As a basis for this claim and its application for an order to show cause why he should not be punished for contempt, the relator filed with the court affidavits of different individuals setting forth certain alleged actions of the defendant which relator contends constitute the practice of law. Subsequent to the issuance of the order to show cause and after appearance by defendant, this court appointed a referee for the purpose of holding a hearing and taking testimony for this court and making findings.

The referee held a hearing and certified to the court the transcript of the testimony and his findings. The defendant has raised numerous objections to the findings and to the propriety of the proceeding, among which is the contention that the affidavits filed by [480]*480the relator are insufficient upon which to base a proceeding of contempt. The affidavits allege neither the entry of the order of suspension by this court nor knowledge by the defendant concerning issuance and entry of such order.

Contempts are of two kinds, direct (ORS 33.030) which is in the presence of the court, and indirect (ORS 33.040) which is out of the presence of the court. This proceeding is an attempt to assert an indirect contempt.

Contempts may be civil or criminal. In a civil contempt the eontemnor violates a decree or order of the court made for the benefit of an adverse party litigant. In a criminal contempt a court’s process is violated or disobeyed and disrespect of the court is manifested. State ex rel v. Downing, 40 Or 309, 322, 58 P 863 (1901); State ex rel v. Sieber, 49 Or 1, 8, 88 P 313 (1907). The present proceeding is one of criminal contempt.

The averments of an affidavit are essential to invoking the jurisdiction of the court. In State ex rel v. Conn, 37 Or 596, 598-599, 62 P 289 (1900), this court, in holding insufficient an affidavit reciting information and belief rather than facts, stated as follows:

“Our statute relating to the punishment of con-tempts provides that, when not committed in the immediate view and presence of the court, ‘before any proceedings can be taken therein the facts constituting the contempt must be shown by an affidavit presented to the court or judicial officer:’ Hill’s Ann. Laws, § 653 [OES 33.040]. This affidavit is essential to the jurisdiction of the court in all proceedings for constructive contempts (State v. Kaiser, 20 Or 50, 23 Pac. 964, 8 L.R.A. 584); and it must state facts which, if established, will constitute the offense. If it is insufficient in [481]*481this respect, there is nothing to set the power of the court in motion, and it is without jurisdiction to proceed: [citations]. Now, a proceeding for contempt for violating an injunction is in its nature criminal [citations] and therefore the statute must be strictly pursued (4 Enc. Pl. & Prac. 770). * * * The statute * * * contemplates that the facts constituting the contempt shall be stated in a positive manner by some one conversant therewith. Indeed, a proper regard for the liberty of the citizen forbids any proceeding by which he may be deprived of his liberty without the information furnished by such an affidavit, and so the courts hold.”

State ex rel v. Sieber, supra, at page 4, reiterates the same rule:

“* * * As a violation of an injunction is a criminal contempt, the proceedings to punish a party accused thereof must be strictly pursued (4 Enc. PI. & Pr. 770), and, in all cases of constructive contempt, the initiatory affidavit must state facts sufficient to constitute a prima facie case: 4 Enc. Pl. & Pr. § 780.”

An affidavit must allege the defendant was served with the order or that he had knowledge of it. State ex rel v. Downing, supra; Trullinger v. Howe, 58 Or 73, 113 P 4 (1911); State v. Stillwell, 80 Or 610, 157 P 970 (1916); State ex rel v. Sieber, supra at page 9. In the case of Trullinger v. Howe, supra, at page 79, the court stated as follows:

“Before a party can be brought into contempt for not complying with an order or decree of court, service thereof must be made upon him, and a demand duly made that he comply therewith, unless it appear that he has personal knowledge or notice of such order or decree, and this must be shown by the affidavit upon which the proceedings are based: State ex rel v. Downing, 40 Or 314, [482]*482325 (58 Pac. 863: 66 Pac. 917), and cases there cited.”

Mr. Justice Harris, in a specially concurring opinion in State v. Stillwell, supra, at page 616, said:

“The affidavit must show either that a copy of the order has been served, or that the party has actual knowledge of the making of the order. * *

While the above cases are ones of civil contempt, with the exception of State ex rel v. Sieber, surely knowledge of the order prohibiting the thing claimed to have been done is equally, if not more, important in cases of criminal contempt.

Relative to the necessity of alleging the court’s order in the affidavit and whether the court might take judicial notice of its own records as a substitute therefor, the court said in State ex rel v. Sieber, supra at page 5, as follows:

“* * * The counsel for the relators, in support of the principle for which they contend, cite Ex parte Ah Men, 77 Cal. 198 (19 Pac. 380: 11 Am.St.Rep. 263), where it was held to be unnecessary to set forth, in an affidavit charging the violation of an injunction, the provisions of the writ that had been transgressed, because the court would take judicial notice of its own orders. The conclusion in that case was based on the fact that the practice prevailing in California permits the prosecution of a contempt to be made in the cause out of which the restraining order arose, and not in a separate proceeding with a title of its own. Such rule, however, does not obtain in this jurisdiction where contempt proceedings must be prosecuted in the name of the state or in its name on the relation of a private party: B. & C. Comp. §667 [ORS 33.060].

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Bluebook (online)
407 P.2d 250, 405 P.2d 510, 243 Or. 477, 1965 Ore. LEXIS 594, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-oregon-state-bar-v-lenske-or-1965.