State ex rel. Saint v. Houssiere-Latreille Oil Co.

49 So. 596, 123 La. 853, 1909 La. LEXIS 793
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedMay 10, 1909
DocketNo. 17,608
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 49 So. 596 (State ex rel. Saint v. Houssiere-Latreille Oil Co.) 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. Saint v. Houssiere-Latreille Oil Co., 49 So. 596, 123 La. 853, 1909 La. LEXIS 793 (La. 1909).

Opinion

NICHOLLS, J.

In the application made for these writs applicant averred that: On the 4th day of April, 1908, he filed in the Third judicial district court for the parish of St. Mary application asking for a mandamus against the defendant company to force it to issue certain stock certificates. That on the 13th of April an exception of lis pen-dens and an answer was filed. That the case was taken up, tried, and submitted on the merits. That on May 16, 1908, the district judge rendered an opinion, the minute entry concerning which is as follows:

“ ‘Exception sustained until original case of Percy Saint v. J. Sully Martel is finally passed upon, to which ruling plaintiff reserves a bill of exceptions.’
“That the case afterwards remained upon the docket without being finally decided until the case of Saint v. Martel had been decided by the Supreme Court, and then a motion was made to resubmit the case for a decision upon the merits. That the district court overruled this motion. That a short while thereafter the successor of A. C. Allen, judge, was qualified, and he, having been counsel of the relator’, recused himself and appointed Judge W. Pi Martin, of the Twentieth judicial district, by consent of all parties, as judge to try the case. That this order rendered by the said Allen, judge, has at all times been treated as a mere suspension of a decision of the merits of the cause until the rendition of the decision in the case of Saint v. Martel, and that, when the said Allen’s term ex[855]*855pired and Judge Martin was appointed judge to try the ease, there was a written agreement entered into between the said Saint and counsel for defendant, by which it was agreed that the «aid cause should be set down for trial and tried at a certain time. That the cause was called on that day which was about the 2d of February, 1909, and, a compromise proposition being then under consideration, the case went .over without date. That, the said parties failing to compromise, Judge Martin was notified, .and he appeared in the parish of St. Mary for the purpose of setting said case down for trial, at which time the defendant herein appeared and filed a pleading setting forth the fact that the case had been compromised and finally disposed of, and asked that it be dismissed. That relator objected to dismissing the case, claiming that same had not been compromised, and that the compromise agreement had not been entered into by all parties, and asked that the so-called exception or motion to dismiss be treated as a defense to the merits and tried with the merits .of the cause. That, after hearing the controversy between the parties, Judge Martin rendered a judgment holding that the motion should be referred to the merits, or that the same should be treated as part of the merits in the trial of the case, and notified all parties that he would be present on Monday, April 12, 1909, for the purpose of fixing said cause for trial. That on that day defendant moved for a new .trial upon' the question as to whether or not its motion to dismiss should be referred to the merits, and, the same being overruled, moved for an .appeal to the Supreme Court of the state of Louisiana, and, this being refused, it then notified relator and the judge of said court that it would apply to your honorable court for writs .of prohibition, certiorari, and mandamus. That, if the defendant made said application to the honorable Supreme Court, same was refused, as no writ was ever served upon relator or the judge. Whereupon the said W. P. Martin, judge, appeared in the parish of St. Mary on this, the 10th day of April, to try the case, as the same had been set down for trial on this day at the session held on the 12th of April. That, when the case was called for trial, defendant moved for a continuance, and for cause .thereof set up the minute entry above referred to, in which the said A. C. Allen, judge, declared that he sustained the exception until the case of Saint v. Martel was disposed of, and continued the case and refused to try the same .over the objection and protest of relator. Whereupon relator, after having been refused the right to try the case, or having same fixed at any other time, notified the judge of said court and opposing'1 counsel that he would apply to your honorable Supreme Court for writs of mandamus and certiorari, and has also served written notice upon said judge and counsel for defendant.
“Relator attaches hereto and makes part hereof an abstract of the minutes showing the facts with reference to the various fixings of the case referred to, marked ‘Exhibit A,’ a.copy of the agreement entered into for the fixing of the ease on a certain day in February, marked ‘Exhibit B,’ a copy of the motion for a new trial in said causes, marked ‘Exhibit D,’ also copy of judgment referring the exception to the merits and marked ‘Exhibit E,’ also motion to continue said case, marked ‘F.’
“Relator shows: That to set down this case and try it is the plain duty of the judge, who has accepted the appointment to try the same. That he has no discretion in said matter, but that it is his peremptory duty under the law to fix for trial and try said cause, and if the course mapped out by said judge is permitted — that is, if he persists in refusing to take any action until a final decision is rendered in the case of Saint v. Martel — then it amounts to an absolute denial of justice, in that it prevents relator from trying and having determined his cause now pending before the honorable district court. “That his right to set the case for trial and have same tried has been acquiesced in by the defendant, as appears by the agreement fixing the same, the fixing of same, the filing of additional pleadings therein, the trial of same, and the application for new trial, all at the instance of the defendant. He further shows that the said minute entry or order rendered by the said A. 0. Allen, judge, if interpreted to mean that the judge or his successor has the authority to suspend the trial of the cause or a decision upon the merits as is herein attempted, then that said order or judgment is an absolute nullity, as the said judgment attempts to prevent relator from having tried and determined his cause, although the same has once been tried upon the merits and submitted, and that any judgment which merely decrees that it will sustain an exception for a certain length of time or until the happening of a certain event, which event depends entirely upon the will of the judge presiding over the court, is an absolute nullity, and should be set aside by an order of your honorable court.
“That the said cause not having been disposed of by the said A. 0. Allen during his incumbency in office that, when his successor was qualified, it became necessary to set down for trial and retry the above styled and numbered cause, for the reason that, while the same had been tried and submitted, no decision had been rendered therein during the incumbency of office by the said A. 0. Allen, and his successor must try the case de novo.
“Relator therefore shows that in order that justice may be done him, and in order that he may have a speedy trial of the cause, it is necessary that a writ of mandamus issue out of your honorable court directed to W. P. Martin, judge of the Twentieth judicial district court, but acting as judge of the Twenty-Third judicial district, for the trial of this case, to forthwith and without delay set down for trial and try the above styled and numbered cause or to show cause to your honorable Supreme Court on a day to be fixed by your honors why he [857]

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Bluebook (online)
49 So. 596, 123 La. 853, 1909 La. LEXIS 793, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-saint-v-houssiere-latreille-oil-co-la-1909.