State ex rel. Shrader v. Phillips

32 Fla. 403
Supreme Court of Florida·Decided June 15, 1893·Published·Cited by 10 cases

Opinion

Raxey, C. J. :

Norman J. C. Shrader filed a suggestion stating that lie is a defendant to a certain bill filed in DeSoto Circuit Court by Aurelia Shrader to set aside a decree of ■divorce which he had obtained against her. and that to such bill he filed a demurrer, and that the demurrer was overruled and he appealed to this court from the ■order overruling the demurrer, aud that such appeal is [404] now pending here. That his appeal was taken from the order, and he gave good and sufficient bond, and the Circuit Judge made an order that the appeal should operate as a supersedeas until the hearing by this court. That since the granting of the supersedeas order and the perfecting of the appeal the Circuit Judge has, upon petition and affidavit filed by said Aurelia, made an order of reference requiring the clerk of the court to inquire and report what would be a reasonable sum to be allowed her for her support and maintenance pending this suit, and to inquire whether or not she ‘‘is worthy.” and what would be a reasonable sum to be allowed her to enable her to prosecute' her suit and defray the necessary expenses and costs thereof. It prays a writ of prohibition.

To this suggestion Judge Phillips has demurred, and filed a brief in support of the demurrer.

The appeal has transferred the cause to this court for a hearing here on the demurrer; or, in other words, a rehearing in this court, as to the sufficiency of the bill to require an answer from the defendant. Southern Life & Trust Co. vs. Cole, 4 Fla., 359. The order appealed from adjudged the sufficiency of the bill, and required the defendant to plead within twenty days, and the purpose of the supersedeas was to stay any further proceedings in the cause under this order until this court should decide and remand the-cause. Section 1458, Revised Statutes. Should we find there was no cause of action stated in the-bill, we could do no more for the complainant than remand the case with leave to complainant to amend and for a dismissal of the bill in default of amendment, within due time. The Circuit Judge obviously has concluded that alimony and suit money are allowable to the female party to the suit, in a case like this, as in. [405] ordinary suits for divorce. The prohibition proceeding now before ns is not the one in which to decide this point. The following authorities will be found relevant to the question when it shall come properly before us: Wilson vs. Wilson, 49 Iowa, 544; McFarland vs. McFarland, 51 Iowa, 565; Smith vs. Smith, 3 Oregon, 363; Bishop on Marriage and Divorce, 386, 393, note 3, 402. We decide nothing.as to it now. The question for decision is whether or not the Circuit Judge had the power or jurisdiction to entertain the proceedings for alimony and suit money after the appeal and. supersedeas. In our judgment he did not have it. The order of reference complained of is based upon the theory of the sufficiency of the bill to support further proceedings in the - cause, while the purpose and the effect of the supersedeas is to arrest all further proceedings in the Circuit Court on the bill until this court has adjudicated its sufficiency, notwithstanding the adjudication of its sufficiency in the lower court. In State vs. J. P. & M. R. R. Co. et al., 15 Fla., 201, it was held as to a supersedeas of an interlocutory order that it suspends the action and power of the inferior court in the matter appealed from; and in Holland vs. State, 15 Fla., 549, where the judgment appealed from was final, the decision was that where an appeal and supersedeas have been effected the jurisdiction of the appellate court attaches, and its jurisdiction is then exclusive, and that the appellee, plaintiff below, could not, pending the appeal, dismiss his ease in the lower court, and thereby dismiss the appeal. In Jenkins vs. Jenkins, 91 Ill., 167, it is said that but for a statutory provision expressly giying the power there would be no hesitation in holding that the trial court had no power after the consummation of the appeal to allow the wife solicitor's fees for services in [406] the appellate court. The following authorities are of value as to the effect of appeals on the powers of the inferior court: Cralle vs. Cralle, 81 Va., 773; Lewis vs. Lewis, 20 Mo. App., 546; Bronson vs. La Crosse R. R. Co., 1 Wall., 405; Board of Commissioners vs. Gorman, 19 Wall., 661; Ensminger vs. Powers, 108 U. S., 292; Spraul vs. Louisiana, 123 U. S., 516; Allen vs. Allen, 80 Ala., 154; Boynton vs. Foster, 7 Met., 415; Helm vs. Boone, 6 J. J. Marsh., 351; Elgin L. Co. vs. Langman, 23 Ill. App., 250; State ex rel. vs. Judge, 41 La. Ann., 958; Elliott's Appellate Procedure, note 1 to Section 541.

The power of the Circuit Court as to the équities and rights of the complainant dependent upon the sufficiency of the bill, has been suspended by the superse-deas until this court shall pass upon the question of of its sufficiency to entitle her to any relief. The proceeding for alimony and suit money is not distinct from or independent of the sufficiency of the bill.. Bishop on Marriage and Divorce, Section 423; Worden vs. Worden, 3 Edward’s Chy., 387; Ballentine vs. Ballentine, 1 Halst. Chy., 471; Krause vs. Krause, 23 Wis., 354; Walling vs. Walling, 1 C. E. Green, 389; Weishaupt vs. Weishaupt, 27 Wis., 621; Wood vs. Wood 2 Paige 108; Rose vs. Rose, 11 Paige, 166; Goldsmith vs. Goldsmith, 6 Mich., 285.

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State ex rel. Shrader v. Phillips, 32 Fla. 403 (Fla. 1893).

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