State ex rel. Truman v. Jost

191 S.W. 38, 269 Mo. 248, 1916 Mo. LEXIS 130
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedDecember 20, 1916
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 191 S.W. 38 (State ex rel. Truman v. Jost) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State ex rel. Truman v. Jost, 191 S.W. 38, 269 Mo. 248, 1916 Mo. LEXIS 130 (Mo. 1916).

Opinion

RAILEY, C.

On January 6, 1913, relator filed in the circuit court of Jackson County a petition for a writ of mandamus against the Police Commissioners of said city, who were then in authority. On April 28, 1913, an amended petition was filed making the present respondents defendants in said action.

The purpose of this proceeding is to compel respondents, as Police Commissioners- of Kansas City, Missouri, to issue to relator a warrant for $725.83, drawn upon the treasurer or other disbursing officer of said city, and to do every other act and thing necessary to be done by them to secure relator his alleged full compensation of $1380 per annum, during the period between September 15, 1909, and February 17, 1912, as provided by sections 9778 and 9779, Revised Statutes 1909, or show cause why they have not done so. The petition alleged, that section 6192, Revised Statutes 1899, provided for the appointment of relator as a police detective in said city; “that having previously served a probationary period of one year, relator was, upon February 17, 1909, appointed to the above mentioned office of police detective, for a term of three years, subject, however, to five suspensions or removal for cause, and further subject to discharge without cause, notice or hearing, if at any time, in the opinion of the board, the police force were larger than the interests of the public require, or if there are not sufficient funds with which to pay expenses of said police department as then organized.”

It is then averred that the office of police detective was abolished June 14, 1909, by the forty-fifth General Assembly of Missouri; that on said date, said section 6192, Revised Statutes 1899, was repealed and a new section enacted in lieu thereof (Laws 1909, p. 319), now known as section 9787, Revised Statutes 1909, and which provides that police detectives should be paid $1380 per annum.

It is further alleged that, after the passage of above act and upon June 14, 1909, relator was duly and legally appointed to the office of police detective for a term [254]*254of three years beginning on said June 14, 1909, and immediately accepted said office and continuously thereafter, until June, 1912, occupied the same and performed all the duties relating thereto, and thereby became entitled to the salary. and emoluments of "said office.

It is averred, that from June 14, 1909, to September 15, 1909, relator was paid at the rate of $1380 per annum; that from September 15, 1909, to' February 17, 1912, he was paid at the rate of $1080 per annum; that by reason of the premises, he is entitled to his unpaid salary of $725.83, etc.

An alternative writ of mandamus, substantially following the language of the petition aforesaid, was issued, and respondents, on May 10, 1913, filed their return thereto and allege in substance:

(1) That the circuit court was without jurisdiction to try the case, in this form of action.

(2) They admit that they constitute the present Board of Police Commissioners of Kansas City, Missouri.

(3) They say that relator having served more than one year of probationary service as police detective prior to February 17, 1909, was on said date appointed police detective for three years, at a compensation of $1080 per annum, or $90 per month, as provided in section 6192, Revised Statutes 1899; that from the date of said appointment, up to and including February 17, 1912, relator accepted the sum of $1080 per year as full compensation for his services, except that by mistake he was paid at the rate of $1380 per annum from June 15, 1909, to September 15, 1909; that when said mistake was discovered, he was thereafter paid, and accepted, the sum of $1080 per year, in full satisfaction of his salary from said September 15, 1909, until February, 1912.

It is further averred, that relator’s salary, in view of section 48 of article 4, and section 8 of article 14, of the Constitution of Missouri, could not be increased [255]*255during Ms term of office from February 17, 1909, to February 17, 1912. .

(4) It is further averred by respondents that from 1909 to 1912, incMsive, there were employed as many officers in the police department of said city as its revenue would permit; that during each of said years, the police department expended all of the money apportioned or appropriated to it; that the Police Commissioners of Kansas City have never had, and have not now, enough money to pay any salaries or parts of salaries, except as heretofore paid; that if the salaries of police officers in the service at the time of the enactment of section 9787, Revised Statutes 1909, had been increased by said statutes to take effect June 14, 1909, the Board of Police Commissioners aforesaid, would have been compelled to reduce the number of officers employed in said police department, and plaintiff would have been discharged; that relator held his position during all of said time, by virtue of the salaries fixed when he was appointed in February, 1909, whereby said board was enabled to retain him in its service.

The return further avers that relator, with full knowledge of all the facts aforesaid, accepted the amount due him twice each month, without objection and in full satisfaction of the amount which Kansas City claimed was due him; that by continuing in said department and accepting the salary paid him, the relator is now estopped • to claim any greater or additional compensation.

The reply of relator put in issue the facts set out in respondents’ return.

Such portions of the evidence as may be necessary will be considered in the opinion.

The trial court found in substance that the office held-by relator was not abolished by the Act of 1909 (Laws 1909, p. 319); that relator was a municipal officer of Kansas City, Missouri, within the contemplation of section 8 of article 14 of our Constitution; and that his salary could not be increased during his term of office. The peremptory writ was accordingly denied, and [256]*256judgment in due form entered in behalf of respondents. Relator filed motions for new trial and in. arrest of judgment, both of which were overruled, and the cause duly appealed to this court.

I. Section 8 of article 14 of the present Constitution provides, that:

“The compensation or fees of no state, county or municipal officer shall be increased during his term of office; nor shall the term of any office be extended for a longer period than that for which such officer was elected or appointed.”

officers: increase 0 a ary' Did relator, when he was appointed police detective on February 17, 1909, for three years from said date., at a salary of $1080 per annum, come within the purview of section 8 of article 14 supra? The safeguards thrown about relator’s posh tion, by sections 6189, 6190, 6192 and 6193, Revised Statutes 1899, at the time of his appointment on February 17, 1909, constituted him both a state and municipal officer, and precluded his salary from being raised as long as he held the office under said appointment.

In State ex rel. v. Mason, 153 Mo. l. c. 43-4, the Court in Banc, speaking through Judge G-antt, in construing a law relating to police officers, police detectives, etc., similar in some respects to the above sections of the Revised Statutes 1899, said:

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Bluebook (online)
191 S.W. 38, 269 Mo. 248, 1916 Mo. LEXIS 130, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-truman-v-jost-mo-1916.