State Ex Rel. Wolfe v. Missouri Dental Board

233 S.W. 390, 289 Mo. 520, 1921 Mo. LEXIS 34
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedJuly 22, 1921
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 233 S.W. 390 (State Ex Rel. Wolfe v. Missouri Dental Board) 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. Wolfe v. Missouri Dental Board, 233 S.W. 390, 289 Mo. 520, 1921 Mo. LEXIS 34 (Mo. 1921).

Opinions

GrEAYES, J.

Original action in mandamus. Delator avers that in November, 1916, he, after an examination by respondent herein, received a certificate of registration as a dentist, and thereafter on November 23d, 1916, he received from said Missouri Dental Board a certificate in the form of a license, being numbered 4530: that in November, 1918, he received from respondents his renewal license, likewise numbered 4530. The petition then avers:

“Delator informs the court that ever since Novem-. her 30, 1918, he has been entitled as a matter of right, under the law, to an annual renewal license, as provided by law, and that he has made application therefor, requesting the respondent to issue to him such annual license, and upon each occasion has sent the fee of one dollar as provided for under the law; but without any lawful reason or excuse, and in violation of the' mandatory provisions of the law, the respondent has- refused and still refuses to issue to this relator the annual license to which under the law as a matter of right, he is entitled.”

The petition then sets out in some detail the history of a former case between these parties, and the result thereof. [State ex rel. Wolfe v. Missouri Dental Board, 282 Mo. 292, 221 S. W. 70.] He then'avers that after the judgment in that case he tendered the fees for a renewal license, and that lie has been at all times refused a re *526 newal license on his certificate of registration. He sets out the letters from respondent’s secretary returning’ his fee each time, and showing the refusal to issue to him a renewal license. There is much other matter alleged as occurring between relator and a member of the Dental Board, which can be noted if found material. In one letter from a secretary of the respondent it was stated that relator’s renewal license had been revoked. "We state this to explain fully the following prayer of relator’s petition. This prayer reads:

‘ ‘"Wherefore, the premises considered, relator prays the court to issue its writ of mandamus to the end that respondent may be compelled:

“1. To set'aside any order made revoking the renewal license granted to the relator for the year 1918.

“2. That respondent be compelled to set aside any order made at any time finding this relator guilty of any charges, for the reason that the court decided that the relator had never been lawfully put upon trial.

“3. That the respondent be compelled to issue to this relator a renewal license for the year 1921, in accordance with the application made by this relator, November 1, 1920.”

Return was duly made to our alternative writ, which involves some matters which are perhaps beyond the real questions in the case. Motion was made to strike out these, which motion was taken with the case, and the case is before us upon a request for judgment upon the pleadings. The return contains a number of admissions, and also pleads- fully respondent’s theory of the case here previously. Notwithstanding the lengthy pleadings upon both sides there are under paragraph two of the return such admissions as will shorten very much the opinion in the case. In the previous case State ex rel. Wolfe v. Missouri Dental Board, it appears that the respondent therein had attempted to try Wolfe upon charges, and had found him guilty and revoked both his certificate of registration, issued in 1916, and his renewal license issued in November, 1918. Respondent *527 admits that this court held that Wolfe had not been tried according to law, and- that their order revoking such instruments were void. Admits further that relator has tendered his fee of one dollar for renewal licenses to November, 1920, and November, 1921, and that they have been refused. There is no pretense that relator had been tried on any charges by said board since the disposition of the case in 282 Mo. 292, supra. Other details will go with the opinion.

I. Many details in the instant case will be found in State ex rel. Wolfe v. Missouri Dental Board, 282 Mo. 292, 221 S. W. 70 et seq. Charges had been preferred against Wolfe and a futile trial followed. Up to this time Wolfe was not only a registered dentist, but held the usual annual license. Both his certificate of registration and his annual license were revoked by respondent on June 11, 1918. After going over the whole case, this court, thus ruled:

“The result of the whole matter is that we hold respondent’s order revoking relator’s certificate of registration cmd license to be void for the reasons stated m paragraphs 1 and 2.”

Pending the case, supra, in this court, Wolfe was arrested for practicing dentistry without license, and convicted in the lower court. This case was appealed to Division Two of this court, and that court ruled, on 1he strength bf State ex rel. Wolfe v. Missouri Denial Board, supra, that the judgment of the said Dental Board was void. [State v. Wolfe, 283 Mo. 29, 222 S. W. l. c. 442.] The judgment so declared void reads:

“The Missouri Dental Board, therefore, on the facts-above found and stated, and on motion duly made and seconded and carried, hereby revokes the original certificate of. registration issued to the said Morris Eussell Wolfe and the license issued to him by the Missouri Dental Board under which he is now practicing-dentistry, and from henceforth said original certificate of registration and said license to practice dentistry *528 issued to Mm by this board are hereby revoked and for naught held.”

So that it appears that by the judgments in these two cases the judgment of the Missouri Dental Board was wiped from their record, and both the certificate of registration and the license remained in full tact for all purposes of the law. It is true that the license, which is a document issued annually, had expired, for the full period of its term was at an end. Shortly after the decision in State ex rel. v. Missouri Dental Board, 282 Mo. 292, 221 S. W. 70, supra, the relator Wolfe having established the legality of both his certificates of registration, and his last license, applied for a renewal license. It was useless for Mm to apply sooner. Our opinion came down April 1st, 1920, and it is admitted that on May 17,1920, the relator tendered the fee of one dollar and applied for a renewal license. Such license, had it been issued, would have run to November, 1920. It is also admitted in the return that on November 1st, 1920, the relator did make.application for a renewal license from November, 1920, to November, 1921, and tendered the fee of one dollar. To the first application, supra, the* Missouri Dental Board, through its secretary replied:

“Your letter requesting license and in which was inclosed one dollar received.

“I am herewith returning to you the one dollar for the reason that the Missouri Dental Boárd refuses to grant you a license to practice dentistry in the State of Missouri, because you have violated the Missouri Dental Law concerning dentistry; because you have published fraudulent statements as to your skill as a den tist; because you have circulated fraudulent statements as to your skill as a dentist.

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Bluebook (online)
233 S.W. 390, 289 Mo. 520, 1921 Mo. LEXIS 34, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-wolfe-v-missouri-dental-board-mo-1921.