State ex rel. Working v. District Court

147 P. 614, 50 Mont. 435, 1915 Mont. LEXIS 35
Montana Supreme Court·Decided March 22, 1915·No. No. 3,640·Published·Cited by 11 cases

Opinion

MR. CHIEF JUSTICE BRANTLY

delivered the opinion of the court.

Certiorari. In an action pending in the district court of Lewis and Clark county, entitled “Frank Ernst v. Lincoln Working et al., ’ ’ the relators herein, the defendants suffered default for failing to answer after their demurrer to the complaint had been overruled. Default was entered on January 16, 1915. They thereafter moved the court to set aside the default. This motion was denied on February 8. The court thereupon appointed March 1 for a hearing upon the question of the amount of damages plaintiff was entitled to recover. On February 25, upon application of defendants, the court made an order granting them leave to renew their motion to set aside the default. Hearing upon the motion was set for February 27, the court making an order shortening the time for the giving of notice. At the time this order was made the defendants exhibited to [437]*437the court, Hon. J. M. Clements presiding, the affidavits which they intended to file setting forth the grounds of their motion, to which was attached their proposed answer, duly verified. Thereafter these, together with the motion, were filed with the clerk. During the afternoon of the same day the defendants filed an affidavit alleging that Judge Clements was disqualified by reason of his bias and prejudice to hear the motion or to hear the cause. Later in the afternoon, and after the affidavit had been called to his attention. Judge Clements revoked the order granting leave to renew the motion. Thereupon this proceeding was brought to have the order of revocation annulled as in excess of jurisdiction.

At the hearing, counsel for defendants herein interposed a motion to quash the writ and dismiss the proceeding on several grounds, which together present the single question whether, [1] upon the facts recited above, the relators are entitled to relief. The legal effect of the order granting leave to renew the motion was not, as counsel seem to think, merely to give the relators the opportunity to appear in court on February 27 and disclose their reasons why the rehearing should be had, but to annul the order of February 8 denying the motion to vacate the default and to set the hearing upon the motion. It reinstated the motion for hearing on its merits, just as if the order denying it had never been made. The office of the order was the same as an order by this court granting a rehearing upon petition under the rule (44 Mont, xxxvi, 123 Pac. xiii, par. 13) after a cause has been heard and determined. When such a rehearing is granted, the cause stands open as if it had never been heard, unless the order limits the scope of the argument or designates. the particular point or points upon which further argument is desired. That a trial court has the power to grant a [2] rehearing upon a motion, we do not think is open to question. A decision upon the motion has not the force of a former adjudication, in the same sense as a judgment finally settling the controversy. When a final judgment has once been rendered, it cannot be set aside by the court which has rendered it, [438]*438except upon motion for a new trial or some other method authorized by statute, and, unless void upon its face, it is conclusive as to the matter adjudged upon the parties and their successors. (Rev. Codes, sec. 7914.) A decision upon a motion, so long as it stands, is conclusive in subsequent controversies when it has adjudicated some substantial right, especially if it is made upon a full hearing of controverted facts, and may be reviewed by appeal. (Riggs v. Pursell, 74 N. Y. 370.) The power of review, by the court making it, is not often limited by statute, and it is generally held that it is within the discretion of the court to reconsider its decision on a motion when additional facts are presented, or defects in the proof are supplied, or even upon the same state of facts, though in the latter case the power is rarely exercised. (Riggs v. Pursell, supra.) In Kenney v. Kelleher, 63 Cal. 442, it was said: “Leave to renew a motion (to vacate a default) may be given after the original motion is denied, and the granting * * * of leave is within the legal discretion of the court, and will not be interfered with except in case of abuse; and it is not an abuse to grant leave upon the same facts more fully stated. ’ ’ The following cases support the rule thus stated: Hitchcock v. McElrath, 69 Cal. 634, 11 Pac. 487; Adams v. Lockwood, 30 Kan. 373, 2 Pac. 626; Carlson v. Carlson, 49 Minn. 555, 52 N. W. 214, Stacey v. Stephen, 78 Minn. 480, 81 N. W. 391; Stutzner v. Printz, 43 Neb. 306, 61 N. W. 620; Riggs v. Pursell, 74 N. Y. 370; Fisk v. Hicks, 29 S. D. 399, Ann. Cas. 1914D, 971, 137 N. W. 424; Clein v. Wandschneider, 14 Wash. 257, 44 Pac. 272. See generally, also, 28 Cyc. 20.

The discussion of the subject in Jensen v. Barbour, 12 Mont. 566, 31 Pae. 592, though not decisive, is a direct recognition of the rule as stated in Belmont v. Erie Ry. Co., 52 Barb. (N. T.) 637, therein cited, which is in full accord with Kenney v. [3] Kel-leher, supra. While it is the better practice to have the order on the original motion recite that it is made without prejudice, or that permission is granted to renew the motion, it will be found by an examination of the cases cited that, though this has not been done, and though formal leave has not been granted, [439]*439nevertheless, if the renewed motion has been heard and disposed of upon its merits, the presumption attaches that leave was previously granted. (Harris v. Brown, 93 N. Y. 390.)

While the motion stood for hearing, did the relators have the [4] right, under the statute (Rev. Codes, sec. 6315; Laws 1909, Chap. 114), to file the disqualifying affidavit? It is not necessary to consider whether a defendant who is in default is a “party” within the meaning of the statute. It may be conceded that by suffering default a party ceases thereafter to be a “party” for most purposes, and that he has no standing in court except to move for relief from the default or to take and prosecute an appeal. For the purpose of a motion in this behalf, however, he is a party and pro 7me vice has all the rights of a party. Under the statute, a party has the right to challenge the presiding judge by imputing to him bias and prejudice, and thus deprive him of the power to hear and determine the “action, motion or proceeding, ’ ’ whatever it is, provided only he exercises his privilege as therein prescribed. The word “motion,” as there used, was considered by this court in State ex rel. Carleton v. District Court, 33 Mont. 138, 8 Ann. Cas. 752, 82 Pac. 789, and was held to include every motion which may be made in a case, except such as may be made during the progress of a hearing; these latter being necessarily excluded, because it was evidently not the purpose of the legislature to permit the interruption of a hearing during its progress, but to require the party to exercise his privilege before the time set for the hearing. The relators were clearly within their rights as defined in this case. Upon the filing of the affidavit, Judge Clements was divested of all power to act with relation to the renewed motion, except as permitted by the statute. In State ex rel. Carleton v. District Court, supra,

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

State ex rel. Working v. District Court, 147 P. 614, 50 Mont. 435, 1915 Mont. LEXIS 35 (Mo. 1915).

147 P. 614 (State ex rel. Working v. District Court) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

In Re Woodside-Florence Irr. Dist.
194 P.2d 241 (Montana Supreme Court, 1948)
State Ex Rel. Stefonick v. District Court
157 P.2d 96 (Montana Supreme Court, 1945)
Warren Ex Rel. v. Dist. Ct.
61 P.2d 6 (Nevada Supreme Court, 1936)
Continental Oil Co. v. Osage Oil & Refining Co.
69 F.2d 19 (Tenth Circuit, 1934)
State Ex Rel. Perry v. District Court
272 P. 553 (Montana Supreme Court, 1928)
State ex rel. McKennan v. District Court
222 P. 426 (Montana Supreme Court, 1924)
State ex rel. Carroll v. District Court
148 P. 312 (Montana Supreme Court, 1915)
State ex rel. Working v. District Court
147 P. 616 (Montana Supreme Court, 1915)