State Upon the Information of McKittrick v. Wymore

132 S.W.2d 979, 345 Mo. 169, 1939 Mo. LEXIS 502
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedOctober 17, 1939
StatusPublished
Cited by48 cases

This text of 132 S.W.2d 979 (State Upon the Information of McKittrick v. Wymore) 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 Upon the Information of McKittrick v. Wymore, 132 S.W.2d 979, 345 Mo. 169, 1939 Mo. LEXIS 502 (Mo. 1939).

Opinion

*173 GANTT, J.

Original action in quo warranto. On August 24, 1937, the Attorney General filed in this court an information in which it is alleged that on and since January 1, 1937, the respondent Carl F. Wymore was the prosecuting attorney of Cole County, and as such charged with the duty of enforcing the criminal laws of this State; that on January 1, 1937, and since said date slot machines, punch boards, pin ball machines, marble machines, race horse machines, cigarette machines, dice machines and other illegal devices and schemes were operated in said county in violation of law; that said violations were open, notorious and known to respondent; that respondent was requested to prosecute criminal actions against persons violating said law; that he willfully and corruptly failed to do so, and willfully and corruptly failed to prosecute criminal actions in said county; that respondent, in permitting the operation of said gambling devices colluded with others unknown to relator, and that by failing to prosecute persons violating said laws he forfeited his office of prosecuting attorney. Relator prayed that he be ousted from said office and that the same be declared vacant.

We heretofore ruled that this court has jurisdiction to determine the questions presented by the information filed in this cause. [State ex inf. McKittrick v. Wymore, 343 Mo. 98, 119 S. W. (2d) 941.]

*174 Respondent’s answer specifically denied tbe allegations of the information. The cause was referred to a commissioner to take testimony and report his finding's of fact and conclusions of law. On November 21, 1938, the commissioner commenced to take testimony. By agreement of counsel, testimony was taken from time to time and completed on March 10, 1939. On May 3, 1939, the commissioner filed his report in which he recommended that respondent be found not guilty.

Respondent’s two year term as prosecuting attorney expired December 31, 1938. He was reelected and is now serving his second term beginning January 1, 1939.

I. He contends that “since the term of office sought to be forfeited has expired by operation of law, this proceeding is moot and should be dismissed.”

The question of the removal of a public officer for misconduct during a previous term is considered in Vol. 17, American Law Reports, page 279. The authorities are divided on the question. In the view we take, it will not be necessary to consider the question. It is reserved. The curious may consult the annotation in A. L. R.

In this connection it should be stated that we have ruled in quo warranto actions originating in the circuit court on the relation of a private person that, if the term of office has expired, the action must be prosecuted to final judgment. The ruling may rest on the statutory provision that after the institution of the action it cannot be dismissed without the consent of the relator. We do not consider the question.

We now are confronted with the question as to whether or not there remains an issue in the case. Of course, if there is an issue, it is not a moot case. In ruling the question we will, in the instant case, accept the view of respondent that the forfeiture, if any, was ipso facto and occurred as of the date of the filling of the information on August 24, 1937, and prior thereto. Tinder the common law the rule is stated as follows:

“It frequently happens that the term of the office the right to which is the subject of controversy expires before the proceedings are concluded and the right determined, and the question then presented is whether the proceedings must fail or proceed to judgment, though the respondent is not in the office and therefore cannot, strictly speaking, be ousted therefrom. The courts quite generally hold that where the proceedings have been commenced during the term of office for which the relator claims to have been elected, the proceedings will not be dismissed, though such term expires prior to judgment in the proceedings. Ordinarily the object of the proceedings is more than to oust the incumbent. In most jurisdictions a fine may, in the discretion of the court, be imposed, and costs may be recovered against the respondent, should he be found guilty;” (2 Bailey, Extraordinary Remedies, pp. 1294, 1295).

*175 We ruled in Hunter v. Chandler, 45 Mo. 452, that where the action to remove an official for misconduct was begun before the term expired, the action should be prosecuted to a final judgment. We also ruled in State ex rel. Barrett, v. Bank, 297 Mo. 397, 414, 415, 416, 249 S. W. 619, that the character of judgment in quo warranto cases is largely within the discretion of the court.

Furthermore, we ruled that in quo warranto cases this court may impose a fine for usurpation. The question was considered in Standard Oil Co. v. Missouri, 224 U. S. 270, l. c. 283, 284, 285. In that case this court entered a judgment of ouster against the Standard Oil Company, Republic Oil Company, and the Waters-Pierce Oil Company and fined each fifty thousand dollars. Some of the members of the court expressed the opinion that each should be fined one million dollars. It ivas contended in the Supreme Court of the United States that this court was without jurisdiction to impose a fine on the companies. In an interesting opinion said court ruled as follows:

“In Missouri, and prior to the decision in this case, the rulings were to the effect that the Supreme Court of Missouri had jurisdiction not only to oust but to impose a substantial fine in quo warranto.
“In 1865, under a Constitution which, like the present, conferred power ‘to issue writs of quo warranto and hear and determine the same,’ the court tried the case of State ex inf. v. Bernoudy, 36 Mo. 279, brought against the clerk of a Circuit Court for usurpation of the office. There was a prayer for judgment of ouster and costs. The court said:
“ ‘No evidence is offered to charge the defendant with any evil intent, and it being probable that he acted from mistaken views only, the court will not avail itself of the power given by law, to impose a fine on him, and will compel him to pay the costs only of this proceeding. ’
“In 1902, in State v. Armour Packing Co. et al., 173 Mo. 356, 395, information in the nature of quo warranto was filed in the Supreme Court against three corporations, praying that their franchises be forfeited because they had formed and maintained a conspiracy in restraint of trade. The court held that, ‘under the circumstances, the judgment of absolute ouster is not. necessary, but the needs of justice will be satisfied by the imposition of a fine.’ It thereupon adjudged that each of the defendants should pay the sum of $5,000 as a fine, together with the costs of court.
“In State ex inf. v. Delmar Jockey Club, 200 Mo. 34, quo war-ranto was brought to forfeit the charter of the company, because it had violated a criminal statute prohibiting the sale of pools on horse races.

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132 S.W.2d 979, 345 Mo. 169, 1939 Mo. LEXIS 502, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-upon-the-information-of-mckittrick-v-wymore-mo-1939.