State v. Davenport

1920 OK 312, 193 P. 419, 79 Okla. 297, 1920 Okla. LEXIS 110
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedSeptember 21, 1920
Docket11090
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 1920 OK 312 (State v. Davenport) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Davenport, 1920 OK 312, 193 P. 419, 79 Okla. 297, 1920 Okla. LEXIS 110 (Okla. 1920).

Opinion

McNElLL, J.

The grand jury of Grady county, Oklahoma, returned into the district court of said county an accusation against R. E. Davenport, tfie county judge, praying for his removal from office for causes coming within subdivision 3, section 3, chapter 205, Laws of 1917. To this accusation, the defendant, Davefiport, filed a demurrer upon two grounds: First, the offenses alleged in the accusation did not involve moral turpitude; second, that the grand jury had no jurisdiction to return an accusation for removal of an officer for the causes enumerated in chapter 205 of the Laws of 1917. The trial judge sustained the demurrer and dismissed the accusation. From said judgment, the county attorney, on behalf of the state, has appealed.

We will first discuss the question of the jurisdiction of the grand jury to return an accusation for the removal of an officer upon grounds set forth in subdivision 3 of section 3, chapter 205, of the laws of 1917.

The county attorney admits that chapter 205 of Laws of 1917 is a cumulative statute, but contends that the grand jury has the inherent power and authority to present an accusation for removal of officers for the grounds enumerated in said chapter.

The defendant in error contends that said act is a special act, and in order to remove an officer for the causes enumerated in said act, the accusation must be in the name of the state of Oklahoma, on relation of the Attorney General.

It is admitted that the accusation against the defendant does not charge a violation of any provisions of section 5592, Rev. Laws 1910. The charges against the defendant, if true, would be a violation of subdivision 3 of section 3, chapter 205, Session Laws 1917, which section is as follows:

“3. Committing any act constituting a violation of any statute involving moral turpitude.”

The Constitution of Oklahoma in dealing with removal of officers contains the following provision (section 2, art. 8) :

“All elective officers, not liable to impeachment, shall be subject to removal from office in such manner and for such causes as may ■be provided by law.”

By this provision of the Constitution, the Legislature was given authority to prescribe the manner and enumerate the causes for which an elective officer might be removed.

*298 One of the cardinal rules applied in the construction of statutes is stated in the case of Board of County Commissioners of Creek Co. v. Alexander, 58 Okla. 128, 159 Pac. 311, as follows:

“It is a cardinal rule in the construction of statutes that the intention of the Legislature, when ascertained, must govern, and that to ascertain the intent all' the various provisions of legislative enactments upon the particular subject should be construed together and given effect as a whole.”

W-e will now direct our attention to the various provision's of the different statutes in regard to removal of officers.

The Legislature passed a general law relating to the removal of officers, being sections 5592 to 5608, Revised Laws of 1910. Section 5592 enumerated eight separate and distinct grounds for removal. The procedure by which an officer may be removed is contained in section 5593, which provides it may be by accusation presented by the grand jury, and section 5605, which provides may. be on behalf of the board of county commissioners.

The Legislature of 1917 passed a special act for the removal of officers, which is known and commonly referred to as the “Attorney General Bill.” Section 1 of said act is as follows:

“Section 1. All state officers not subject to impeachment under section 1, article 8, of the Constitution, and all county, city and municipal officers -may, in addition to the methods now and causes provided by law, be removed from office as herein provided.”

Section 2 of said act provides the procedure to be by petition filed by the Attorney General. Section 9 of said act is as follows:

“Section 9. All actions-under the provisions of this act shall be commenced in the name of the state of Oklahoma on the relation of the Attorney General of the state.”

The question for consideration is, Does a -grand jury have jurisdiction to present an accusation for removing an officer for causes enumerated in chapter 205, Session Laws of 1917, or does section 9 of said -act control the procedure? The statute is a cumulative statute, and does not attempt to repeal the general law for removal of officers; -but, as set forth in said act, the same is in addition. to the remedy -and procedure provided in the general law for removal of officers. Section 2 of said act provides for a petition to be filed by the Attorney General. Section 9 of said act provides that all actions brought under this chapter shall be in the name of the state of Oklahoma, on relation of the Attorney -General. It would seem that the language used is unambiguous and subject only to the one interpretation — that is, that all actions for violation of the provisions of this chapter must be prosecuted -by petition in the name of the state, on relation of the Attorney General.

Counsel for the state cited the case of Maben v. Rosser, 24 Okla. 588, 103 Pac. 674, but this case in our judgment has no application to the case at -bar, nor can the discussion of the case be of any aid in construing this statute. Counsel also rely upon the case of Barnett v. City of Noblesville (Ind.) 60 N. E. 704, but that case is not in point. The question therein presented may be stated -as follows: The Legislature of Indiana in 1867 passed an act providing that a city official might be removed by the city council. Thereafter, in 1875, an act was passed by the Legislature providing that any official who should become intoxicated during business hours might be removed from office upon complaint of any person filing an accusation' in the circuit court. Thereafter, in 1897, an act was passed by the Legislature providing for removal of an officer upon accusation presented by a grand jury. The city council attempted to remove one of its officials as provided in the act of 1867. The officer questioned the right of the city council to remove him, contending the law of 1867 had been repealed by the law of 1875 and the law of 1897. The court held that the acts of the Legislature were cumulative, and the act of 1867 was not repealed; -and that was the only question involved in said case.

The case of State ex rel. Whitaker v. Adams (La.) 15 South. 490, is also cited, but that case is not in point, -but is similar to the case of Barnett v. City of Noblesville. If anything, the two cases cited above support the contrary theory to that contended for by the county -attorney. In both instances the courts held the subsequent acts of the Legislature cumulative, and that the procedure provided in each act controlled cases coming within that section of the statute.

We have been unable to find a case exactly in point, nor has -any -been cited, but cases similar in analogy have been decided by the Supreme Courts of California, Idaho, and North Dakota, and’ the same are beneficial in determining the case at bar, to wit: Crossman v. Lesher (Cal.) 32 Pac. 449; Ponting v. Isaman (Idaho) 62 Pac. 680; Corker v. Pence (Idaho) 85 Pac. 388; McRoberts v. Hoar (Idaho) 152 Pac. 1046; State v. Richardson (N.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1920 OK 312, 193 P. 419, 79 Okla. 297, 1920 Okla. LEXIS 110, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-davenport-okla-1920.