State v. Finlayson

170 N.W. 910, 41 N.D. 494, 1918 N.D. LEXIS 165
North Dakota Supreme Court·Decided November 4, 1918·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinions

Christianson, J.

In July, 1915, an equitable action was commenced by the state’s attorney of Burleigh county, against the defendant, Frank Finlayson, and one John B. Hoagland, under the provisions of the prohibitory laws of this state for the purpose of abating a certain common nuisance which it was alleged that the defendant, Frank Finlayson, was keeping and maintaining on lots 20 and 21 of block 41 of the original town site of the city of Bismarck;

The complaint was in the usual form, and prayed the usual temporary injunction, which was issued, restraining the defendant, his agents, attorneys, and servants, until the further order of the court, from using or permitting the premises in question to be used “as a [496] place where intoxicating liquors are or may be sold, bartei’ed, or given away as a beverage, or a place where persons are or may be permitted to resort for the purpose of drinking intoxicating liquors as a beverage; or a place where intoxicating liquors are kept for sale, barter, or delivery, in violation of law.” The papers in the case — summons, complaint, injunctional order, affidavit for search warrant, and search warrant — were served upon the defendant on August 28, 1915. In April, 191ÍT, the then state’s attorney of Burleigh county by affidavit brought to the attention of the court the fact that the defendant, Frank Finlayson, has violated and was violating the terms of the temporary injunction, in that he had sold intoxicating liquors on said premises, and had continued to keep a place thereon where persons were permitted to resort and did resort for the purpose of drinking intoxicating liquors as a beverage.

The affidavit of the state’s attorney recited a former conviction for contempt under the same statute, and asked that a warrant of attachment issue, and that defendant be arrested and brought before the court to answer for contempt of court. The state’s attorney’s affidavit was accompanied and corroborated by the affidavits of F. L. Watkins, Frank Toron, and Anton Melum. Upon these affidavits an attachment for contempt was issued against the defendant, and he was brought before the court.

Upon being arraigned, the defendant moved that the attachment be set aside and quashed. The motion was denied, and the court proceeded to hear the matter. Evidence was introduced by both the state and the defendant. The court made findings of fact and conclusions of law against the defendant, and judgment was pronounced thereon, declaring defendant guilty of contempt of court, as of a second offense, and sentencing him to imprisonment in the penitentiary for a term of two years. The case comes to this court on defendant’s appeal from the judgment. No statement of the case was settled, and no question is raised as to the sufficiency of the evidence to sustain the findings, or the sufficiency of the findings to support the judgment. '

Appellant’s first contention is that § 10,118, Comp. Laws 1913, under which defendant was convicted and sentenced, is unconstitutional for the reason that it denies to one proceeded against thereunder a trial by jury. The question raised is not a new one in this jurisdic[497] tion. In State v. Markuson, 5 N. D. 141, 64 N. W. 934 (decided October 28, 1895), this court, after a thorough consideration, held that, “in contempt proceedings under the statute above mentioned, the party charged with contempt is not entitled to have the charge tried to a jury.” The principle was reaffirmed in State v. Markuson, 7 N. D. 155, 73 N. W. 82, wherein a judgment sentencing the defendant to imprisonment in the penitentiary for contempt of court, as of a second offense, was affirmed. These former decisions are a complete answer to appellant’s contention in this case, and we shall refrain from entering into any discussion of the question further than to say that the principle announced in such former decisions has been accepted as the settled law in this state for more than twenty years, and meets with our approval, and has the support of the authorities. See Woollen & Thornton, Intoxicating Liquors, § 1232; Joyce, Intoxicating Liquors, § 612; 9 Cyc. 47; 4 Ene. U. S. Sup. Ct. Hep. 539.

Appellant also asserts that the proceedings against him were irregular; that the judgment should be reversed, because he was not served with a copy of the warrant of attachment and the affidavits on which it was based; and that no written interrogatories were filed “specifying the facts and circumstances of the offense charged against him.” In short appellant argues that the contempt proceedings in the case at bar are governed by art. 3, chap. 35 (§§ 8181-8201), Comp. Laws 1913, and cites Noble Twp. v. Aasen, 10 N. D. 264, 86 N. W. 742, in support of the proposition that under these provisions one being prosecuted for contempt, unless he admits the offense charged, is entitled to have interrogatories filed “specifying the facts and circumstances of the offense charged against him,” and that the right to have such interrogatories filed is not waived by mere silence or failure to object to the proceedings on the ground that none have been filed.

The case cited does not support appellant’s contention. On the contrary the holding in that case is expressly restricted to contempt cases properly triable under the provisions of the Code of Civil Procedure relating to contempts, and the court specifically disclaimed any intention of holding those provisions applicable to contempt proceedings initiated under the provisions of the state prohibitory law. And in the case of State ex rel. Morrill v. Massey, 10 N. D. 154, 86 N. W. 225 (decided contemporaneously with Noble Twp. v. Aasen), the [498] court expressly stated that tbe procedure in contempt proceedings for violation of injunctions issued under tbe state prohibitory law was governed by tbe special provisions found in tbe prohibitory law, and that tbe general procedure in contempt cases prescribed by tbe Code of Civil Procedure is not applicable to contempt proceedings under tbe prohibitory law. In this connection it is well to note that the state prohibitory law expressly provides that “in contempt proceedings arising out of tbe violation of any injunction granted under tbe provisions” of such law, “tbe defendant may be required to make answer to interrogatories, either written or oral, as in tbe discretion of tbe court or judge may seem proper.” Comp. Laws 1913, § 10,118.

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State v. Finlayson, 170 N.W. 910, 41 N.D. 494, 1918 N.D. LEXIS 165 (N.D. 1918).

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