State v. Jefferis

178 P. 909, 26 Wyo. 115, 1919 Wyo. LEXIS 4
CourtWyoming Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 7, 1919
DocketNo. 966
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 178 P. 909 (State v. Jefferis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wyoming Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Jefferis, 178 P. 909, 26 Wyo. 115, 1919 Wyo. LEXIS 4 (Wyo. 1919).

Opinion

Potter, Justice.

This is an original proceeding in this court, wherein it is sought 'by writ of mandamus to require the State Auditor to issue a warrant for the salary claimed by the relator as district judge for the period between the 9th and the 31st days of December, 1918, both inclusive, the relator’s claim for the amount which would be due and payable to one entitled to such salary for that period having been presented to and rejected by the Auditor.

The case was submitted upon a demurrer to the petition, but under an agreed statement of facts taking the place, for the purpose of the demurrer, of the original averments of the petition. The only question is whether the relator, who had been regularly elected to the office of Judge of the Seventh Judicial District at the general election in November, 1916, for the term of six years, and qualified and entered upon the discharge of the duties of the office, as provided by law, on the first Monday in January, 1917, vacated the office so as to deprive him of the right to the salary claimed for the period aforesaid by accepting an appointment as Major in the United States Army in the Department of the Judge Advocate General, and performing the duties of that office from September 23, 1918, when he took the oath required of officers in the United States Army, until December 6, 1918, when his resignation as such officer in the army was accepted and he was honorably discharged, notwithstanding [122]*122that on December 9, 1918, he returned to his home in said judicial district and resumed the discharge of the duties of the office of said judge, and has continued since that time to discharge such duties as the only incumbent and claimant of the office, and that during his absence the business of 'the court and the judge thereof was attended to-’by the judge of the fourth district under an order calling upon him generally to transact such business.

The relator was within Ithe age subject to the last draft under the Selective Service Act, and duly registered therefor on September 10, 19118', with the local registration board of his county. In June, 19'i8-, he had applied for a commission as Major in the Judge Advocate General’s Department, and on September 13, 1918, he was notified thalt a commission as Major in said department had been issued to him, and on the 14th dayt of that month he accepted the appointment. On that day also he made an order as district judge and caused the same to be entered upon the journal of the district court in each county of his district, -calling upon and authorizing the judge of the Fourth Judicial District to transact any and all business and perform any and all duties devolving upon the judge of the said seventh district, pursuant to which order Judge Burgess of the fourth district did transact the business of the judge of the seventh district during the relator’s absence.

Having thereafter received a telegram from the proper authorities directing him to report for service as Major, he took the required oath at Washington on September 23, 1918, and entered upon the performance of the duties of Major in said Department of the Army, and continued in the performance of such duties until his resignation was accepted on December 6, 1918, and during the period of such service received the pay of Major in said department.

The office of judge of said Seventh Judicial District has not been declared vacant, and no proceedings have been instituted to declare the same vacant, nor has the relator formally resigned the office or been removed therefrom. But he is the sole incumbent of the office and the only per[123]*123son claiming it, no appointment or other selection for the office having been made during the relator’s absence, or since his return.

The relator, up to the time of the hearing of 'this case, had not received any paper or writing purporting to be a commission as Major, or any written evidence of a commission, but was informed that a commission had been prepared and was awaiting the signature of the proper officer.

The relator, prior to January 4, 1919, presented a claim for salary as district judge for the months of October, November and December, 1918', which claim was rejected by the auditor, and thereupon he presented his claim for salary for the period aforesaid, viz: From December 9 to December 31, 19x8, which was also rejected, and is the claim here involved. And while asserting in the petition in this case that he is lawfully entitled to the salary for the period of his said absence from the State, he expressly waives all claim and right thereto for said period by state- ■ ments to that effect in the petition and the agreed statement of facts.

It may be conceded that if relator’s acceptance of the office of Major in the United States Army created an immediate vacancy in the office of' judge of the seventh district, so that he was no longer tthe lawful incumbent thereof, he could not by his own act in resuming the discharge of the duties of the office reinstate himself therein, with the same effect respecting the title to the office as if such vacancy had not occurred. But, upon the facts, was such a vacancy created? It is contended on the part of the auditor that a vacancy was created which terminated relator’s right and title to the office. And that contention is 'based upon the rule of the common law that the acceptance of a second office incompatible with one already held ipso facto and absolutely vacates the first, without the necessity of any proceeding to determine the title thereto, and a provision of the Constitution of this State declaring, in effect, that an office of profit in this state and an office of appointment of trust or profit under the United States are incompatible. The provision [124]*124of the constitution thus relied on in support of said contention is found in Section 7 of Article VI, under the subhead. “Elections”, as the constitution is now published in the Compiled Statutes of 1910, and was published in the Revised Statutes of 1899, and the section reads as follows:

“No member of congress from this state, nor any person holding or exercising any office or appointment of trust or profit under the United States, shall at the same time hold or exercise any office in this state to which a salary, fees or perquisites shall be attached. The legislature may by law declare what officés are incompatible.”

There are other provisions of the constitution which must also be considered in determining the question. Section 4 of the same article (VI), and under the same subhead, “Elections”, reads as follows: “Every person holding any civil office under the state or any municipality therein shall, unless removed according to law, exercise the duties of such office until his successor is duly qualified, but this shall not apply to members of the legislature, nor to members of any board of assembly, two or more of whom are elected at the same time. The legislature may by law provide- for suspending any officer in his functions, pending impeachment or prosecution for misconduct in office.”

By Section 19 of Article V it is provided that each district judge shall be elected for the term of six years from the first Monday in January succeeding his election and until his successor is duly qualified. And Section 7 of Article IV provides: “When any office from any cause becomes vacant, and no mode is provided by the constitution or law for filling such vacancy, the governor shall have the power to fill the same by appointment.”

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
178 P. 909, 26 Wyo. 115, 1919 Wyo. LEXIS 4, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-jefferis-wyo-1919.