State v. Mitchell

52 N.W. 1052, 3 S.D. 223, 1892 S.D. LEXIS 62
CourtSouth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 17, 1892
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 52 N.W. 1052 (State v. Mitchell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering South Dakota 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. Mitchell, 52 N.W. 1052, 3 S.D. 223, 1892 S.D. LEXIS 62 (S.D. 1892).

Opinion

Kellam, P. J.

This was a proceeding to punish the defendant and appellant for contempt in violating an injunction order made in an action pending in the circuit court for the county of Lake, in which the state was plaintiff and appellant was defendant. The action was instituted under chapter 101, Laws 1890, prohibiting the sale of intoxicating liquors, and sought to restrain and vacate a place alleged to have been kept and used for the unlawful sale of intoxicating liquors by defendant, Mitchell. While such action was pending, and while an injunction order therein was in full force, commanding defendant to desist and refrain from selling, or offering to sell, or keeping for sale, barter, or trade, any intoxicating liquors, by himself, his agents or his’servants, affidavits were presented to said court alleging violation by defendant of said injunction order, and by order of court an attachment was issued to the sheriff requiring him to bring the defendant into court, to show cause why he should not be punished for contempt. Upon the hearing the court found and adjudged the defendant to be in' contempt, and imposed punishment of fine and imprisonment therefor, from which action and judgment of the court the defendant appeals. The attorney general files a stipulation waiving irregulari-. ties in the manner of bringing up the questions of error for review in this court, and consenting that all questions raised in the record be duly considered and determined. While we understand that such consent could not confer a jurisdiction which we did not otherwise possess, yet as the authorities are in confusion on the question of the right to appeal in contempt proceedings, and as to what questions may be reviewed, and as it is urged by both sides that it is important that this court express an early opinion- upon some of the questions presented, we conclude that it is our duty to examine and decide such questions, with the distinct understanding, however, that by so doing we indicate no opinion upon the questions of procedure and practice which might be raised upon this record.

[226]*226Upon the hearing the defendant demanded a trial by jury, which the court denied, and this is assigned as the first error. The constitutional provision that “the right of trial by jury shall remain inviolate” has no application to a summary proceeding of this character. Such guaranty does not extend beyond the cases where such right existed at common law. The provision is that the right “shall remain inviolate.” The right of a court to punish for contempt, without the intervention of a jury, was a well-established rule of the common law. In Eilenbecker v. Plymouth Co. Dist. Ct., 134 U. S. 31, 10 Sup. Ct. Rep. 424, the court says: “If it has ever been understood that proceedings according to the common law for contempt of court have been subject to the right of trial by jury, we have been unable to find any instance of it.” See, also, State v. Becht, 23 Minn. 411; McDonnell v. Henderson, 74 Iowa, 619, 38 N. W. Rep. 512; State v. Doty, 32 N. J. Law, 403; State v. Matthews, 37 N. H. 450; State v. Durein, (Kan.) 27 Pac. Rep. 148; Gandy v. State, 13 Neb. 445, 14 N. W. Rep. 143.

The defendant then demanded that the evidence of the state upon the question of his alleged contempt be taken orally, and not by affidavit. This was denied, and is assigned as error. Section 13 of the law under consideration, being the section under which this proceeding was had, expressly provides that, upon the examination of the charge of contempt, the “evidence may be oral, or in the form of affidavits, or both.” Defendant argues that he was thus deprived of his' constitutional right “to meet the witnesses against him face to face.” This right, however, is confined to'“criminal proceedings,” — such prosecutions as also entitled him to “a speedy public trial by an impartial jury.” Section 7, art. 6, Const. The authorities cited on the last point supra fully exhibit the character' of contempt proceedings. While they are criminal in their nature, they are not of themselves criminal actions or prosecutions. They are incidental to and may occur in any action, civil or-criminal, and neither the constitutional right to be tried by d’jury, nor to be confronted with the adverse witnesses, exists in such proceedings. It was therefore competent for the law to provide that in such proceedings the evidence might be by affidavit, or oral, or both.

[227]*227The contention, of defendant that the act itself as a whole is void, because in violation of section 21, art. 3, of the constitution, providing that “no law shall embrace more than one subject, which shall be expressed in its title,” was fully considered and discussed in State v. Becker, 3 S. D., and a conclusion reached adverse to such claim.

It is next contended that that portion of section 13, in relation to contempt proceedings, which provides that “the affidavits upon which the attachment for contempt issues shall make a prima facie case for the state,” is unconstitutional, as being an encroachment of the legislative upon the judicial power. It is claimed that it undertakes to determine in advance, regardless of what the affidavits may in fact state, that they shall • be prima facie evidence of an offense which may be punished criminally, thus seeking to deprive the courts of the power to determine whether the affidavits state sufficient facts to support a conclusion of guilt or not. This construction of the language of this section is too narrow. It must be construed with reference to the known and well-understood procedure of the courts. “It is a cardinal principle in relation to the summary and imperative proceedings by attachment that that writ will not be granted unless a clear case of contempt be established. When the contempt is not committed in facie curiae, it must be proved by affidavits from persons who witnessed it.” In re Judson, 3 Blatchf. 148. In the enactment of the provision criticised by the defendant, the legislature presuméd, as they reasonably might, that no attachment would be issued by any court, “unless a clear case” therefor appeared from the affidavits presented, and when such justifying facts did appear to the satisfaction of the court, and at attachment was issue.d, then the affidavits upon which it was so issued should “make a prima facie case for the state.” The court first determines whether the affidavits make a case of contempt, and upon that determination grants or withholds the attachment; and the manifest meaning of' the law is that, if the court regards the affidavits as sufficient to justify its issuing an attachment, they shall be held upon the hearing as sufficient to make a prima facie case against the defendant. So construed, this provision is neither unreasonable nor [228]*228novel. The theory of an ordinary order to show cause is that the party in whose favor it is granted has made a prima facie case, entitling him to certain relief, and upon the strength of such prima faciei case the adverse party is called upon to show cause to the court, if any he have, why such relief should not be granted, in accordance with the prima facie case made, and this theory and practice prevail equally in proceedings for contempt. Bank v. Schermerhorn, 9 Paige, 372.

The attachment in this case, as far as it affected any right of the defendant to be adjudicated, was an order to show cause. As a warrant, it was only designed to secure his presence in court.

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

Related

State v. Piper
2006 SD 1 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 2006)
State v. Page
2006 SD 2 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 2006)
Wegleitner v. Sattler
1998 SD 88 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1998)
Wegleiter v. Sattler
1998 SD 88 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1998)
People ex rel. M.W.
374 N.W.2d 889 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1985)
People in Interest of MW
374 N.W.2d 889 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1985)
State v. Reed
63 N.W.2d 803 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1954)
Ward v. Dakota Electric Co.
231 N.W. 943 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1930)
State ex rel. Parsons v. Kaufman
211 N.W. 691 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1927)
State v. Kirby
148 N.W. 533 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1914)
In re Watson
97 N.W. 463 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1903)
State v. Crum
74 N.W. 992 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1898)
Freeman v. City of Huron
66 N.W. 928 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1896)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
52 N.W. 1052, 3 S.D. 223, 1892 S.D. LEXIS 62, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-mitchell-sd-1892.