State v. Pitet

243 P.2d 177, 69 Wyo. 478, 1952 Wyo. LEXIS 14
CourtWyoming Supreme Court
DecidedApril 16, 1952
Docket2527
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 243 P.2d 177 (State v. Pitet) 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. Pitet, 243 P.2d 177, 69 Wyo. 478, 1952 Wyo. LEXIS 14 (Wyo. 1952).

Opinion

*483 OPINION

Ilsley, Justice.

The defendant, Marcel R. Pitet, was charged in five counts in an Information filed in the District Court of Sheridan County with the unlawful practice of medicine as defined in Sec. 37-2007 Wyoming Compiled Statutes 1945 and without having first received and recorded a certificate from the State Board of Medical Examiners as provided by Sec. 37-2014 W.C.S. 1945.

Whereupon the defendant demurred to each and every count in the Information upon the ground that his actions did not constitute an offense punishable by the laws of this State for the following reasons: That Sections 37-2007 and 37-2014 W.C.S. 1945 are void, because: Sec. 37-2014 W.C.S. 1945 was first enacted as Sec. 14 of Chapter 18 Session Laws of Wyo. 1899; that as such it was published as Sec. 2202 in Chapter 5— Division 1, Title XVI Revised Statutes of Wyoming 1899; thereafter by Sec. 14 Chapter 45 Session Laws of Wyoming 1905, an attempt was made to amend said *484 Sec. 2202 to read as set forth in that chapter; then said section was compiled as Sec. 2878 Wyoming Compiled Statutes 1910, and as Sec. 3526 Wyoming Compiled Statutes 1920 but thereafter it was amended and reenacted as Sec. 5 of Chapter 126 Session Laws of 1925, and which was compiled as Sec. 86-114 Wyoming Revised Statutes 1931; that as such Sec. 86-114 it was again amended and re-enacted in Sec. 1 Chapter 24 Session Laws of 1933 to read as it now appears as Sec. 37-2014 Wyoming Compiled Statutes 1945.

Defendant Pitet contends that the attempted amendment and re-enactment of this section, in Sec. 14 Chapter 45 Session Laws 1905 was void for the reason that said chapter was enacted in violation of Sec. 26 of Article III of the Constitution of Wyoming in that the title to the Bill was as follows:

“An Act to amend and re-enact Chapter 5, Division 1, Title XVI Revised Statutes 1899, relating to the State Board of Medical Examiners.”

Defendant claims that the Bill as finally enacted into law did not amend and re-enact any of the provisions of existing law as required by the constitutional provision cited.

That Sec. 37-2007 Wyoming Compiled Statutes 1945 was first enacted as Sec. 7 of Chapter 45 Session Laws 1905, has never been amended and is void for the reasons above set forth.

Defendant also claims that Chapter 45 Session Laws 1905, although purporting in its title to be an amending and re-enacting Act, actually was a comprehensive new law attempting to cover the entire field of medical and surgical practice in Wyoming and containing new provision not previously existing, especially Sec. 7 of the Act under which the defendant herein is being prosecuted, and that Chapter 45 Session Laws 1905 violated the provisions of Sec. 24 Art. Ill of the Constitution in *485 that its title did not clearly express its subject and that the Act embraced more than one subject — (a) The State Board of Medical Examiners; (b) Defining a person practicing medicine; (c) Imposing penalties for practicing medicine, none of which was expressed in the title.

Thereupon the District Court Stayed all further proceedings and reserved and sent to this court the following important and difficult constitutional questions which have arisen under defendant’s demurrer and objections to trial, as follows:

I.
“Does Section 37-2014, Wyoming Compiled Statutes 1945, violate the provisions of Section 26 of Article III of the Constitution of Wyoming?
II
“Does Section 37-2007, Wyoming Compiled Statutes 1945, violate the provisions of Section 26 of Article III of the Constitution of Wyoming ?
III.
“Did Chapter 45 Session Laws of Wyoming 1905 (now sections 37-2001 to 37-2017, inclusive, Wyoming Compiled Statutes 1945, as amended), violate the provisions of Section 24 of Article III of the Constitution of Wyoming?”

A fourth constitutional question was certified to this court which has since been abandoned and need not now be considered.

Section 26 of Article III of the Constitution of Wyoming referred to in each of the questions numbered I and II submitted to this court provides:

“Laws — How Amended. — No law shall be revised or amended, or the provisions thereof extended by reference to its title only, but so much thereof as is revised, *486 amended, or extended, shall be re-enacted and published at length.”

Section 37-2014 W.C.S. 1945, mentioned in question I, supra, has been on the statute books in one form or another since first enacted as Section 14, Chapter 18 Session Laws 1899, some fifty-three years. This section provides the penalty for practicing medicine or surgery without complying with the law.

Section 37-2007 W.C.S. 1945 referred to in question II, supra, was first enacted as Section 7, Chapter 45 Session Laws 1905, and has never been amended in its forty-seven years on the statute books and is in words as follows:

“Practicing physicians — Defined.—Any person shall be regarded as practicing medicine, within the meaning of this Act (§§ 37-2001, 37-2017), who shall in any manner hold himself out to the public as being engaged within this state in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases or injuries or deformities of human beings; or who shall suggest, recommend or prescribe any form of treatment for the intended palliation, relief or cure of any physical or mental ailment of any person with the intention of receiving therefor, either directly or indirectly, any fee, gift or compensation whatsoever; or who shall maintain an office for the reception, examination and treatment of any person suffering from disease or injury of body or mind; or who shall attach the title of M.D., surgeon, doctor or any other word or abbreviation to his name indicative that such person is engaged in the practice of medicine as hereinafter defined.”

These laws are old ones having to do with that ancient and honorable calling known as the medical profession and they assume to regulate the medical practice. It is a serious thing to consider the declaring of such laws unconstitutional. To do so there must be ample and good reason. The objection should be grave. The conflict between the statute and the Constitution should be substantial. The constitutional provision must be reasonably construed with a view of sustaining the legislative *487 action. If there should remain any doubt as to the constitutionality of the law in question then the court should sustain it. See Cooley — Principle of Constitutional Law, Cooley’s Constitutional Limitations Eighth Edition Vol. 1, Chapter 4 of the Construction of State Constitutions. Also Vol. 1, Chapter VI, Title of a Statute, page 291 et seq—50 Am. Jur. 176, Sec. 195; State vs. Hall 27 Wyo. 224, 194 P. 476—in re Fourth Jud. Dist. 4 Wyo. 133, 32 P. 850, in re Boulter 5 Wyo. 329, 40 P. 520.

Reserved questions I and II, for the sake of brevity, will be discussed together.

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

Related

Kendrick v. Barker
2001 WY 2 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 2001)
Billis v. State
800 P.2d 401 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 1990)
State v. Mabry
460 N.W.2d 472 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1990)
Opinion No. Oag 29-81, (1981)
70 Op. Att'y Gen. 124 (Wisconsin Attorney General Reports, 1981)
Frank v. City of Cody
572 P.2d 1106 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 1977)
Morrow v. Diefenderfer
384 P.2d 601 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 1963)
McGraw Electric Company v. Lewis & Smith Drug Co.
68 N.W.2d 608 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1955)
English v. Smith
253 P.2d 857 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 1953)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
243 P.2d 177, 69 Wyo. 478, 1952 Wyo. LEXIS 14, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-pitet-wyo-1952.