State v. Pray

30 Nev. 206
CourtNevada Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 15, 1908
DocketNo. 1732
StatusPublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 30 Nev. 206 (State v. Pray) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nevada 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. Pray, 30 Nev. 206 (Neb. 1908).

Opinion

By the Court,

Norcross, J.:

Appellants were convicted in the Second Judicial District Court, in and for Churchill County, of the crime of receiving stolen goods, and were each fined $1,000, with the proviso that in default of payment they be imprisoned at the rate of one day for each two dollars of said fine. From the judgment, and from an order denying their motion for a new trial, an appeal is taken.

[217]*217The state has moved to dismiss the appeal of C. A. Pray upon the ground that he paid the fine imposed upon him, and having fully satisfied the judgment against him his right of appeal is lost. This motion is resisted by counsel for appellant Pray upon the ground that by payment of the fine imposed the defendant does not lose his right of appeal, and further that, when defendant Pray paid his fine, it was under such circumstances that he reserved such right. We will concede, for the purposes of this opinion, that the facts relative to the payment of this fine are substantially as set forth in a stipulation entered into between- counsel for appellant and the District Attorney of Churchill County and filed in the lower court four months after the appeal was taken.

Said stipulation reads as follows: "That the record on appeal shall and may show that whereas, the judgment of said court against each of said defendants was in the alternative, and provided for a fine of $1,000, and, in case said fine was not paid, for imprisonment in the state prison at Carson City, Nevada, and that, whereas, both of the defendants were confined in the Churchill County jail, at Fallon, Nevada, and neither of them could get out to arrange for counsel on their appeal and for bail,-C. A. Pray, one of the above-named defendants, paid his fine of $1,000 in gold coin to the clerk of said court, under protest, and only with the understanding and belief that the same might be held by the said clerk pending his appeal in said case, and that the payment of said fine, under such circumstances and understanding, would in no way cut off, or deprive him of, his full right of appeal to the supreme court, and of his right to have said sum of money, so paid to the clerk of said court, refunded or paid back to him in case the supreme court should decide that the Second Judicial District Court of the State of Nevada, in and for Churchill County, had no jurisdiction to try said ease, or for any other reason should dismiss the said defendants or order a new trial of said cause. That said records may also show the following facts, to wit: That the said defendant, C. A. Pray, not only paid his said fine, under protest, as above set forth, but that the said sum so paid is still held by the clerk of the court pending the outcome and final decision of his said appeal, and that the State of Nevada, [218]*218so represented by said district attorney, is entirely willing for said defendant to have his full rights of appeal in said cause, and for the said money to be returned to him in case the appeal should be decided in his favor.”

It is not contended that the arrangements entered into between the clerk and defendant Pray were in pursuance of any order of the court or were authorized by law. Counsel for appellant admit that they were irregular. What was attempted to be accomplished, however, was not a mere irregularity; it was an attempt to contravene the plain provisions of the statute, and any such an agreement is void and cannot be countenanced. (State v. Murphy, 23 Nev. 403.) If appellant Pray desired to be released from imprisonment pending his appeal, the only course open to him was to apply to the court to be released on bail, as did his codefendant Langdon. Pray never did so apply, and is now enjoying liberty under the law for the sole reason that he has paid the fine imposed upon him. The mere willingness of the district attorney to allow defendant Pray his rights of appeal and the amount of his fine restored to him in case of reversal cannot confer such rights. Section 453 of the criminal practice act (Comp.. Laws, 4418) provides: "If the judgment be imprisonment, or a fine and imprisonment until it be satisfied, the defendant shall forthwith be committed to the custody of the proper officer, and by him detained until the judgment be complied with.” Section 479 of the same act (Comp. Laws, 4444) provides: "No appeal from a judgment of conviction, unless it be one imposing a fine only, shall stay the execution of the judgment, but the defendant, if in custody, shall remain in custody to abide the judgment upon the appeal, unless admitted to bail, as prescribed in section five hundred and two.”

The clerk of the district court has no power to make disposition of a fine other than as the statute provides. The court had jurisdiction of the persons of the defendants and of the crime charged in the indictment, and the fine was regularly imposed. Neither the court nor counsel could adopt a course to liberate the defendant other than the statute prescribed. It is hardly to be concluded that the action taken by the clerk in this case was without knowledge [219]*219that be was acting in violation of tbe law. The defendant, also, must have'known that he was released in contravention of the statute. Although defendant and his counsel have been aware that defendant was not entitled to liberty except upon the payment of his fine or upon giving bail, no attempt has ever been made to account for his liberty, except that he is in the-position of having paid his fine and discharged the judgment against him. Under the provisions of sections 666 and 667 of the criminal practice act (Comp. Laws, 4361-, 4362) it was the imperative duty of the clerk within thirty days after the receipt of the amount of the fine to pay the same over to the county treasurer. A heavy penalty is imposed for failure so to do. The full amount of all fines imposed and collected must be transmitted, by the county treasurer to the state treasurer (Comp. Laws, 1208,4645), when the same becomes a part of the state school fund, and may only be paid out upon the warrant of the state controller pursuant to law (Comp. Laws, 1987). When a fine is paid in pursuance of a judgment, the statute determines what disposition shall be made of it, and neither the trial court nor this court has power to alter such- disposition, and certainly ministerial officials could not. The 'judgment against appellant Pray must be treated as satisfied.

There is a conflict among authorities as to whether a voluntary satisfaction of a judgment waives the right of appeal. Counsel for the state have cited a number of decisions holding that it does. It is contended by appellant, however, that the weight of authority is the other way, and this view is taken in 2 Cyc. pp. 647-648, where numerous authorities are cited in the notes. We think it unnecessary to determine between these conflicting positions, for under the view we take this ease falls within that class of cases referred to in Cyc., supra: "Where an order appealed from is of such a nature that its execution has left nothing upon which a judgment of reversal can operate, the appeal will be dismissed, unless such right was specially reserved.” Conceding that in this case an attempt was made to reserve such right, we have already shown that such attempted reservation was by acts clearly void.

[220]*220The Supreme Court of the United States in the case of Mills v. Green, 159 U. S. 651, 16 Sup. Ct. 132, 40 L. Ed.

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Bluebook (online)
30 Nev. 206, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-pray-nev-1908.