State v. Welsh

79 N.W. 369, 109 Iowa 19
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedMay 27, 1899
StatusPublished
Cited by42 cases

This text of 79 N.W. 369 (State v. Welsh) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Welsh, 79 N.W. 369, 109 Iowa 19 (iowa 1899).

Opinion

Ladd, J.

The bill of exceptions need only contain such matter as will enable the court to pass on the errors assigned. Philbrick v. Town of University Place, 106 Iowa, 352. Section 1 tion 3675 of the Code does not change this rule. It provides for the preparation of a full and complete bill. A partial bill may he prepared in tlje [21]*21same manner; and, if the errors assigned are based entirely on rulings on the admissibility of evidence or its effect, it is sufficient if the evidence offered and received, together with the objections, rulings, and exceptions, is duly certified and filed as therein directed. Nor must the precise language of the statute be followed. The officers are required only, in effect, to certify that the report “contains a full, true, and complete report of all the proceedings had.” As applied to the evidence, the certificates did this, and were substantially like those approved in Hurlburt v. Fyock, 73 Iowa, 478; Fleming v. Stearns, 79 Iowa, 256. As the law formerly stood, the reporting of a trial was discretionary with the judge. State v. Frost, 95 Iowa, 448. The effect of section 2 8675 is to make it mandatory upon the request of either party. The purpose is to preserve a record, and if the proceedings are- in fact taken down in shorthand, and duly certified, they become such regardless of any preliminary order. It follows that the motion to strike the evidence should be overruled.

II. The defendant was re-elected sheriff of Johnson county at the general election of 1898, and during his second term, commencing January 1st of the year following, 3 this action for his removal' was begun. On motion, the particular averments of official misconduct and neglect of duty during the first term were stricken from the petition on the ground that removals are only allowable for acts during the term being served. The statute contains no such limitation. The very object of removal is to rid the community of a corrupt, incapable, or unworthy official. His acts during his previous term quite as effectually stamp him as such as those of that he may be serving. Re-election does not condone the offense. Misconduct may not ha-ve been discovered prior to election, and, in any event, had not- been established in the manner contemplated by the statute. The defendant was entitled to the office until his successor was elected and qualified. Code, section 1265. [22]*22Being his own successor, the identical officer continued through both terms. His disqualification to continue in the particular office results from the commission of some of the prohibited acts during his incumbency. State v. Bourgeois, 45 La. 1350 (14 South. Rep. 28); Blackenridge v. State, 27 Tex. App. 513 (11 S. W. Rep. 631). This has been the uniform rule in impeachment trials, where, coupled with removal from office, is the penalty of disqualification to hold any office of honor, trust, or profit under the state. In New York, Judge Barnard was impeached during his second term for acts committed in that previous. The same was true of the impeachment of Judge ITubble, of Wisconsin, and Gov. Butler, of Nebraska. Whether the impeachment may take place after the expiration of the term or resignation is a mooted question. See arguments on the trial of Belknap before the United States senate. The supreme court of Nebraska, in an able and exhaustive opinion by Mr. Justice Norval, held, in State v. Hill, 31 Neb. 80 (55 N. W. Rep. 194), that, as the primary object is removal from office, ex-officials cannot be impeached, saying: “The object of impeachment is to' remove a corrupt or unworthy officer. If his term has expired, and he is no longer in office, that object is attained, and the reason of his impeachment no longer exists; but, if the offender is still an officei*, he is amenabls. to impeachment, although the acts charged were committed in his previous term of the same office.” We do not overlook Thurston v. Clark, 101 Cal. 285 (40 Pac. Rep. 435), where in referring to the previous case of Smith v. Ling, 68 Cal. 324 (9 Pac. Rep. 171), holding an action for removal could not be maintained after the expiration of the term, the court said: “By parity of reasoning, an officer cannot * * * be removed from office for a violation of his duties while serving in another office, or in another term of the same office. Each term of office is an entirety, separate and distinct from all other terms of the same office.” It is doubtless true that a removal cannot be had on account of misconduct [23]*23in another office, but only so because such a provision may not be included among the statutory causes of removal. Speed v. Common Council of Detroit, 98 Mich. 360, 39 Am. St. 555 (57 N. W. Rep. 406). This may also be said of offenses committed previous to being inducted into the particular office. Com. v. Shaver, 3 Watts & S. 338; Tyrrell v. Common Council of Jersey City, 25 N. J. Law, 536. For many purposes each term of office is separate and entire. This is especially true with respect to the obligation of sureties. But thére is no reason for so holding as to the incumbent. Being his own successor, there is no interregnum. His qualification marks the only connection between his terms. The commission of any of the prohibited acts the. day before quite as particularly stamps him as an improper person to be intrusted with the performance of the duties of the particular office, as though done the day after. The fact' of guilt with respect to that office warrants the conclusion that he may no longer with safety be trusted in discharging his duties.

III. The allegation that “the defendant negligently failed and refused to comply with the direction and order of the board of supervisors” requiring him to work prisoners eight hours per day, and that he in fact worked them but 4 seven hours per day, was properly stricken on motion. The neglect of duty must be habitual or willful, and that it was either is not stated. Besides, the sheriff had the right to fix the time prisoners should work, regardless of any resolution of the board. Section 5653 requires this to be done “during such reasonable time of the day the person'having charge of the prisoners may direct, not exceeding eight hours each day.” The length of time they should labor depends upon the character of the work, the season of the year, their strength and condition of health, whether accustomed to labor, and must necessarily be left largely to the discretion of the officer most likely to understand their capabilities. The labor, when done, however, should be in [24]*24accordance with tbe rules and regulations of tbe board. Code, section 5654.

IV. Tbe petition averred, in substance, that tbe defendant fraudulently and willfully drew from tbe county two dollars per day for tbe service of one Clark, as bailiff wbo was in bis employ at a monthly salary, when tbe latter was performing only tbe duties required of tbe sheriff, and that, when Clark was in fact acting as bailiff, be served venires on certain persons to act as jurors, and other papers, and that tbe defendant fraudulently and willfully procured fees for serving said venires and other papers to be taxed 5 in bis favor, and afterwards allowed by tbe county. Without entering into details, it may be stated generally that the defendant could not properly draw compensation from tbe county for Clark’s services as bailiff, and also for fees earned by him when actually serving in that capacity.

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

Related

State of Iowa v. Abraham K. Watkins
914 N.W.2d 827 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 2018)
State v. Santillanes
654 P.2d 542 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1982)
State ex rel. Doyle v. Benda
319 N.W.2d 264 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1982)
Vélez Ramírez v. Romero Barceló
112 P.R. Dec. 716 (Supreme Court of Puerto Rico, 1982)
State v. Callaway
268 N.W.2d 841 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1978)
Millsap v. Cedar Rapids Civil Service Commission
249 N.W.2d 679 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1977)
Opinion No. 74-249 (1974) Ag
Oklahoma Attorney General Reports, 1974
State v. Jones
407 P.2d 571 (Utah Supreme Court, 1965)
State ex rel. Ferguson v. Robinson
394 P.2d 48 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1964)
Rodríguez Rivera v. Comisión para Ventilar Querellas Municipales
84 P.R. Dec. 68 (Supreme Court of Puerto Rico, 1961)
Winship v. Municipal Assembly of Guayama
53 P.R. 131 (Supreme Court of Puerto Rico, 1938)
Winship v. Asamblea Municipal de Guayama
53 P.R. Dec. 138 (Supreme Court of Puerto Rico, 1938)
Wilson v. Council of Highland Park
278 N.W. 778 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1938)
Walsh v. City Council of Trenton
186 A. 818 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 1936)
Post v. Dillane
178 A. 595 (Supreme Court of Connecticut, 1935)
In re Newman
236 A.D. 371 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1932)
Bolton v. Tully
158 A. 805 (Supreme Court of Connecticut, 1932)
Throop Borough School Directors
148 A. 518 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1929)
State v. Blake
1929 OK 376 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1929)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
79 N.W. 369, 109 Iowa 19, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-welsh-iowa-1899.