Thomas v. Territory of Arizona

85 P. 1063, 10 Ariz. 180, 1906 Ariz. LEXIS 118
CourtArizona Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 30, 1906
DocketCivil No. 952
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 85 P. 1063 (Thomas v. Territory of Arizona) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Arizona Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Thomas v. Territory of Arizona, 85 P. 1063, 10 Ariz. 180, 1906 Ariz. LEXIS 118 (Ark. 1906).

Opinion

KENT, C. J.

This was an action brought by the territory against one L. F. Swain and certain other defendants who are appellants in this court. "The complaint alleged “that on the thirty-first day of January, 1904, the defendant L. F. Swain having been committed by S. Ashley, justice of the peace of precinct No. 1, Santa Cruz County, Arizona, to await the action of the grand jury of said county and territory, upon two charges of felony, — to wit, embezzlement, — and being then under arrest and confined in the county jail at Nogales, Santa Cruz County, Arizona, in the custody of Thomas J. Turner, sheriff of said county,” the defendant Swain, to secure his release from jail on said charges, gave his bail-bond in the sum of nine thousand dollars, with the appellants as sureties, conditioned that he would appear and answer the charges; that thereafter Swain was indicted by the grand jury, and, being called for arraignment in the district court, failed to appear, and that an order declaring the said bail-bond forfeited was duly entered; and alleged that thereby the bond became forfeited, and prayed judgment for the amount thereof. Separate general demurrers were introduced on behalf of the defendant Swain, and on behalf of the appellants herein. The demurrer was sustained as to the défendant Swain, but the demurrers of the appellants were overruled, and the answers of the appellants not being under oath, judg[183]*183ment was entered against the appellants in the court below. From the order overruling the demurrers, and from the judgment and the denial of a motion for a new trial the appellants have appealed.

It is urged that the complaint does not state a cause of action against these defendants, in that facts showing the jurisdiction of the justice to make the order holding the defendant Swain to answer are not pleaded, nor is there any allegation that the order so made was duly made. ' It is claimed that the court of a justice of the peace is one of inferior or special jurisdiction, and that no presumption arises as to the jurisdiction or the regularity of its proceedings, and that facts to show such jurisdiction must be pleaded, unless the pleader pleads the conclusion that the judgment or order was duly made as authorized by paragraph 1282 of the Kevised Statutes, which reads as follows: “In pleading a judgment or other determination of a court or officer of special jurisdiction it shall not be necessary to state the facts conferring jurisdiction, but such judgment or determination may be stated to have been duly given or made. If such allegation be controverted, the party pleading shall be bound to establish in the trial the facts conferring jurisdiction.” We do not need to determine whether when a judgment or other determination of a court of a justice of the peace is one which the general statutes show he has jurisdiction to make, as a matter of public policy, the jurisdiction of such court and the regularity of the proceedings before it should not be assumed, in the absence of proof of defects therein; or, in other words, whether there should properly be any distinction shown between a court of a justice of the peace, under such circumstances, and a higher court, as to the presumption that attaches as to its jurisdiction. That question does not arise here. The act of the justice of the peace was.not a judgment or determination of the justice’s court sitting as a trial court, but the act of the justice sitting as a committing magistrate, whereby, as such magistrate, he held the defendant to answer to the grand jury. As such, he has the same powers as a justice of the supreme court or a district judge, who are likewise magistrates under our code, and as such he acts as an officer having general and not special jurisdiction; and the presumption of law attaches that he had the jurisdiction to act [184]*184in such capacity, and that his action as such was regular. The-complaint was therefore sufficient. Boynton v. State, 77 Ala. 29; 1 Bishop’s New Criminal Procedure, secs. 228-239.

It appears that the bond, a copy of which is set forth in the complaint, was not executed by Swain, the principal, but only by the appellants; and it is claimed that the trial court, erred in not sustaining the demurrer of the appellants and dismissing the action, for the reason that in the absence of such execution by the principal, the sureties are relieved of any liability under the bond, and the complaint did not, therefore, state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action as.against them. It is provided in chapter 1 of title 12 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (sec. 1074) that if the offense be-bailable the defendant may be admitted to bail before conviction: 1. For his appearance before the magistrate on the-examination of the charge, before being held to answer, or on the trial upon a charge’ of misdemeanor; 2. To appear at the-court to which the magistrate is required to return the depositions and statement, upon the defendant being held to answer after examination; 3. After indictment, etc. Chapter 2' of the same title, which is entitled, “Bail before examination or-trial, and upon being held to answer before indictment,”' provides, in section 1076, that when the defendant has been held to answer upon an examination for a public offense, the-admission to bail may be by the magistrate by whom he is so-held. Section 1077 provides that bail for the appearance of the defendant before the magistrate upon the examination, of the charge, or on the trial of a charge of misdemeanor,., shall be put in by a written undertaking, executed by the defendant, and not less than two sufficient sureties, and acknowledged before the magistrate in substantially the form set forth in such section. Chapter 3 of the same title, providing for-the giving of “bail upon indictment before conviction,” provides, in section 1084, that the bail must be put in by a written undertaking executed by two sufficient sureties (with the defendant), and acknowledged before the court or magistrate, in substantially the form set forth in the section. It will be-perceived that the code is specific in its requirements with respect to the form of the undertaking admitting the defendant to bail in two of the three instances when the defendant, may be admitted to such bail before conviction, — to wit, when. [185]*185he gives bail for his appearance before the magistrate upon the examination of the charge, and when he gives bail after indictment. In each of these cases, the code requires that the bail-bond must be signed and executed by the defendant. There is no such similar provision, however, for the form of the bail-bond when it is given for the defendant to appear in the court above, upon being held to answer after examination, and no requirement that a bond so given shall be executed by the defendant. Section 1070 of the code provides: “The taking of bail consists in the acceptance by a competent court or magistrate, of the undertaking of sufficient bail for the appearance of the defendant according to the terms of the undertaking, or that the bail will pay to the territory of Arizona, a specified sum.”

We think where a defendant has been held to answer after examination, a bond conditioned that he will appear and answer the charge, under our practice, may be given by the bondsmen, without such defendant as principal joining therein. The bond in this case was as follows: “In the justice court in and for precinct number one, county of Santa Cruz, territory of Arizona. An order having been made on the 31st day of January, A. D. 1904, by S. Ashley, justice of the peace of Santa Cruz County, that L. F.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
85 P. 1063, 10 Ariz. 180, 1906 Ariz. LEXIS 118, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/thomas-v-territory-of-arizona-ariz-1906.