Tobin v. Broadfoot

268 S.W.2d 162, 160 Tex. Crim. 190, 1954 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1885
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 26, 1954
Docket27002
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 268 S.W.2d 162 (Tobin v. Broadfoot) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Tobin v. Broadfoot, 268 S.W.2d 162, 160 Tex. Crim. 190, 1954 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1885 (Tex. 1954).

Opinions

GRAVES, Presiding Judge.

This is an action brought by three jury commissioners and sixteen possible grand jurors that were selected by these jury commissioners during the November term, 1953, of the district court of Duval County, Texas. They pray for the issuance of writs of prohibition, mandamus and certiorari as hereinafter mentioned.

The said district court of Duval County, under the statute, holds two terms each year: one commencing on the first Monday in November and continuing until the other term, which commences on the first Monday in April thereafter, these terms being continuous. During the November term of said court, Judge C. Woodrow Laughlin was the district judge of said judicial district, which is the 79th Judicial District of the State of Texas.

[191]*191Thereafter, Judge Laughlin was removed by the Supreme Court of Texas in the manner prescribed by Section 6 of Article 15 of the State Constitution, the opinion therein being found in the case styled “In Re Laughlin, District Judge,” and reported in 265 S.W. 2d 805.

By virtue of the power vested in the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas under Section 1-A of Article V of the Constitution of Texas, and Section 7 of Article 6228b, V.A.C.S., the Honorable A. S. Broadfoot, a District Judge of the state who was on retirement at the time as provided by statute, was directed by the said Chief Justice to serve as Judge of the 79th Judicial District Court pending the appointment of a regular judge by the Governor of Texas.

Judge Broadfoot’s authority to preside as judge of said court under such assignment is not questioned.

At the November term of said district court, it being the one at which the three jury commissioners were appointed by Judge Laughlin, Judge A. S. Broadfoot entered an order revoking the order previously made by Judge C. Woodrow Laughlin appointing these relators as jury commissioners and setting the same aside for reasons satisfactory to him, stated in the order, and voiding the appointment of the said jury commissioners, and also all acts upon their part relative to the selection of the sixteen persons, all relators herein, as prospective grand jurors for the April term of the 79th Judicial District Court. This order revoking a previous order of Judge Laughlin was entered on the 31st day of March, 1954, and was within the November term, 1953, of the 79th Judicial District Court.

Judge Broadfoot did not appoint other jury commissioners at said term, nor did he recall those who had been appointed by Judge Laughlin or otherwise provide for the selection of grand jurors at said term for the succeeding term.

On April 5, 1954, as provided for by statute, the 79th Judicial District Court went into its April term of such year, and the same being after the order made by Judge Laughlin previously referred to, which authorized the acts of the three jury commissioners herein complaining, had been set aside by Judge Broad-foot during the regular November term of the district court.

It is relators’ position that the order entered by Judge Broad-foot on March 31, 1954, was entered in complete disregard of [192]*192the applicable statutes and is void, and they pray for the issuance of a Writ of Prohibition, prohibiting Judge Broadfoot from enforcing or attempting to enforce such order or attempting to discharge or disqualify relators for grand jury service for which they were selected.

We permitted the application to be filed and issued notice to Judge Broadfoot to show cause why such writ should not issue, prohibiting the selection of a new grand jury list at the April term, as well as the writ of mandamus also prayed for, requiring that the grand jury be selected from the list drawn by the jury commission appointed by Judge Laughlin at the November term, 1953, for service at the April term, 1954.

We further directed that no grand jury be impaneled for the April term of said district court of Duval County prior to the disposition of this case.

The jurisdiction of this court is sought to be invoked upon the premise that the order of March 31, 1954, by Judge Broad-foot is void, and any attempt to enforce it would infringe upon the potential jurisdiction of this court.

As precedent, relators cite and rely on State ex rel. McNamara, County Attorney, v. Clark, District Judge, et al, 79 Texas Cr. Rep. 559, 187 S — W. 760 and State ex rel. Flowers, et al, v. Woodruff, et al, 150 Texas Cr. Rep. 255, 200 S.W. 2d 178.

In each of these cases, an order had been entered in a civil proceeding by a district judge, enjoining officers from enforcing a penal statute or ordinance upon a finding by the district judge that such penal law was invalid.

This court issued the writ of prohibition in each of these cases holding that the district judge was without jurisdiction to pass upon the validity of the penal law involved, there being no property rights involved. The court reasoned that to permit a judge in an equity proceeding on the civil docket to enjoin the enforcement of a penal statute or ordinance would be to permit such trial court to usurp the functions of the criminal courts and especially the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, which is vested with final authority to pass upon the validity of penal statutes and ordinances.

The court reasoned that the issuance of writ of prohibition in such cases was necessary to enforce the potential jurisdiction [193]*193of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to determine the validity of the statute and ordinance respectively.

Relators say that Judge Broadfoot’s order of March 31, 1954, is void.

Judge Broadfoot cites our holding in Pena v. State, 114 Texas Cr. Rep. 15, 24 S.W. 2d 396, as authority for his contention that his order of March 31, 1954, is not void.

It seems clear that unless the order complained of is void we are without jurisdiction to entertain the application or to grant the writs prayed for.

The validity of the order of Judge Laughlin or the competence, suitability, availability or qualification of the jury commissioners or the members of the grand jury panel selected by them is not controlling. The sole question is the jurisdiction of the court while presided over by Judge Broadfoot on March 31, 1954, to enter the order which he did.

The November term has long since expired, and when it adjourned, the only order appointing jury commissioners and the only proceeding for the selection of grand jurors for the succeeding April term had been set aside and annulled.

Unless the order which set aside the appointment of jury commissioners and cancelled the grand jury panel selected by them may be disregarded as wholly void, we know of no relief which we would be authorized to grant, if in fact relators are entitled to relief.

We decline to examine the record of the testimony heard by Judge Broadfoot. If we did and in the light of other facts now before us should determine that the testimony so heard was not true, or if we failed to agree with the trial court’s conclusion therefrom, the fact would remain that the order has been entered and may not be disregarded as void.

The matters herein present seem to be based upon the question as to whether or not a judge had control over his orders and judgments during the term of court at which they were made, and we find the general rule stated in 34 Corpus Juris, p. 207, Sec. 436, as follows:

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Ex Parte Edone
740 S.W.2d 446 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1987)
Ex Parte Becker
459 S.W.2d 442 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1970)
Adame v. State
283 S.W.2d 223 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1955)
Tobin v. Broadfoot
268 S.W.2d 162 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1954)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
268 S.W.2d 162, 160 Tex. Crim. 190, 1954 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1885, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tobin-v-broadfoot-texcrimapp-1954.