Towles v. Percy

54 So. 2d 877, 1951 La. App. LEXIS 866
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 23, 1951
DocketNo. 3484
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 54 So. 2d 877 (Towles v. Percy) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Towles v. Percy, 54 So. 2d 877, 1951 La. App. LEXIS 866 (La. Ct. App. 1951).

Opinions

PER CURIAM.

Plaintiff filed this suit contesting the candidacy of the defendant in the Demo[878]*878cratic Primary Election to be held in this State on January 15, 1952, for the nomination to the office of member of the Police Jury, 8th Ward of West Feliciana Parish.

She alleges that she filed her notification, together with the required affidavit, with the Chairman of the West Feliciana Parish Democratic Executive Committee on October 13, 1951, as a candidate for the said office of Police Juror, 8th Ward; that likewise, the defendant filed his notification, together with the required affidavit, with the said Chairman on October 14, 1951; that on October 19, 1951, she filed opposition with the Chairman of the said Parish Executive Committee to the candidacy of the said defendant and that on October 24, 1951, the said Committee, after hearing and due deliberation, decreed the defendant eligible to run for said office, and hence she appealed to the District Court, making the said Edward Carter Percy and the West Feliciana Parish Executive Committee defendants.

She further alleges that on October 2, 1951, the Democratic State Central Committee met and passed two resolutions setting up the rules and qualifications which must be followed in order to run in the Democratic Primary Election, numbering these resolutions “1” and “2” respectively, certified copies of which are annexed and made a part of her petition.

It is proper at this time to mention that resolution #1 fixes the Primary to be held on January 15, 1952; fixes the date to qualify for State offices as on or before 5:00 o’clock P.M., October 12, 1951, to be filed with the Chairman of the said Committee, on a form prescribed !by law, accompanied by an affidavit of the candidate; the amount to :be deposited by the said candidate and the method of distribution; fixes the date of the Second Primary if one is necessary; and provides the amount to be fixed by the respective Parish Committees and its distribution.

Resolution #2 provides that the qualifications of every voter and candidate in primary elections held by the said party shall 'be the same as required by the Constitution and election laws of this State for voters at general elections, and in addition such voter and candidate shall possess qualifications, the pertinent provisions of which are as follows: “* * * that he is a registered voter, as required by the Constitution and laws of the State of Louisiana; * *

She further alleges that on October 4, 1951, the Committee passed a resolution setting up the qualifications which must be had and rules which must be followed in order to 'become a candidate at the said Primary and she annexes thereto and makes a part of her petition a certified-copy of said resolution.

She further alleges that in the affidavit which accompanied Percy’s notification of candidacy, the said Percy stated that “he is a duly qualified elector of this State of the First Precinct of the Eighth Ward of West Feliciana Parish of the State of Louisiana;” that on October 14, 1951, the said Percy was not a duly qualified elector of the Sth Ward of the Parish of West Feliciana, but was actually registered as an elector from the 10th Ward of said Parish, and did not change his registration until October 16, 1951; that under the Constitution and Laws of this State and the special rules set up by the resolutions of the said committees, supra, a candidate must have been an actual bona fide resident of the ward for which he offers himself as a candidate for two years proceeding the election and that the said Percy cannot fulfill this requirement, not having been an actual bona fide resident of the 8th Ward for two years next preceding the election, and he is therefore not qualified to run as a candidate for the office of. member of the Police Jury, 8th Ward of West- Feliciana Parish.

In the alternative, that under the Constitution and Laws of this State and the special resolutions of the committee, supra,, a candidate must possess all of the qualifications required at the time of declaring intention to become a candidate, or at least prior to the time the delay for such declaration elapses, and amongst the qualifications set up is that the candidate be a registered voter of the Ward from which he offers himself as a candidate; that [879]*879Percy was not a registered voter of the said 8th Ward on- the 14th day of October, 1951, that date 'being the last day for such qualifications and that therefore he is not a qualified candidate for the office which he seeks.

The prayer of her petition is in accordance with her petition.

Defendants Percy and the Committee filed exceptions of no right of action based on the alleged fact that plaintiff was not a resident of the Parish of West Feliciana, she being a resident of the City of New Orleans and therefore she was not a legal applicant for the office of Member of the Police Jury for the Parish of West Felici-ana and without interest in the suit. Defendant Committee also filed an exception of improper citation and misjoinder of parties defendant.

Defendant Percy for answer, denied categorically the allegations of plaintiff relative to his ineligibility to become a candidate for nomination of Member of the Police Jury, Ward 8. In a supplemental answer, he avers that he filed his notification to run on Sunday, October 14, 1951, it being the last day for filing; that the Registrar’s office was closed on Sunday and Monday and was therefore unable to change his registration to confront to the fact of his actual residence in the 8th Ward of said Parish; that he changed his registration to conform to (with) his actual residence on Tuesday, October 16, 1951, it being the first opportunity he had. The answer of the Committee is in the nature of a general denial, save that it admits that plaintiff filed a protest against defendant Percy’s candidacy, which protest was heard and not sustained by it.

Upon these issues the case was set for trial and was heard by the Judge ad hoc on Tuesday, November 12, 1951. ■On the day of trial, the defendants filed a plea to the jurisdiction based on the contention that the Committee’s decision in rejecting plaintiff’s objection to defendant Percy’s candidacy had been rendered on October 26, 1951 and that more than five days had elapsed, the Court was without jurisdiction. The trial Court overruled such plea for the reason that the suit had been filed within the delay and it was through no fault of plaintiff that the case had not been tried before November 12, 1951. As to the exception of no right of action, the trial judge overruled the exception for the reason that plaintiff’s qualifications had never been challenged before defendant Committee, and would not hear any evidence with respect thereto, defendants not having exhausted their remedy before the Committee to disqualify the plaintiff. The trial on the merits resulted in a judgment for reasons dictated in the record, in favor of defendants and against the plaintiff dismissing her suit at her costs.

As to the rulings of the trial Judge on the exceptions to the jurisdiction of the Court and of no right of action, we find no errors committed by the trial Judge and therefore affirm his rulings.

Assuming for the sake of argument that Percy was a resident of Ward 8, we are of the opinion that the protest and objection should have been sustained by the District Court and the ruling of the Committee annulled and avoided.

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Bluebook (online)
54 So. 2d 877, 1951 La. App. LEXIS 866, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/towles-v-percy-lactapp-1951.