United States v. Nordale

6 Alaska 747
CourtDistrict Court, D. Alaska
DecidedOctober 28, 1922
DocketNo. 2614
StatusPublished

This text of 6 Alaska 747 (United States v. Nordale) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Alaska primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Nordale, 6 Alaska 747 (D. Alaska 1922).

Opinion

CLEGG, District Judge.

The government attorneys do not indicate clearly to the court under what law they are proceeding, and they have refused to make any aigument after all the testimony has been introduced, or to outline to the court what theory, they rely upon to show the defendant guilty of violating the restraining order.

On the other hand, the defendant, through his attorney, represents and argues to the court, and reiterates in argument, the various legal points upon which he relies for an acquittal.

But the court being satisfied, from all the evidence and the iaw, that a violation of the injunction exists, it devolves upon the court to indicate what theory at least the court follows in finding the defendant guilty.

The uncontradicted testimony is that on the 18th of September, 1922, on his premises described in the original complaint and in the restraining order, he was found in the possession of beer and cider of high alcoholic content; that he had all the appliances for the bottling of the same, which, when found, was in large casks of 45 gallons’ or upwards capacity; that some of it was stored in a place convenient to the barroom and in a room formerly used as an old kitchen in the hotel building, and that a small flask or bottle, which has been exhibited in evidence, was also found in a cubby hole behind .the bar in the barroom of the premises described in the complaint, which, according to the uncontradicted testimony, contained white mule whisky; that part of the cider referred to in the testimony was discovered in the cellar underneath the barroom, which could be reached by means of a cellar door therefrom; and that,at the time of the visit of the deputy marshals on two occasions, on the 16th and 18th of September, there were people in one of the rooms, connected with the barroom by a hallway, drinking the beer that was found there and testified to by the witnesses. There is no contradiction of the testimony of the chemist as to the alcoholic content of this beer and cider, so that the court must accept the testimony of the witness Hopkins that, under the tests which he testified he made of those liquids, there was at least 5 per cent, of alcohol by volume contained therein.

[750]*750There is some testimony to show that after the issuance of the restraining order an agreement was entered into, the exact purport and effect of which'is not clear to the court, between the government attorneys and the then attorney for the defendant, Mr. Marquam, that it would be unnecessary for the defendant to close up any part of the Nordale Hotel under the terms of the injunction, provided he thereafter strictly observed the provisions of law with reference to the unlawful manufacture and sale, or offering for sale, of intoxicating liquors.

It goes without saying that after a restraining order has been issued by the court, and it is well understood by all attorneys practicing at this bar, no agreement of attorneys can change the terms of the order, unless such agreement is communicated to the court and the original restraining order modified to the extent indicated by the communicated agreement.

So long as no modification of the original restraining order is made lawfully, we must assume that the restraining order is in force. But it is not for the violation of that part of the restraining order which prohibits the defendant from occupying the barroom that he is now on trial, or that the court is considering, but it is merely that portion of the restraining order which prohibits him from using any part of the premises for the unlawful sale, or manufacture, or disposing of alcoholic liquors as prohibited by the Volstead Act.

The defendant has been here during the entire course of the trial, and although the government attorneys did not insist upon calling him as a witness, nor did the attorney for. the defendant place the defendant upon the stand, the defendant has made no effort whatever to purge himself of the contempt charge made by the information. He merely sits here an interested spectator, and in no way, except by the efforts of his attorney, attempts to explain the charge against him. Although -his attorney relies upon the effect of the agreement between the attorneys for the parties in the original case, he does not claim that the defendant was misled, or overreached, or confused by any act of the government attorneys; nor is there anything to show that, assuming whatever effect such an agreement did have, -the defendant ever at any time assumed, or thought, or believed that he had a right to continue to manufacture, sell, or otherwise dispose of, intoxicating liq[751]*751uors, as defined by the Volstead Act, on the hotel premises, and expect at the same time that it would not be contended by the government attorneys that such acts on his part were not a violation of the terms of the restraining order.

The restraining order, as I view it, enjoins and restrains the defendant, not only from occupying or using the barroom in the Nordale Hotel, but from using the entire Nordale Hotel building or its appurtenances.

The restraining part of the order itself refers to the previous paragraph, in which the property is described which is affected by the restraining order, and in that paragraph it is said:

“It is ordered that the defendants, and eaeii of them, appear before this court on the 26th day of June, A. D. 1922, at the hour of 10 o’clock a. m., and show cause, if any they have, why they, and each of them, should not, during the pendency of this suit, be enjoined and restrained from occupying or 'using, by themselves or either of them, or by or through any person acting by, through, or under them, that certain barroom appertaining to the Nordale Hotel, situate on lot 4, in block 4, in the town of Fairbanks, in said territory and division, or the appurtenances thereof, or thereat, therein, or therefrom conducting or carrying on the business of soft drink establishment, or candy, cigars, and tobacco stand, or pool room, or for the storing, keeping on hand for sale, selling, bartering, offering for sale or exchange for goods, or otherwise unlawfully furnishing intoxicating liquors, or permitting others so to do, in violation of the Alaska Bone Dry Act or of title 2, National Prohibition Act.”

. Following we have this paragraph:

“Pending said hearing, you, and each of you, the said defendants, are hereby restrained and enjoined from carrying on the business of soft drink establishment, or candy, cigars, and tobacco stand, or pool room, in said described premises.”

Well, it must mean the premises described, in the preceding paragraph, because that is the only place where any premises are described, and that “the said’ described premises” would therefore mean “that certain barroom appertaining to the Nor-dale Hotel, situate on lot 4, in block 4, in the town of Fairbanks, in said territory and division, or the appurtenances thereof,” and the words “or the appurtenances thereof” would apply to the Nordale Hotel, situate on lot 4, in block 4, in the town of Fairbanks, in said territory and division, and would not apply to the word “barroom,” because, if it was intended [752]

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6 Alaska 747, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-nordale-akd-1922.