Wyker v. Francis

120 Ala. 509
CourtSupreme Court of Alabama
DecidedNovember 15, 1898
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 120 Ala. 509 (Wyker v. Francis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wyker v. Francis, 120 Ala. 509 (Ala. 1898).

Opinion

DOWDELL, J.

Motion is made to dismiss the appeal in this case on two grounds : First, because, as it is contended, the appeal was not taken within thirty days after the rendition of judgment in the circuit court; second, because, “after the thirty days allowed appellant in which to take an appeal had expired, and before any appeal bond was presented to or filed with the clerk of the circuit court of Morgan county, a peremptory writ of mandamus was issued and served upon appellant.” Considexing the two grounds in the inverse order as stated above, it is difficult to understand how the issuance of the peremptory writ could deprive the appellant of his xfight of appeal. In the absence of an order of the court suspending the execution of the judgment for a peremptory writ, or of the filing by the appellant (defendant in the court below) of a supersedeas bond, the peremptory writ ordered in the judgment might haye been issued within the thirty days. The contexxtion, therefore, that the issuance of the peremptory writ was an execution of the judgment, and having issued before the appeal bond was ‘ ‘presented to or filed with the clex’k of the circuit court,” is without merit, on motion to dismiss an appeal. Except in such cases as a different time is prescribed by statute, appeals from final judg[516]*516meüts and decrees of circuit and chancery courts may be taken at any time within a year from the rendition of the j udgment or decree ; and we do not think it could be seriously urged that the execution of the judgment or decree within that time would deprive the party complaining of his right of appeal.

Was the appeal taken within thirty days? The judgment appealed from was rendered on the 8th day of November, 1897, and on the 9th, the day succeeding the day of the rendition of the judgment, the following order was made by the presiding judge : “And now the defendant in said petition appeals and prays an appeal from the decision heretofore rendered in this case. Now on the defendant giving bond in the sum of four hundred and seventy dollars with security to be approved by the presiding judge and conditioned as required by law within thirty days, it is ordered that the said judgment be suspended until a hearing by the Supreme Court.” The appeal bond required by the foregoing order was executed by the appellant, and approved by the presiding judge on the 8th day of December, 1897, and was conditioned “to prosecute said appeal to effect and satisfy all costs and such judgment as the Supreme Court may render in this case,” etc. This bond was indorsed by the clerk of the court as having been filed with him on the 14th day of December, 1897. There can be no doubt as to the bond having been executed by the appellant and approved by the presiding judge within thirty days from the rendition of judgment, by excluding the day of the judgment, November 8th, and including the day on which the bond was approved, December 8th. — Code, 1886, § 11. But it is contended that the presiding judge had no authority to take and approve the bond, that that was the duty of the clerk of the circuit court, and for that reason no security for the costs of appeal was given until December 14th, the date of indorsement of filing by the clerk. There are two sections in the Code of 1886 relating to appeals in proceedings for viandamus — 3160 and 3616. Section 3160 is as follows : “From the final judgment of any circuit court, or other court exercising the jurisdiction of such court, in any such proceeding, an appeal shall lie to the Supreme Court as in other [517]*517cases ; but such appeal must be taken within thirty days after the final judgment is rendered and shall be a preferred case in the Supreme Court, and shall be decided at the first term to which it is-taken.” This section is a part of chapter 13, page 690 of Code, of 1886, which relates to proceedings by mandamus, prohibition, certiorari, and other remedial writs. Section 3616 is as follows : “Appeals may be taken to the Supreme Court from the judgment of judges of the circuit and city courts on application for writs of certiorari, .supersedeas, quo warranto, mandamus and other remedial writs, upon plaintiff or defendant giving security for the costs of appeal, approved by the judge trying the same, within sixty days from the day of judgment; but such appeal shall not operate as & supersedeas of the judgment, unless bond with sufficient sureties be given by the appellant, payable to the appellee, in such sum as the judge hearing the application shall require, conditioned to pay all damages thereby sustained.” This latter section forms a part of chapter 1, page 765 of the samé Code, and which relates to appeals from judgments, orders and decrees. The former statute, section 3160, is the more recent enactment of the legislature, and became a law February, 12th, 1879, (Acts, 1878-79, p. 150). It will be observed by comparison of these two sections, that there is an evident inconsistency between the two as to the time prescribed within which an appeal shall be taken. Section 3166, which also forms a part of chapter 13, and was section 9 in the above act of Feb. 12th, 1879, provides as follows: “The common law, as now in force in this State, touching any of the matters embraced in this chapter, is not repealed, but left in full force ; the true intent and meaning of this chapter being to provide a plain, more speedy and less expensive mode of procedure in all cases to which it applies ; nor shall the prbvisions of this chapter be'held to apply to a certiorari obtained in the Supreme Court, upon a suggestion • of diminution of the record ; nor is anything in this chapter contained intended to repeal, alter, or change any statute of this State, now in force, in reference to proceedings for habeas corpus or mandamus.” The necessities of this case do not require us to determine which statute should prevail as to the time prescribed for taking an appeal, [518]*518nor is there any likelihood of this question again arising under these two statutes, since both have been incorporated in the Code of 1896, as sections 431 (3616) and and 2827 (3160), and in each the time prescribed for taking the appeal is the same — thirty days. In all other respects the two sections brought forward in the present Code are unchanged. The two sections 431 and 2827 as now contained in the Code of 1896, are in all respects identical with sections 3616 and 3160 of the Code of 1886, except as to the change made in 3616 as to the time of taking an appeal.

Section 3160 provides, “an appeal shall lie to the Supreme Court as in other cases and it is contended by counsel for appellee, that in other cases in which appeals lie to the Supreme Court the clerk takes and approves the security for costs of appeal.—Code, 1886, § 3622. While this may be, it can not be doubted that prior to the act of February 12th, 1879, which enacted into law section 3160, in appeals taken under the provisions of section 3616, that is in mandamus proceedings, like the present case, it was the duty of the presiding judge trying the same to take and approve the security for costs of appeal. Does the provision contained in section 3160 above quoted operate a repeal of the provisions contained in section 3616 relating to the mode of taking and approving security for cost of appeal? We think not. There are two ways of repealing a statute, one by express declaration of the legislative will, and the other by implication; the latter, repeal by implication, is not held in favor by the courts.

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Bluebook (online)
120 Ala. 509, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wyker-v-francis-ala-1898.