Yeager v. Tomich

68 N.E.2d 110, 45 Ohio Law. Abs. 483, 1945 Ohio App. LEXIS 764
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 25, 1945
DocketNo. 3058
StatusPublished

This text of 68 N.E.2d 110 (Yeager v. Tomich) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Yeager v. Tomich, 68 N.E.2d 110, 45 Ohio Law. Abs. 483, 1945 Ohio App. LEXIS 764 (Ohio Ct. App. 1945).

Opinion

[485]*485. OPINION

By PHILLIPS, J.

The parties to this action live about a mile apart on farms situated in Ellsworth Township, Mahoning County, Ohio.

Defendant accused plaintiff of stealing and locking her sheep in his barn. Plaintiff refused defendant’s son permission to search that building. An altercation arose between the parties while they were on plaintiff’s land during which defendant claimed and testified that plaintiff struck her twice and “knocked her to her knees.”

Upon advice of counsel defendant signed an affidavit and had a warrant issued for plaintiff’s arrest by a justice of the peace in and for Austintown Township in Mahoning County, Ohio, charging plaintiff with assault and battery and testified against him in that court.

Plaintiff was arrested and lodged in the Mahoning County Jail where he spent two nights and from which he was subsequently released upon posting bond.

Thereafter he was bound over to the grand jury, which returned a “no bill” against him and he was discharged from custody.

Subsequently plaintiff sued defendant in the court of common pleas, charged her with malicious prosecution and sought damages for the death of three cows due to lack of care while he was kept in jail and for the expense, trouble and annoyance incident to his arrest and incarceration, for injury to his “good name,” and for attorney’s fees.

Defendant answered plaintiff’s petition in that action, and by cross-petition filed therein alleged that plaintiff' “maliciously and unlawfully beat and struck her,” and sought damages for personal injuries and shock to her nervous system.

The jury returned a verdict for plaintiff for three hundred dollars on his petition and against defendant on her cross-petition.

The trial- judge entered judgment on that verdict and [486]*486from that judgment defendant appeals to this court on questions of law.

Plaintiff, aged seventy-two years, testified that during such altercation defendant’s son, aged seventeen years, struck him “by the side of the head and knocked” him “over while he turned around” after defendant, “run right up against” him and “knocked” him back and said that he had “hit her;” that then he ordered defendant’s son “off his property;” that while he was in jail his live stock were left unattended and that as a result thereof three of his cows worth $100.00 apiece died; that his reputation was injured and he expended money in defending himself; that “about five or six years ago” he had defendant’s husband placed under “bond of ten thousand dollars when he shot through” plaintiff’s “hat and tried to kill” him.

Defendant testified on direct examination;

“Q. Now, when this thing occurred on March 29, 1943, you then came down, did you, to my office two days later, on March 31st?

“A. Yes.

“Q. And did you tell me what happened out there?

“A. Yes, I come down to your office.

“Q. And did I give you any advice on that?

“Q. I told you, did I, to go out and have Mr. Yeager arrested?

“Q. Did I tell you where to go, Squire Rosensteels?

“A. Yes, Squire Rosensteels.

“Q. You went‘out there and he prepared whatever papers were necessary, you signed them and had Mr. Yeager arrested?

“A. Yes.”

Defendant answered affirmatively the question asked her by counsel for plaintiff on cross-examination, “Did you tell Mr. Betras, your attorney, everything that happened out there.”

Another witness aged twelve years, who lived with defendant testified that after plaintiff struck defendant he struck defendant’s son, who returned the blow, as the result of which plaintiff “fell down on the ground and he got his knife.”

There is evidence that defendant’s cattle strayed on [487]*487plaintiff’s property on numerous occasions and that he had “penned up” defendant’s “sheep and cattle” before; that on another occasion the parties had had trouble over an accusation by defendant that plaintiff had stolen defendant’s turkeys; that on one occasion defendant’s pony and cattle had strayed on plaintiff’s land and that he took them to defendant.

Also there is evidence that the records of Mahoning County show the following entry in the case of the “State of Ohio v Uriah Yeager — No bill having been found said defendant is hereby discharged.”

Counsel for defendant assigned thirteen grounds of error upon which they rely to secure a reversal of the judgment of the court of common pleas, but after a careful reading of the record and of all the papers submitted to us upon appeal the conclusion is reached that counsel is urging a reversal in this case on the grounds that the evidence conclusively shows that defendant acted upon advice of counsel and “within her legal rights” in having plaintiff arrested for the claimed assault and battery upon her and having him prosecuted as stated herein; that the “evidence overwhelmingly proves” that defendant committed such assault and battery upon her; that probable cause for plaintiff’s arrest existed; that she is not responsible for any damages resulting from his arrest, and that the trial judge erred to her prejudice in his general charge.

“In order for plaintiff to maintain this action for malicious prosecution” against defendant he must show by the required degree of proof “that a prosecution” was instituted against him as alleged in his petition; “that defendant was the proximate and efficient cause of setting the law in motion, or tortiously continuing the prosecution;” that such prosecution was instituted maliciously and without probable cause; that such criminal action “terminated in favor of the plaintiff, the person charged in the proceedings; ” that he was injured in person, or was damaged by reason of “mental suffering, indignity and humiliation,” “mortification * * * and shame and anguish of mind” suffered by reason of arrest and imprisonment, or injury was “done to (his) character, reputation and credit by the prosecution,” or that he. consumed time “in making defense to the prosecution,” or was put to expense or lost business by reason thereof. See 25 O. Jur, sections 4, 5, 6, 13, 14, 78, 79, pages 871, 872, 881, 882, 883, 953 and 954.

“It is clear * * * that there must be an acquittal, or discharge, or a dismissal of the prosecution” in order to constitute “a legal termination” of the action against plaintiff [488]*488instituted by the defendant in the court of the justice of the peace. See 25 O. Jur. section 13, pages 881, 882.

If plaintiff’s “arrest was not malicious, or without probable cause, or was upon advice of counsel” given after defendant gave counsel the facts “on which the advice was given”’and after defendant gave counsel “a full correct and honest statement of all material facts known” and made “a full and fair disclosure of all the material facts,” “from the institution to the final disposition of the prosecution,” and the “advice of counsel” was “given after a full examination of the facts” in the case “then there can be no recovery in this action notwithstanding that damage accrued to plaintiff by reason of arrest.” See Ash v Marlow, 20 Ohio 119; Woodruff v Paschen, 105 Oh St 398; 3 Lawson Rights, Rem. & Pr. p. 1881, n. 1; Scotten v Longfellow, 40 Ind. 23, 30.

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Related

Scotten v. Longfellow
40 Ind. 23 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1872)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
68 N.E.2d 110, 45 Ohio Law. Abs. 483, 1945 Ohio App. LEXIS 764, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/yeager-v-tomich-ohioctapp-1945.