City of Anchorage v. Anderson
City of Anchorage v. Anderson
Opinion of the Court
The question presented is whether an appeal to this Court from a judgment of conviction of a municipal court may be dismissed for failure of the defendant to appear for trial.
Defendant was convicted on March 21, 1951, of operating a business without the license required by an Ordinance of the City of Anchorage, and sentenced to pay a fine of $5. He appealed to this Court which, upon his failure to appear for trial, ordered his bail of $100 forfeited, dismissed the appeal and gave judgment as in the Court below, as apparently required by Section 69-6-9, A.C.L.A. 1949, which provides “That when an appeal is dismissed the appellate court must give judgment as it was given in the court below”.
Defendant contends that it was beyond the power of the Court to dismiss the appeal except on his motion and in support thereof argues that since on appeal trial is de novo the case must be dealt with as though it originated in the District Court and that to dismiss the appeal and enter judgment as in the Court below, would be tantamount to a conviction without trial.
I am of the opinion that this contention cannot be sustained. A trial de novo does not require that the case be treated in all respects as though it originated in the appellate court. United States v. Meyers, 2 Alaska 158; United States v. Smith, 6 Alaska 472; Application of
Some support may be found for the defendant’s views in civil cases such as Chenowith v. Keenan, 61 W.Va. 108, 55 S.E. 991, but an examination of them discloses that all involve different statutory provisions, and in any event, as
Accordingly, I am of the opinion that the dismissal of the appeal and entry of judgment as in the Municipal Court were proper.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- CITY OF ANCHORAGE v. ANDERSON
- Status
- Published