Greek v. Sloss-Sheffield Steel & Iron Co.
Greek v. Sloss-Sheffield Steel & Iron Co.
Opinion of the Court
By this application for the writ of certiorari, petitioner, the Sloss-Shef-field Steel & Iron Company, seeks to review the judgment of the circuit court in the matter of the petition of Ered II. Greek to be awarded compensation for personal injuries alleged to have been suffered by him by reason of an accident arising in the course of and out of his employment by the company.
It is contended in the first place that the trial court has failed to comply with the requirement of section 28 of the act (Acts 1919, pp. 206-239):
“This determination (meaning the determination of the trial court in case the court has decided the question of compensation without a jury) shall be filed in writing with the clerk of the said court, and judgment shall be entered thereon in the same manner as in causes tried in the said circuit court, and shall contain a statement of the law and facts and conclusions as determined by said judge”
—and that for such failure the judgment should be reversed.
The court here finds the statement in the record of “the law and facts and conclusions as determined by said judge,” to constitute in facie a substantial and sufficient compliance with the statute. But appellant — so to speak of the petitioner in this court — contends that the trial judge exceeded or abused the jurisdiction conferred upon him by the Workmen’s Compensation Act, in that there was no evidence to support a finding for permanent partial disability of petitioner’s hand apart from, or in addition to, the disability caused by'the loss of the index finger, for which last-mentioned loss appellant agrees that petitioner is entitled to compensation. Of course, this error, if error there was, has been carried into the judgment rendered as in a case of dispute. Whether such error can be reviewed in this proceeding is the important question now presented.
“His decision (meaning the decision of the judge) as to all questions of fact shall be conclusive and binding, subject to the right of appeal as hereinafter provided.”' Gen. St. 1913, § 8216.
In section 30 of that law (Gen. St. 1913, § 8225) the language, conforming to the language of section 28 of our act, is:
“Provided that nothing herein contained shall be construed as limiting the jurisdiction of the supreme court to review questions of law by certiorari.”
And this is the only language, other than that quoted above, to be found bearing any resemblance to a provision for an appeal. The statute 'of this state (section 21) has this further provision, seeming to hold the scales evenly between certiorari and appeal:
“Prom such decree any party aggrieved may by certiorari within 30 days thereafter appeal to the Supreme Court of Alabama.”
In the present case the evidence, reported in the bill of exceptions, has been examined, and our conclusion, very clearly, is that it is sufficient to sustain the trial court’s conclusion of fact in every respect, and upon the facts so found the judgment must be affirmed.
We find no error in the record.
Certiorari denied.
Concurring Opinion
(specially concurring). Section 28 of the AVorkman’s Compensation Act, among other things, provides that the determination of the judge “shall be filed in writing with the clerk of the said court * * * and shall contain a statement of the law and facts and conclusions as determined by said judge.” We think the word “facts,” as used, is equivalent to the *222 proven facts of tlie case. Odom v. State, 172 Ala. 383, 55 South. 820; Hess v. Corwin, 100 Mo. App. 22, 84 S. W. 141. Therefore, when the trial judge sets out the facts, the law, and conclusion as required by the statute and files the sam'e it all becomes a part of the record and there can be no need for a bill of exceptions, as the facts so set forth should be considered in lieu of a bill of exceptions. This was, in effect, the view taken in the recent cases of Woodward Iron Co. v. Bradford (Ala. Sup.) 90 South. 803, 2 and Ex parte Smith Lumber Co. (Ala. Sup.) 90 South. 807. 3 Those cases, however, involved no contention, as in the present case, that the judge had not fairly or sufficiently incorporated the facts in his determination, and it was not intended to there hold that, when the trial judge did not comply with the statute as to setting out a full and fail-statement of the facts, the aggrieved party had no method for getting the same before the appellate court, in order to ascertain whether or not there were sufficient facts to support the conclusion. Por, as we held in the eases supra, while this court will not review the conclusion of the trial judge based upon disputed facts, yet when the undisputed facts show or fail to establish a cause of action, or certain claims or injuries, then it becomes a question of law and subject to review by the writ of certiorari. We think that, .when the trial judge does not fully and fairly set out the facts as required by statute, the aggrieved party is entitled to a bill of exceptions for the purpose of getting the same before this court, or to establish one under the statute in the event the judge refused or failed to sign same. In the previous decisions we have endeavored to impress upon the trial judges the necessity for complying with section 28, as to setting forth the facts, and which would simplify the situation and do away with the necessity for a bill of exceptions; but we did not mean to hold that the trial judges could cut a party, off from a right to review by a noncompliance with a statutory duty. The judges are furnished stenographers, or reporters, and they not only have the means, but it is their duty, to comply with the statute, and in doing so there can be no need for a bill of exceptions.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Ex Parte SLOSS-SHEFFIELD STEEL & IRON CO. GREEK v. SLOSS-SHEFFIELD STEEL & IRON CO.
- Cited By
- 94 cases
- Status
- Published