Sorrell v. Superior Court
Sorrell v. Superior Court
Opinion of the Court
Herbert K. Sorrell applied to this court on February 14, 1946, for a writ of habeas corpus to procure his release from confinement under a judgment which declared him guilty of nine charges of contempt of court, consisting of the violation of a restraining order issued by the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, and ordered that he serve a total of 16 days in the county jail and pay fines aggregating $1,700. It was alleged in the petition that the affidavits upon which the citation was issued and the commitment itself stated no facts from which it could be ascertained that any contempt had been committed and that there was no evidence at petitioner’s trial that the restraining order had been served upon him or that he had any knowledge as to what acts were restrained. Upon the strength of these allegations of the verified petition, we issued a writ returnable on February 20. At the time of the hearing it developed that petitioner had not procured a transcript of the evidence taken upon the trial, which had been commenced December 18, 1945, and had been concluded by rendition of judgment on January 9, 1946. A continuance was re
There was on file with this court a petition of Herbert K. Sorrell for a writ of review, by which he challenged the jurisdiction of the trial court in the contempt proceeding upon the same grounds as those urged for his release upon habeas corpus. The petition had been denied. It contained as exhibits a copy of the restraining order which was alleged to have been violated and copies of the verified application for an order to show cause in re contempt, some 20 affidavits charging violations of the restraining order by the petitioner and others upon nine different days between October 6 and October 17, 1945, an affidavit of the sheriff, by his deputy, showing service of the restraining order, summons, complaint, and affidavits attached thereto, order to show cause and points and authorities on petitioner Sorrell, and also stating that he, the deputy sheriff, had read the order to show cause over a loud speaker at several points upon plaintiff’s premises in the presence of the pickets and persons assembled, announcing that he was a deputy sheriff. Also attached to the petition for a writ of review was a copy of the judgment containing a full recital of the facts found and imposing sentence. The affidavits included pictures that were taken of some of the crowds assembled at the studio entrances, marching in such numbers and in such close formation as to prevent persons passing to and from the studio. The affidavits described in detail numerous acts of intimidation, violence, and physical combat, as a result of which within a few days more than 100 persons, strikers and non-strikers, were required to receive medical and surgical attention by reason of their injuries. It was shown that petitioner Sorrell marched in the picket lines, directed the activities of the pickets, and engaged in fist fights. On each of the days in question pickets were armed with deadly weapons, threw missiles, and engaged in riotous and uncontrollable conduct.
It was stipulated by the petitioner and the district attorney that the petition for writ of review, including exhibits and points and authorities, should be considered in evidence by this court in the habeas corpus proceeding as having been
By Justice Shinn: The labors of the court in this matter have been considerably facilitated by the study which we have heretofore given to the petition for a writ of review. We became familiar with the record which has been presented here in the consideration of that petition. It is now the desire of the court to make a ruling in the present proceeding and to express generally the reasons for the ruling, to be followed by a written opinion which may amplify the reasons which the court announces for the ruling. Merely as preliminary to a more extended statement, we feel it proper to make a brief general review of the situation which will be the foundation of the written opinion which is to follow. The questions presented for decision are quite simple.
The complaint of the plaintiff here, Warner Bros., was filed on the 6th of October, 1945, against Painters’ Local No. 644 and certain other defendants, seeking injunctive relief against mass picketing, and certain acts which were specifically described in the complaint and which consisted of the use of force and threats against the plaintiff, its employees and its customers and which it was alleged, in effect, closed plaintiff’s studio and business. On the same day an application was made for a restraining order and an order to show cause why an injunction should not be issued, based upon the verified complaint and certain affidavits filed therewith. A restraining order was issued and it restrained the conduct of the defendants in the following particulars: the number of pickets that were allowed to be stationed at various entrances to the studio ranged from two to four and they were required to be kept at least 10 feet apart and at certain distances from the studio entrances, and in comprehensive terms the defendants were restrained from all acts of threats, intimidation, violence, breaches of the peace and other conduct which would be calculated to prevent employees and customers of plaintiff from entering and leaving the place of business. On the 19th of October a verified application was made for a citation in contempt, supported by some 21 additional affidavits. The application was verified
It is broadly contended by petitioner that the affidavits upon which the contempt citation was issued were insufficient to charge acts which were in violation of the restraining order or to advise him of the nature of the acts with which he was charged, and that the court was therefore without jurisdiction to proceed in the matter. The objection is that matters of substance cannot be alleged by reference to exhibits in an affidavit charging acts of constructive contempt and that therefore the allegations as to one so-called count cannot be aided by reference to allegations with respect to acts upon other occasions, set out in other so-called counts. We shall not at this time discuss the purpose that is served by the affidavits upon which the court acts in issuing a contempt citation. The insufficiency of the allegations of the Obringer application which petitioner assumes, do not exist. Counsel for petitioner has stated that the court excluded all evidence as to what occurred on the 5th day of October, and he argues that there was therefore a failure of proof to sustain the allegations which described the acts of defendants as the same or similar to those committed on the 5th. The Obringer application was verified and it was evidence as to the acts charged to have been committed on that day. The additional affidavits, some 20 in number, were evidence of the petitioner’s violation of the restraining order on the days to which they related, namely, the several working days, excluding the 15th and 16th, between October 6th and October 17th. As we have stated, the allegations as to the conduct of the defendants on each separate day were insufficient to charge violation of the restraining order without reference to the allegations as to conduct upon other days.
It has not been contended that petitioner did not actively participate in the picketing. The court is familiar with the affidavits contained in the petition for a writ of review. It
We now come to the question of service. It was stated in the petition for the writ that there was no evidence that petitioner had been served with the restraining order. It is contended that the affidavit of the officer who delivered the process to petitioner failed to state that he identified himself to petitioner or disclosed the fact that he was making service of process, and it is argued that mere delivery of the papers did not constitute valid service. It is also contended that there was no evidence that petitioner had knowledge of the terms of the order. The argument is without merit. When process, consisting of summons and complaint or a restraining order, is personally handed to and left with a defendant, valid service has been made. No doubt there are circumstances in which the act of service would be deceptive, perhaps intentionally so, but we have no such situation here. This petitioner was served as countless other people are served with process every day. It was found that he continued to march in the picket line on October 6th after he was served, but it is argued that he was not shown to have continued to do so after he had read the order. It was his duty to find out immediately whether he had been served with a restraining order. He was in an activity where he should have anticipated some court action to restrain him. The picketing had gone on for a long time without any trouble, but these pickets had no right to believe that when they assembled in such numbers and conducted themselves in such manner as to close the studio and the" business of plaintiff
The question here is not whether this man was served, nor whether he knew or did not know the nature of the restraining order that was served upon him, nor whether he committed these acts of contempt of court. As to all of these matters the question is whether there was substantial evidence or an absence of evidence upon the questions of fact that were decided by the trial judge. We have no doubt, however, as to the correctness of the findings as to the sufficiency of the service upon the petitioner and as to petitioner’s knowledge of the contents of the restraining order and his participation in the several acts charged in disregard of the restraining order. There was an abundance of evidence upon all of these questions and we are of the opinion that there is not even a close question presented as to any of them.
The allegation of the petition for a writ of habeas corpus that the commitment does not nor do the affidavits of contempt upon which said commitment was based state any facts from which it can be ascertained that any contempt was committed is a false allegation. The allegation that at the hearing there was no evidence that said restraining order was served upon petitioner or that he had any knowledge as to what acts were restrained is a false allegation.
Concurring Opinion
For the reasons stated by Mr. Justice Shinn, my colleague, Mr. Justice Wood, and I concur in the decision of the court at this time, and that is that the writ will be discharged and the petitioner remanded to the custody of the sheriff, and his bail exonerated.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- HERBERT K. SORRELL, Petitioner, v. THE SUPERIOR COURT OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Respondents
- Cited By
- 4 cases
- Status
- Published