Lamkin v. Sterling
Lamkin v. Sterling
Opinion of the Court
delivered tbe opinion of tbe court,
This was an action of mandamus to compel defendant, Sterling, territorial treasurer, to pay territorial warrant No. 212, for one hundred and sixty-six dollars and sixty-six cents, to tbe defendant, who was tbe owner and holder._ Tbe facts alleged are that tbe territory was indebted to tbe defendant as territorial auditor; that he settled and audited said account, drew bis warrant for the sum due, and that it was presented in its order for payment; that tbe funds applicable to tbe payment of the same were in tbe bands of defendant, and that be refused to pay tbe warrant; whereupon tbe plaintiff filed bis complaint with tbe judge of tbe third judicial district, setting forth the facts and praying that a writ of mandate issue to compel tbe defendant to pay said warrant or show cause for bis refusal. Tbe defendant appeared by counsel before tbe judge at chambers and filed bis motion to quash tbe writ, on tbe ground that tbe facts stated in tbe complaint were not sufficient to entitle tbe plaintiff to tbe writ, and constituted no cause of action. . Tbe record discloses a demurrer, but as no action appears to have been bad upon it, and as tbe motion to quash is tbe proper mode of reaching tbe point made by tbe demurrer, we suppose that tbe party waived it on tbe bearing.
The plaintiff, when this case was called, moved to dismiss the appeal on the ground that there is no assignment of errors, and that as no exception had been taken in the court below, there was nothing before this court for review.
As the practice of the court had never been fully announced on the points involved in the motion, we declined to pass upon it on the brief argument submitted, and directed the counsel to proceed with the argument on the merits, reserving the consideration of the motion for a more deliberate examination.
It is undoubtedly the general rule that when a party seeks to reverse a judgment rendered in the inferior court he must except to the ruling of the court and assign the error in this court on appeal. If a party can submit to rulings in the lower court, taking no exceptions, and after-wards go back into the record and hunt up errors and bring them into this court and avail himself of them without assignment, then there are few cases that might not be reversed. The reason for the rule is that every presumption of law is in favor of the judgment below, and that if a party does not except to a wrong ruling at the time it was made, he is deemed to have acquiesced in the decision and waived his objection. Another reason is that it should appear that the precise point adjudged below had received the attention of the court and have been passed upon adversely to the rights of the appellant.
But it is claimed that an appellant may assign errors apparent on the judgment roll without having taken his exception. We have examined the authorities in California, and they are numerous, and while there is some little conflict in the practice, the later rule, and far the better one, iu our opinion, is that the court will only examine the errors ex
The exceptions to the rule are that where a complaint is so radically defective that it discloses no cause of action and will not support a judgment, and where a judgment has been taken by default and the appellant could not except by reason of his non-appearance, and where the plaintiff was bound to see that the proceedings were regular and legal, then in such case the appellant may assign the error though he have taken no exception. As this judgment was not on default we need not consider that branch of the exception, and turn to the other branch to see if the case at bar comes within it.
The complaint sets up that the territory was indebted to him for services in an official capacity; that a warrant was drawn evidencing the indebtedness; that it was presented to the proper officer for payment; that he had funds applicable to its discharge, and refused to pay. Upon the face of this complaint a cause of action was shown: If the warrant was improperly drawn, if the man who drew it had no authority to do so, or if it was for a larger amount than he was entitled to, or it was deficient in any of the particu-' lars claimed on the argument, it should have been set up either by way of special demurrer or by answer stating the defects. For illustration: A suit is brought by A. against B. to recover the amount of a promissory note, and it should appear upon the face of the complaint that the right to recover was barred by the statute of limitations. B. denies the indebtedness, and on the trial the issue is found for A. and a judgment rendered. He appeals from the judgment, and assigns for error that it appears from the face of the complaint that the action was barred by the statutes of limitation. Here, although the appellant would show an
The order in this case will be that the appeal be dismissed and the judgment below affirmed, with costs.
070rehearing
delivered the opinion of the court on the petition for a rehearing,
Appellants file their petition for a rehearing of this cause, assigning several reasons therefor, the most material among which are: The only object of-an exception is to bring up the record, and that in this case there was no reason for an exception; and, further, that exceptions are unauthorized by law in a case where judgment is rendered without atrial. There are several other grounds contained in the petition, but it is unnecessary to pass upon them in detail.
It was contended by appellant’s counsel upon the argument that a motion made and an order of the court entered upon such motion, but which was not made during the progress of the trial of the cause, either before a jury or by the court, were parts of the record, and for that reason the ruling or decision of the court need not be excepted to or included in a bill of exceptions; that the transcript in such a case would be sufficient to call upon this court to review the action of the inferior court, even though no exceptions to the rulings of such court were taken unless they occurred during the trial of issues of fact.
While it may be true that motions and orders of judgments of the court thereon become parts of the judgment roll, yet it does not necessarily follow that this is always
There is no rule of practice or principle governing legal proceedings more clearly defined or better settled than that any objections, of whatever character, whether with reference to the regularity of the proceedings on the trial of a cause, or to error of law committed by the judge in relation to a motion, or of any ruling whatever on a question of law arising during the proceedings, must be taken at
It was further argued that under section 191 of our civil practice act, exceptions could not be taken except upon the trial of the cause upon its merits; that the hearing and disposing of motions and demurrers before the cause is called for trial on issues of fact, or of motions after the rendition of judgment, are not contemplated under the rule requiring exceptions to be taken at the time the order or decision is made. There may be two answers to this argument. In the first place there is nothing in tbe section referred to prohibiting the adoption of such a rule by an appellate court for the purpose, as before observed, of affording the adverse party an opportunity of obviating any objections, while the cause is yet in the court below.
But, secondly, the code has denominated the hearing and 'disposing of questions or issues of law, trials. Thus in chapter 3 of the practice act it is declared that 5‘an issue arises when a fact or conclusion of law is maintained by the one party and controverted by the other. That there are two kinds, one of law, the other of fact.” Then, after pointing out how they arise, it is provided in section 154 that issues of law shall be tried by the court, unless referred by consent as provided in section 182. At common law, by a trial was generally undertood the examination of issues of fact. (2 Bl. 256.) But under the code this definition has been extended so as to include the determination of issues of law as well. It is also well understood that issues both of law and fact must be determined by the court, either with or without the assistance of a jury or referee, as the case may require, and not by the judge, except in a few enumerated cases. If this be correct, then section 191 is
While the motion made in the court below in this cause may be treated .as a demurrer, so far as it raises the question of the legal sufficiency of the facts stated to entitle the relator to the writ of mandate, it is nevertheless a motion interposed for the purpose of quashing the writ. And, under the well-established principle that a party must except to the ruling or order of the court at the time it is made, to entitle him to - call upon an appellate tribunal to review such ruling or order, the appellant, not having done so in the case at bar, is deemed to have waived his right now to assign the same as error. We will, therefore, only so far look into the record, as has already been said, that we may ascertain whether a prima facie case has been made out sufficient to support a judgment, which being the case here, such judgment of the court below can not be disturbed.
We have thus carefully examined all the material points made by the petition, and see no cause for changing our former judgment, or reason to believe that we then committed any error to the prejudice of the petitioner, but are more fully satisfied that the exposition of the law we then made is correct and ought to be adhered to.
Petition for rehearing denied.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- B. F. LAMKIN v. E. C. STERLING
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