State ex rel. Public Service Commission v. Marion Circuit Court
State ex rel. Public Service Commission v. Marion Circuit Court
Opinion of the Court
This action arises under the Acts of 1929, ch. 169, §1, p. 530, being §54-429) Burns’ 1951 Replacement.
On November 21, 1950, the Indiana Bell Telephone Company filed its petition with the Public Service Commission of Indiana requesting an increase in rates, tolls and charges intrastate and for certain increases in charges for its exchange services. Said petition was properly docketed by said commission and after various hearings thereon the commission, on May 31, 1951, issued and promulgated its final order therein prescribing a new schedule of rates and charges for said company. On June 15, 1951 said company filed its action in the Marion Circuit Court under the provisions of §54-429, Burns’ 1951 Replacement, supra, to set aside and vacate said order, on the ground that it was insufficient, unreasonable and unlawful, and was procured by unlawful means, and as ancillary thereto, requested a temporary injunction to enjoin the Public Service Commission from interfering, or attempting to interfere, with the charging and collecting of a temporary schedule of rates as proposed in the complaint, until the final determination by the Public Service Commission of reasonable, adequate and nonconfiscatory rates to be charged by the company, and upon final hearing, that said order be vacated and set aside and that the commission be permanently enjoined from its enforcement.
“TEMPORARY INJUNCTION.
“Come the parties herein by counsel and, this cause having been submitted upon plaintiff’s application for a temporary injunction at the time and place fixed therefor and the court having heard the evidence and the arguments of counsel and being duly and fully advised in the premises, it is now
“ORDERED that the plaintiff shall file with the Public Service Commission of Indiana the schedules of local exchange rates for plaintiff’s services within the State of Indiana set out in the complaint ; and it is further
“ORDERED that the plaintiff may make said schedule of local exchange rates effective as of plaintiff’s regular billing dates as they shall occur next after said filing; and it is further
“ORDERED that plaintiff may charge and collect the rates included in said schedule from and after the filing and effective date aforesaid and until the further order of the court herein; and it is further
“ORDERED that the defendants be and they are hereby enjoined and restrained from interfering or attempting to interfere with the charging and collecting by plaintiff of the rates for its services included in said schedules until the further order of the court herein; and it is further
“ORDERED that the plaintiff shall enter into a written undertaking, with surety to be approved by the court, to the defendants for the payment of all damages and costs which may accrue by reason of this injunction; and it is further
“ORDERED that if the order of the defendant commission herein involved shall not be vacated or set aside or the enforcement thereof enjoined upon the trial herein or upon the determination of any
*283 appeal which may be taken from the judgment entered upon said trial, the plaintiff shall make refund to its subscribers as follows:
“a. To each subscriber paying for local exchange service at the rate therefor specified in said schedule of local exchange rates, the refund shall be equal to 86.5% of the difference between the amount so paid and the amount which would have been payable for the same service at the rate ■therefor specified in plaintiff’s local exchange tariff in effect immediately prior to the date hereof.
. “b. To any person who may become entitled to a refund hereunder who shall then be a subscriber of the plaintiff, such refund shall be made by crediting the amount thereof to such subscriber upon plaintiff’s next billing for service; provided, however, that upon the request of such subscriber the amount of said refund shall be paid in money; and it is further
“ORDERED that plaintiff shall enter into a written undertaking, with surety to be approved by the court, for the making of all refunds which may be required under the foregoing provisions.”
The Public Service Commission of Indiana then filed its complaint in this court for writ of prohibition and mandate asking that the Marion Circuit’ Court and the Judge thereof be mandated to withdraw and set aside said ,order of temporary injunction, and that it be prohibited from any further proceedings therein.
Respondents herein filed an answer and response and a brief in support thereof. We have, however, not been favored with a brief by relator or by anyone in its behalf.
■ While other questions are presented by respondents’ •brief only three need be considered in determining ■this action. They are: ■
First: Did the Marion Circuit Court have jurisdiction of the subject matter and of the parties?
This action was commenced in the Marion Circuit Court to vacate, set aside and enjoin the enforcement of an order of the Public Service Commission
Acts of 1929, ch. 169, §1 at p. 530, being §54-429, Burns’ 1951 Replacement, supra, provides:
“Section 1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of the State of Indiana, That any person, firm, association, corporation, city, town or public utility adversely affected by any decision, ruling, order, determination, requirement or direction- of the public service commission may commence an action in the circuit or superior court of any county in which that portion of the utility which is the subject matter of the procedure before the public service commission operates or seeks to operate, against the commission to vacate or set aside or enjoin the enforcement of any such decision, ruling, order, determination, requirement or direction, on the ground that the same is insufficient, unreasonable, unlawful, or procured by fraud or other unlawful methods.”
This section of the statute expressly vests jurisdiction in the Marion Circuit Court to hear and determine actions to vacate, set aside or enjoin the enforcement of any decision, ruling, order, determination, requirement or direction of the Public. Serv
The complaint alleges that the order was insufficient, unreasonable and unlawful, and was procured by Unlawful means, and this is sufficient to bring the subject matter of the action within the jurisdiction of the court. Public Service Commission v. City of LaPorte (1935), 207 Ind. 462, 468, 193 N. E. 668.
The Marion Circuit Court also has original jurisdiction in all cases at law and equity, except as otherwise provided by statute, Acts of 1881 (Spec. Seas.), ch. 24, §3, p: 102; §4-303, Burns’ 1946 Replacement; and the case at bar does not come within the exceptions noted. The Acts of 1899, ch. 233, §1, p. 537, being §3-2101, Burns’ 1946 Replacement gives express jurisdiction to circuit courts to issue injunctions.
This court in State, ex rel. v. Gleason (1918), 187 Ind. 297, at pp. 298, 299, 119 N. E. 9, in determining the jurisdiction of the Vigo Superior Court to issue a temporary injunction construed two sections of earlier statutes containing provisions similar to §54-429, Burns’ 1951 Replacement, supra, and §4-303, Burns’ 1946 Replacement, supra, said: , .
“By the act creating it the Vigo Superior Court was given general j urisdiction at law and in equity, and by §14 (Acts 1881 p. 95) of the act it was expressly given power to grant restraining orders and injunctions. It thus appears that the court had general jurisdiction of the subject-matter of the action and had power to grant injunctions in proper cases. It is not denied that the court hád obtained jurisdiction of the parties to the proceed-. ing. It has been.uniformly held that a court, which' has jurisdiction of the subject-matter of an action and which has obtained jurisdiction of the parties, has power to hear and determine such action.”
The Marion Circuit Court would have the right and power to review the order of the Public Service Commission out of which this cause arises, in the absence of express statutory authority. Public Service Commission v. City of LaPorte (1935), 207 Ind. 462, 193 N. E. 668, supra; Pub. Ser. Com. v. Ind’p’ls. Railways (1947), 225 Ind. 30, 39, 72 N. E. 2d 434; State ex rel. Ind’p’ls. Ry. v. Superior Ct. (1947), 225 Ind. 301, 304, 74 N. E. 2d 912; The Lake Erie and Western R. R. Co. v. Cluggish et al. (1896), 143 Ind. 347, 42 N. E. 743; 43 Am. Jur., Public Utilities and Services, §224, p. 720.
Second: Having determined that the Marion Circuit Court had jurisdiction of the subject matter and of the parties, we now consider whether or not it was within its jurisdiction in issuing a temporary injunction restraining the Public Service Commission from interfering with a rate charged pendente lite under the terms and conditions fixed in the order.
Circuit and superior courts have the power to enjoin the enforcement of an order of the Public Service Commission which is insufficient, unreasonable, unlawful, or procured by fraud or other unlawful methods: §54-429, Burns’ 1951 Replacement, supra; Southern R. Co. v. Railroad Com., etc. (1908), 42 Ind. App. 90, 101, 83 N. E. 721; Public Service Commission v. City of LaPorte (1935), 207 Ind. 462, 464, 465, 193 N. E. 668, supra; Pub. Ser. Com. v. Ind’p’ls. Railways (1947), 225 Ind. 30, 40, 72 N. E. 2d 434, supra; State ex rel. Ind’p’ls. Ry. v. Superior Ct. (1947), 225 Ind. 301, 304, 74 N. E. 2d 912, supra; and
Relator contends that the Marion Circuit Court exceeded its authority when it issued a temporary injunction against the Public Service Commission enjoining and restraining it from interfering with the charging and collecting of the rates included in the schedules submitted by the company and approved by said court, in, that by said order it undertook to fix and determine temporary rates and charges.
In Pub. Ser. Com. v. Ind’p’ls. Railways (1947), 225 Ind. 30, 72 N. E. 2d 434, supra, wherein the facts were similar to those in the case at bar, this court at pp. 39 and 40 said:
“Appellant insists that the order complained of amounts to a fixing of rates by the trial court. If this be true the order is invalid as the fixing of rates for a utility is not a judicial function and can only be done by the commission. As we view this order, however, the same does not attempt to*288 ■fix rates but merely restrains the appellant from interfering with the rate charged pendente lite on terms and conditions which protect appellant and appellee’s customers in case the final judgment -in the action should be against the appellee as this order provides for an adequate indemnifying bond. Had this order not been made and should the final judgment be in favor of the appellee, then it would suffer an irreparable injury. The granting'of this injunction was within the sound discretion of the trial court and will not be disturbed unless contrary; to some rule of equity.”
This court also said in State ex rel. Ind’p’ls. Ry. v. Superior Ct. (1947), 225 Ind. 301, 74 N. E. 2d 912, supra, at page 304:
“It is our opinion that when relator’s suit was commenced the Marion Circuit Court took full jurisdiction in this matter tó the exclusion of all other courts. This being true, the Marion Circuit Court not only has the power to. determine whether or not the rate schedule, which is attacked, should finally be set aside, but also, to determine the right, if any, of the relator to fix and collect pendente lite a fare different from the rate sought to be set’ aside. Our conclusion on this point would be the same even in the absence of the provision above quoted of §54-430, Burns’ 1933.”
Again in Public Serv. Comm. v. Indianapolis Rys. (1948), 225 Ind. 656, 76 N. E. 2d 841, it was contended that an injunction granted by the lower court amounted to the fixing of rates and this court, at pp. 661 and 662, said:
“The commission was enjoined from interfering with the emergency rates until it fixed rates that were not unreasonable or confiscatory. If the court were prohibited from granting such relief, it would mean that property could be taken without just compensation, and that there would be no relief from an order of the- commission- fixing rates ex*289 cepting to- enjoin its enforcement. Equity has never been that helpless. The court had the right to examine the rates fixed by the commission and to determine whether or not they were unreasonable and confiscatory. It is evident that if the court did find such rates to be confiscatory, it then could examine the higher rates, a schedule of which had been filed with the commission. If the court believed that any rates lower than the rates thus requested and refused would be unreasonable and confiscatory, it had the power to protect the property of the appellee from such dire results by enjoining the setting of any rates lower than those requested and refused.- It seems to us that there was no attempt, on the part of the court, to usurp the rights and duties of the commission. The steps taken have been used on many occasions by utilities when a utility commission failed to preserve utility property from confiscation by the making of an order fixing rates which were insufficient to protect the credit and solvency of such utility.”
We think these cases correctly decided the same question which is now before us.
The power to enjoin the enforcement of an unlawful, insufficient or unreasonable order of the Public Service Commission carries with it the authority to make an order permitting the charging of a schedule of rates sufficient to preserve the solvency of the utility or carrier in status quo and to prevent the confiscation of its property, pendente lite, by permitting the utility or carrier, during such time, to charge a schedule of rates which are not confiscatory. The order of which respondents complain, does no more than this. It does not attempt to fix rates, but merely permits the petitioner (company) to charge a schedule of rates pendente lite, which will permit it to operate, until a final determination of the questions raised by its petition in the trial court, without a day by day confiscation of its property and such as will
Third: Relator contends that the Marion Circuit Court exceeded its jurisdiction because the order for temporary injunction contained no finding.
In considering this question it must be kept in mind that the proceeding upon which this action rests was one for the interlocutory order granting a temporary’injunction and not on the final merits of the case. The rule defining the state of facts necessary to be determined in such cases was correctly and concisely stated by this court in Tuf-Tread Corp. v. Kilborn (1930), 202 Ind. 154, 156, 172 N. E. 353, supra, as follows:
“Upon an application for an interlocutory order granting an injunction, it is not necessary that such a case should be made out as would entitle the plaintiff to relief at the final hearing. It is sufficient if the court finds upon the pleadings and evidence such a state of facts as makes the transaction a proper subject for investigation in a court of equity.”
See also: Weist v. Dirks (1939), 215 Ind. 568, 569, 20 N. E. 2d 969; Pub. Ser. Com. v. Ind’p’ls. Railways (1947), 225 Ind. 30, 41, 72 N. E. 2d 434, supra; 43 C. J. S., Injunctions, §200 (b), p. 924; 28 Am. Jur., Injunctions, §12, p. 204.
The question of the omission of a general finding from an order can properly be raised in an original action in this court only if such omission divested the trial court of jurisdiction.
If there is a defect in the order of the Marion Circuit Court because it failed to contain a finding, we believe it is a defect in form and not in substance and could, and would, have been corrected by the trial court had it been called to the attention of the judge thereof. It has long been the settled law of this state that courts of appeal will not reverse a judgment on appeal for any defect in form which, by law, might be corrected by the court below. Section 2-3231, Burns’ 1946 Replacement; Acts of 1881 (Spec. Sess.), ch. 38, §659, p. 240.
The defect in the judgment here complained of, if any, is such that it might be corrected by the trial court and such as not to require a reversal by this court on appeal and, therefore, it cannot be such a defect or error as to impair or divest the trial court of jurisdiction.
The Marion Circuit Court had jurisdiction of the subject matter and of the parties herein, and such jurisdiction .was not impaired or divested by the failure of the order for a temporary injunction to be preceded by a finding.
Relator has failed to show where respondent Marion Circuit Court has either exceeded or lost its. jurisdiction in this case.
The temporary writ heretofore issued herein is dissolved and a permanent writ is denied. ■ •
Note.—Reported in 100 N. E. 2d 888.
Order of Commission in Cause No. 22632, dated May 31, 1951.
Dissenting Opinion
DISSENTING OPINION
This is a case of great importance not only to the rate payers and the utility, but also in our field of public administrative law. Since the majority opinion departs from the many well considered, cases of this court, as well as the Supreme Court of the United States, involving constitutional provisions for the separation of judicial powers from legislative powers, and well recognized rules limiting jurisdiction of courts, the errors involved should not go unnoticed in the precedents of this court.
The temporary writ of prohibition should have been made permanent because the Marion Circuit Court had no jurisdiction to enter the judgment it did. The judgment is void (I) because it violated §1 of Article 4 and §1 of Article 3 of the Constitution of Indiana,
When a particular judgment is questioned to determine if it is void for want of jurisdiction, the exclusive test is not whether the court had jurisdiction of the parties and of the subject matter. “There are in general three jurisdictional elements in every valid judgment, namely, jurisdiction of the subject matter, jurisdiction of the person, and the power or authority to render the particular judgment.” 1 Freeman, Judgments (5th Ed.), 444, 445, §226.
“This well-established doctrine that a judgment beyond the court’s power is invalid, is not limited in its application to any particular kind of judgment nor is it peculiar to the judgments of any particular court. Irrespective of the character or dignity of the tribunal pronouncing the decision, whether of inferior, limited or superior general jurisdiction, it must confine its determination within the authority it possesses under the law and the case.” 1 Freeman, Judgments (5th Ed.), 735, §354. This authority was recently cited with approval in Underhill v. Franz (1951), 230 Ind. 165, 173, 101 N. E. 2d 264, 267, wherein we unanimously held that a judgment approving a viewer’s and surveyor’s report for repair of that part of a ditch which increased the length of the ditch to be cleaned by more than 10 per cent, was void for want of juris
Although a court may have jurisdiction of the subject matter, of the person and of the particular class of cases, such as would be the case where a plaintiff in the circuit court sued a defendant on a valid overdue promissory note and properly obtained jurisdiction of the person of the defendant, who would contend that the trial court, on a finding that the plaintiff should recover of and from the defendant the sum of $100 and costs, would then have jurisdiction to imprison the defendant to collect the liquidated debt, in violation of §22 of our Constitution? Obviously the court could not have jurisdiction to.enter this particular judgment.
In prohibition matters this court has consistently followed the rule “which is well supported by authority from other jurisdictions, that where a court of equity has no jurisdiction to issue injunctions and restraining orders in the particular class of cases, this court will intervene by writ of prohibition to prevent the exercise of jurisdiction in a case within that class. State ex rel. L’Abbe et al. v. District Court (1899), 26 Colo. 386, 58 Pac. 604, 46 L. R. A. 850; State ex rel. Kenamore v. Wood et al. (1900), 155 Mo. 425, 56 S. W. 474, 48 L, R. A. 596, 50 C. J. 666.” State ex rel. Fry v. Superior Court of Lake County (1933), 205 Ind. 355, 360, 361, 186 N. E. 310. This principle that equity has no jurisdiction to issue an injunction to protect a permit to sell alcoholic beverages, since there is no property right in such a permit, has been consistently followed by this court. State ex rel. v. Montgomery Circuit Court (1945), 223 Ind. 476, 62 N. E. 2d 149; State
In the absence of statutory authority, courts do not have any jurisdiction to interfere by injunction with organization affairs of political parties. “The mere fact that the court had jurisdiction of actions at law as well as suits in equity is not cause for refusing a writ of prohibition to restrain it from acting outside and in excess of its equitable jurisdiction by issuing an injunction to control matters purely political.” State ex rel. Coffin v. Marion Superior Court (1925), 196 Ind. 614, 625, 149 N. E. 174. The holding of this ease was followed in State ex rel. Blaize v. Hoover (1936), 210 Ind. 215, 2 N. E. 2d 391. Although equity has general power to appoint receivers, it does not have jurisdiction to appoint a receiver of the property of an individual to protect an unsecured creditor. State ex rel. v. Superior Court of Marion County (1924), 195 Ind. 174, 144 N. E. 747. This principle was recently affirmed in State ex rel. Busick v. Ewing, Judge (1951), 230 Ind. 188, 102 N. E. 2d 370. When the legislature by statute places the exclusive right in the bank commission to apply for the appointment of a receiver for a bank, the trial court, on the complaint of a creditor, did not acquire jurisdiction to appoint a receiver. State ex rel. Meyer-Kiser Bank v. Superior Court of Marion County (1931), 202 Ind. 589, 177 N. E. 322.
Nor, in the absence of statute authorizing it, does the trial court in a drain proceedings have jurisdiction to order the state highway commission to build a bridge for the drain. State v. Roberts (1948), 226 Ind. 106, 76 N. E. 2d 832. Nor does the trial court have jurisdiction to issue a restraining order beyond the issues made by the complaint. State ex rel. Surprise v. Porter Circuit Court (1948), 226 Ind. 375, 80 N. E.
The distinction between judicial and legislative functions has been clearly stated by Mr. Justice Holmes in
In St. Louis & S. F. R. Co. v. Gill (1895), 156 U. S. 649, 663, 15 S. Ct. 484, 39 L. Ed. 567, 572, the Supreme Court quoted with approval the opinion in Reagan v. Farmers Loan & Trust Co. (1894), 154 U. S. 362, 14 S. Ct. 1047, 38 L. Ed. 1014, as follows: “The opinion of this court on appeal was that while it was within
In Federal Power Com. v. Pacific Power & L. Co. (1939), 307 U. S. 156, 160, 59 S. Ct. 766, 768, 83 L. Ed. 1180, 1183, 1184, the Supreme Court, speaking by Mr. Justice Frankfurter, again recognized that courts do not have authority to order an administrative board to make a particular order. The court would not
In State ex rel. Evansville City Coach Lines, Inc. v. Rawlings (1951), 229 Ind. 552, 565, 99 N. E. 2d 597, 603, the majority opinion correctly said, “The power to fix rates for public utilities is a legislative function and this court has consistently held that courts cannot invade the province of the legislature. Langenberg v. Decker (1892), 131 Ind. 471, 31 N. E. 190, 16 L. R. A. 108; Hanly v. Sims (1911), 175 Ind. 345, 93 N. E. 228, 94 N. E. 401; State ex rel. Black v. Burch (1948), 226 Ind. 445, 80 N. E. 2d 294, 81 N. E. 2d 850; Schisler v. Merchants Trust Co. (1950), 228 Ind. 594, 94 N. E. 2d 665, supra.”
Unfortunately, in recent years the rule has become more noted for its violation than compliance. The error of the majority opinion is based upon the specious reasoning of the opinions in Public Serv. Comm. v. Ind’p’ls. Railways (1947), 225 Ind. 30, 72 N. E. 2d 434, and Public Serv. Comm. v. Indianapolis Rys. (1948), 225 Ind. 656, 76 N. E. 2d 841, which paid lip service to the rule that the fixing of rates is not a judicial function, but legislative which could only be done by the Commission, but then proceeded to fix a rate by approving a rate schedule filed by the utility with the Commission.
It is apparent that the trial court did fix a schedule of rates for Bell, for the order in part states as follows:
“Ordered that the plaintiff [Bell] may make said schedule of local exchange rates effective as of plaintiff’s regular billing dates as they shall occur next after said filing; and it is further
“Ordered that the plaintiff may charge and collect the rates included in said schedule from and*301 after the filing and effective date aforesaid and until the further order of the court herein; and it is further
“Ordered that the defendants be and they are hereby enjoined and restrained from interfering or attempting to interfere with the charging and collecting by plaintiff of the rates for its services included in said schedules until the further order of the court herein;....”
If the court did not fix the rates in these cases, how were they fixed? Certainly, not by the Commission, for it was enjoined from interfering with the rates. Did the utility fix the rates? If so, it was done in flagrant violation of the statutes of Indiana creating the Public Service Commission and defining its powers, rights and duties. .How can a court enjoin interference with rates filed by a utility and not thereby approve the rates?
This court in these cases erred in its conception of the constitutional limitations on judicial power, and overlooked its inherent power to require an administrative board, by the coercive remedy provided by civil contempt proceedings, if necessary, to compel the board to take further proceedings not inconsistent with its- opinion or 'finding and judgment. Nor would ra limitation of 'time upon the Commission in which to act in compliance with such a mandate be unreasonablé in view of the extended hearings already had by which the Commission should have been duly advised. It is wholly unnecessary to make a scrap of paper out of §1 of Article 3 and §l of Article 4 of the Constitution of Indiana in order to protect Bell from being com
TEMPORARY INJUNCTION VOID FOR WANT OF ANY FINDING
In compliance with §20 of Article 7 of the Constitution, the Code abolishes the distinction “in pleading and practice between actions at law and suits in equity. . . .” Section 2-101, Burns’ 1946 Replacement. Section 7 of Ch. 169 of the 1929 Acts (§54-435, Burns’ 1951 Replacement),
This state adheres to the common law rule that a judgment is not a finding. Haxton v. McClaren (1892), 132 Ind. 235, 248, 31 N. E. 48; 2 Elliott, General Practice, §1021; Wall v. City of Muncie (1929), 201 Ind. 170, 166 N. E. 659. It should be self-evident the same words at-the same time cannot constitute both a finding and a judgment. The fact that a temporary injunction for purposes of appeal is called an interlocutory order does not make it any less a judgment. It is not a final
It certainly has not been the practice in this state to enter a temporary injunction after hearing without a finding to support it. Wise v. Curdes (1942), 219 Ind. 606, 617, 40 N. E. 2d 122; Indianapolis Dairymen’s Co-Op. v. Bottema (1948), 226 Ind. 260, 79 N. E. 2d 409; Pub. Ser. Com. v. Ind’p’ls. Railways. (1947), 225 Ind. 30, 72 N. E. 2d 434, supra. For a finding denying a temporary injunction see Koss v. Continental Oil Co. (1944), 222 Ind. 224, 52 N. E. 2d 614. The opinion in the Indianapolis Railways case, supra, did not set out the finding on which the temporary injunction was based, since there was no issue on- appeal involving it, but the finding does appear at page 53 of the original transcript on file with the clerk of this court. In this original action the attorney general did put in issue the lack of any finding to support the judgment.
Without an opinion as required by the statute the Commission is without the benefit of the reasons why the trial court enters any judgment on review of the action of the Commission. Of course an opinion should set forth the,facts as the court finds them, because the law does not operate in a vacuum but only operates on facts. Nor is this court in a proper position to review the action of any trial court without being advised by the opinion as to what the trial court really found.
It is quite apparent from reading the decisions of the United States Supreme Court involving reviews of orders by utility commissions that the trial court’s statements of facts are indispensable to a proper administration of justice, whereby the rights of the rate-paying public as well as the utilities may be protected. This court under its rule making power should adopt a rule similar to Fed. Rules Civ. Proc. rule 52(a), 28 U. S. C. A.
Note.—Reported in 103 N. E. 2d 214.
“The powers of the Government are divided into three separate departments; the Legislative, the Executive including the Administrative, and. the Judicial; and no person,, charged with official duties under one of these departments, shall exercise any of the functions of another, except as in this Constitution expressly provided.” Section T, Article 3, Constitution of Indiana.
“The Legislative authority of the- State shall be vested in the General Assembly, which shall consist of a Senate and a
A court has no jurisdiction to render a punitive judgment on a charge of civil contempt. State ex rel McMinn v. Gentry (1951), 229 Ind. 615, 100 N. E. 2d 676. See also Gompers v. Buck Stove & Range Co. (1911), 221 U. S. 418, 31 S. Ct. 492, 55 L. Ed. 797, 34 L. R. A. (N. S.) 874.
See Brown, Jurisdiction (2d Ed.) p. 388, §110.
“A writ of habeas corpus raises the question of the jurisdiction of the court over the persons and over the subject-matter, and also his jurisdiction to enter the particular judgment which he does enter.” Kabanya v. Fogarty (1923), 193 Ind. 297, 301, 139 N. E. 449.
“Jurisdiction in a particular case is not only the power of the court to hear and determine but also the power to render the particular judgment entered, and every act of the court beyond its jurisdiction is void. (Ex parte Reed, 100 U. S. 13; Chicago Title and Trust Co. v. Brown, 183 Ill. 42.)” People v. Siman (1918), 284 Ill. 28, 32, 119 N. E. 940.
“District courts may set aside á confiscatory rate' prescribed by state authority because forbidden by' the Fourteenth Amendment, but they are without authority to prescribe rates, both because that is a function reserved to the state, and because it is not one within the judicial power conferred upon them by the Constitution.” Mr. Justice Stone in Central Ky. Nat. G. Co. v. Railroad Commission (1933), 290 U. S. 264, 271, 54 S. Ct. 154, 78 L. Ed. 307, 313.
“It is not our function, and was not the function of the court below, to do the work of the Commission by determining a rate base upon correct principles.” Mr. Justice Roberts in West v. Chesapeake P. Teleph. Co. (1935), 295 U. S. 662, 679, 680, 55 S. Ct. 894, 79 L. Ed. 1640, 1651.
“However, that is the responsibility of the rate-making body, the Public Service Commission of Indiana, and not of this court. Neither this court nor the plaintiff can fix rates for a public utility. That' responsibility rests solely ’ with the rate-making body of the state if the utility does only intrastate business, as provided by. the law of that state.” Judge Baltzell in Bowles v. Indianapolis Railways, Inc. (1946), 64 F. Supp. 865, 871.
in a rate case, the proper mandate, when a court of review reverses the lower court is to remand' the cause “for further proceedings not inconsistent with this opinion.” Ohio Bell Teleph. Co. v. Public Utilities Com. (1937), 301 U. S. 292, 307, 57 S. Ct. 724, 81 L. Ed. 1093, 1103.
Nor could the temporary injunction be based on the power of equity to maintain the status quo' pending the litigation. By its complaint Bell sought to avoid the status quo, and obtain new and higher rates, both pending the action and on final hearing.
Chapter 169 of the 1929 Acts is a general act on court review of orders of the commission.
Hearing in the “technical sense, is the trial of the case, including the introduction of evidence, the argument of the solicitors, and the decree of the chancellor.” 30 C. J. S. 876, §480.
“There is no principle of law more firmly established than that the judgment must follow and conform to the verdict or findings.” 11 Enc. of Pl. & Pr. p. 905. See also Dawson v. Shirk (1885), 102 Ind. 184, 1 N. E. 292; Reid v. State ex rel. Frybarger (1887), 58 Ind. 406; Nordyke, Marmon & Co. v. Dickson (1881), 76 Ind. 188; Mansfield v. Hinckle (1923), 81 Ind. App. 6, 139 N. E. 700; Moore v. Moore (1921), 74 Ind. App. 626, 129 N. E. 480; Stout v. Gaar, Scott & Co. (1901), 26 Ind. App. 582, 60 N. E. 357; Wysong v. Nealis (1895), 13 Ind. App. 165, 41 N. E. 388; Hooper v. Shorr (1939), 110 F. 2d 446, 448; 49 C. J. S. 138, §55.
See 30 Am. Jur. 839, §41.
“Judgments at law and decrees in equity are all ‘judgments’ under the code.” Hord v. Bradbury (1901), 156 Ind. 30, 33, 34, 59 N. E. 31.
Rule 70% of the Federal Equity Rules adopted by the United States Supreme Court November 4, 1912, required that
Reference
- Cited By
- 12 cases
- Status
- Published