Gibbs v. Atkins

Supreme Court of Louisiana
Gibbs v. Atkins, 110 La. 197 (La. 1903)
34 So. 411; 1903 La. LEXIS 608
Provosty

Gibbs v. Atkins

Opinion of the Court

PROVOSTY, J.

Some hogs were impounded, and the owner brought suit before the magistrate against the mayor and the town marshal for their release. The magistrate thought the impounding proceedings were irregular, and ordered the hogs released. It seems that the town marshal had. delegated the powers confided to him by the town ordinance for the impounding of hogs to two little boys, which the magistrate considered to be irregular — these powers having been confided to the officer to be exercised by himself in person, and not by deputy; also that the hogs were inoffensive, unsuspecting country porkers, which these youthful myrmidons of the town marshal had enticed or invited into the town by spreading their path with corn, which the magistrate considered to be unwarranted. The magistrate’s reasons for judgment are in the record. They show that the judgment was based exclusively upon the above considerations, and not upon the illegality or unconstitutionality of the ordinance under which the impounding took place. Our attention is called to this fact, and to our not having jurisdiction of the case. Inasmuch as this court could have had jurisdiction of the case only if the illegality or unconstitutionality of the ordinance in question had been involved, it is evident we must dismiss the appeal for want of jurisdiction. The appeal is accordingly dismissed.

Reference

Full Case Name
GIBBS v. ATKINS, Mayor
Cited By
6 cases
Status
Published
Syllabus
APPEAL — JURISDICTIONAL AMOUNT. 1. In a case involving the enforcement of a town ordinance, where the amount in dispute is below the lower limit of the jurisdiction of this court, the appeal will be dismissed, when •.the judgment appealed from was based on the facts of the case, and not on the unconstitutionality or illegality of the ordinance in question. (Syllabus by the Court.)