Rapier v. Guedry
Rapier v. Guedry
Opinion of the Court
The petition of plaintiff recites that it is purely the ministerial duty, involving no discretion on his part, of the judge of division D of the civil district court, parish of Orleans, to appoint an official shorthand reporter to serve in his court, under the provisions of Act 141 of 1914, p. 255.
Respondent judge answers that it is not his ministerial duty to appoint an official shorthand reporter to serve in his court. He alleges: That the duties imposed upon the judges of the civil district court by Act No.
A writ o¡f mandamus will tie directed to the judges of the inferior courts commanding them to render justice and perform the pther duties of their office in conformity with law. Article 837, C. P.
Placed, as respondent is in this case, between the act of the Legislature which commands him to appoint a shorthand reporter in his court at a salary of $3,600 per annum and the Constitution which gives to the clerk of the civil district court for the parish of Orleans the right to appoint all of his deputies, and which vests in the judges of the civil district court the control of the excess of the judicial expense fund for the parish of
Further, respondent’s decision on the uneonstitutionality of the act of the Legislature is concurred in by the several judges of the civil district court, as is evidenced by their written concurrence on the. return of respondent.
The questions presented are judicial in their nature, and they will have to be first presented to a court of original jurisdiction, and disposed of there, before this court can determine them on appeal, or under our supervisory jurisdiction.
The pleadings in this case show that it is not a clear ministerial duty on the part of the respondent judge to appoint a shorthand reporter to his court; and a mandamus will not issue to compel him to do so.
It is therefore ordered, adjudged, and decreed that the alternative writ issued in this case be recalled, and the petition of relator is dismissed at his cost.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- RAPIER v. GUEDRY. In re RAPIER
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- (Syllabus by the Court.) 1. Courts i&wkey;209 — Original Jurisdiction-Assignments oí? Error — Piling—Time. It is too late to file an assignment of errors after a cause has been submitted. [Ed. Note. — Por other cases, see Courts, Cent. Dig. § 611; Dec. Dig. &wkey;209.] 2. Courts An assignment of errors may be filed in this court to sustain an appeal, or to assign errors on the face of the record on an application for a writ addressed to Courts of Appeal. [Ed. Note. — Por other cases, see Courts, Cent. Dig. § 611; Dec. Dig. &wkey;209.] 3. Courts New points contained in an assignment of errors, which were not presented to the inferior court, or disposed of by it, cannot be considered by the Supreme Court. [Ed. Note. — Por other cases, see Courts, Cent. Dig. § 611; Dec. Dig. &wkey;209.] 4. Mandamus &wkey;60 — Officers — Appointment — Ministerial Duty. It is not a clear ministerial duty of a district judge to appoint a shorthand reporter in his court, as provided for in Act No. 141 of 1914, where said judge holds the act to be_ unconstitutional, as violative of certain . articles embraced in the Constitution. [Ed. Note. — Por other cases, see Mandamus, Cent. Dig. §§ 70, 71; Dee. Dig. &wkey;60.] 5. Courts The question is judicial, and it must he first presented in a court of original jurisdiction, and not in the Supreme Court, which has appellate and supervisory jurisdiction only. [Ed. Note. — Por other cases, see Courts, Cent. Dig. §§ 608-612; Dec. Dig. &wkey;206.] O’Niell, J., dissenting.