Kennedy v. Justice Court
Kennedy v. Justice Court
Opinion of the Court
delivered the Opinion of the Court.
Appellant was the petitioner in the district court, seeking the issuance of a writ of certiorari. Eespondents filed a motion to dismiss which was granted by the district court and this appeal followed.
It appears that the respondent justice court had fixed a bond for the appearance of one charged with grand larceny under a
So far as this appeal is concerned it is not necessary to discuss all the contentions raised by appellant in his specifications of error. All of the proceedings heretofore related occurred prior to our decision in State ex rel. Followed v. District Court 146 Mont. 48, 404 P.2d 162, which is decisive here.
The proceedings in State ex rel. Followed, supra, are practically identical except a criminal case in the district court was involved; the defendant failed to appear, the court ordered the bail bond forfeited, and thereafter the bonding company voluntarily paid the amount of the bad bond. After reviewing the applicable statutes in that case we stated:
“Thereupon the bonding company paid the sum of the bail bond to the State of Montana, ad in accordance with section 94-8706. What question then remained? So far as we can observe, none. We must assume that the surety desired to be discharged of its liability under the bail bond and to avert the forthcoming litigation directed by the court to be instituted by the county attorney. If any question existed as to the propriety of the court’s actions in denying the petition and motion made by the relator bonding company they could have been put in issue in those proceedings. Rather than attack the court’s orders therein the relator bonding company discharged its liability, and now, over a year later seeks relief here. In these circumstances we must hold that the matter is moot.”
The contentions raised here by appellant only tend to create distinctions without differences. The matter is moot and the order of the district court should be affirmed.
It is so ordered.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- BRANDT W. KENNEDY, also known as B. W. KENNEDY, and v. JUSTICE COURT OF BILLINGS TOWNSHIP, YELLOWSTONE COUNTY, Montana
- Status
- Published