No. 12478

I N THE SUPREME C U T O THE STATE O M N A A OR F F OTN

1973

RONAN STATE BANK, a Montana Corporation,

P l a i n t i f f and Respondent,

-VS - MARY M. JEWETT, formerly MARY M. SHEPHARD,

Defendant and Appellant.

Appeal from: D i s t r i c t Court of t h e Fourth J u d i c i a l D i s t r i c t . Hon. E. Gardner Brownlee, Judge p r e s i d i n g .

Counsel of Record:

For Appellant :

Richard Heinz argued, Polson, Montana

For Respondent :

C h r i s t i a n s e n , McCurdy, Ingraham & Wold, Polson, Montana Frank L. Ingraham argued, Polson, Montana

Submitted: May 31, 1973

Decided : JUN 2 0 i jJ : M r . J u s t i c e John Conway Harrison d e l i v e r e d t h e Opinion of t h e Court,

This i s an appeal from an o r d e r of t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t of t h e f o u r t h j u d i c i a l d i s t r i c t , county of Lake, Hon. E. Gardner Brownlee, judge p r e s i d i n g , g r a n t i n g a d e f a u l t judgment a g a i n s t an e n r o l l e d Indian, Mary M. Jewett. This i s a companion c a s e t o S e c u r i t y S t a t e Bank v. P i e r r e , Cause No. 8155, Lake County, which because of t h e s i m i l a r f a c t s i t u a t i o n was consolidated f o r hearing purposes a t t h e t i m e Judge Brownlee heard P i e r r e . A t t h e time s e t f o r hearing P i e r r e i n t h i s Court i n December 1972, counsel f o r a p p e l l a n t Jewett appeared and argued although no appeal had been taken by Jewett following Judge Brownlee's order g r a n t i n g a d e f a u l t judgment against her, On February 7 , 1973, t h i s Court i s s u e d an opinion i n t h e c a s e of S e c u r i t y S t a t e Bank v , P i e r r e , r e v e r s i n g t h e o r d e r of t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t i n P i e r r e . Due t o a f a c t u a l e r r o r concerning t h e a p p e l l a t e s t a t u s of t h e i n s t a n t c a s e discovered a f t e r t h e r e - m i t t i t u r had gone down i n P i e r r e , t h e Court r e c a l l e d t h e r e m i t t i t u r and set both c a s e s f o r rehearing, A f t e r t h e r e c a l l order had i s s u e d , both respondent S t a t e Bank of Ronan and a p p e l l a n t &ry M. Jewett f i l e d with t h i s Court a s t i p u l a t i o n expressly waiving any d e f e c t s i n t h e f a i l u r e t o f i l e t h e n o t i c e of appeal and i n t h e p e r f e c t i o n of such appeal i n t h e i n s t a n t case. It was revealed t h a t i n t h e i n s t a n t c a s e Ronan S t a t e Bank had f i r s t attempted t o b r i n g i t s a c t i o n i n t h e Flathead T r i b a l Court, b u t a p p e l l a n t Jewett refused t o permit t h e a c t i o n . The a c t i o n was then brought i n the d i s t r i c t court. I n t h i s Court's o r i g i n a l opinion i n P i e r r e i t had been assumed t h a t t h e p a r t i e s had n o t attempted t o b r i n g

a c t i o n i n t h e T r i b a l Court. Since t h a t t i m e t h e T r i b a l Law and Order Code has been amended t o allow such a c t i o n s i n T r i b a l Court. On March 19, 1973, the clerk of this Court received a notice o i appeal, dated March 16, 1973, from counsel for appellant Jewett.

Both cases, Pierre and Jewett, were reargued by counsel on m 31, y 1973. In the instant case, it is now fully established and admitted by appellant's counsel that no timely appeal was taken by appellant Jewett, There being no appeal before this Court, the cause is dismissed. n

Associate Justices 4

1 ............................... \. Ic Ill- ( C { tI.?,.L.-"

Hon. Bernard Thomas, District Judge, sitting for Justice Wesley Castles.