In re Naturalization of Leschhorn
In re Naturalization of Leschhorn
Opinion of the Court
delivered the following opinion:
This matter comes up on the motion of petitioner Lesch-horn, praying that the order of this eourt of July 23, 1917, he suspended, and that permission he given to amend the application in order that the same may be considered as having been pending ninety days, so that the matter of final naturalization may come during the sitting of this court as to naturalization business during July, 1918. The facts shown by the motion and affidavits are that petitioner made application for his first papers on May 12, 1912, in New Jersey, and in December, 1916, applied in New Jersey for final papers; but, as he had not been resident for three months, was unable to complete the matter. Petitioner became a resident of Porto Pico, and immediately upon the passage of the organic act giving this court jurisdiction over naturalization matters, he applied for necessary forms and received them on June 27 of that year. Mean
1. The matter now before the court presents a case of great hardship, especially on the part of the wife and child. If that were the criterion to be followed there would be no difficulty in the solution. The question, however, is one of law designed for the interest of the United States during this war, and must be considered on that basis.
The object of the motion now made is that the original petition, which was, with the assent of the petitioner, formerly dismissed without prejudice, be now revived so that the ninety
A dismissal without prejudice ordinarily means a dismissal without prejudice to the right to file a new petition.- This is not the proper method of procedure when the court desires to keep the particular petition pending before it. The practice in such case is a continuance of the matter, or a direction that it remain upon the docket with leave to the parties interested to call it up at a later time. It would seem that a proper construction, therefore, of the dismissal of the petition without prejudice was that the matter could be brought'up again by a new petition; not that it could be brought up again upon the same petition.
2. Possibly the same result could be arrived at by setting-aside the order itself, dismissing the first application. This would leave the matter pending for decision. It would not, however, do away with the necessity for notice to the commissioner by § 11 of the new act approved May 9, 1918, “To Amend the Naturalization Laws and to Eepeal Certain Sections of the Revised Statutes of the United States and Other Laws Relating to Naturalization, and for Other Purposes,” being Public, No. 144 of the 65th Congress [40 Stat. at L. 542, chap. 69, Comp. Stat. § 4352]. It is true that the original pro
The proper plan would seem, therefore, to be to refuse the present motion, and to require the petitioner to file a new application stating the appropriate facts, and thereupon to set the hearing for a date which will give ninety days’ notice. The agent of the commissioner is supposed to be here in July, and can examine the facts at that time and leave any instructions required with the district attorney. This will avoid making the petitioner wait until December, and at the same time
It follows, therefore, that the motion is refused, with permission to movant to proceed in accordance with this opinion.
It is so ordered.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- RE NATURALIZATION OF EDMUND C. LESCHHORN
- Status
- Published