Hunter v. Bamberg Co.
Hunter v. Bamberg Co.
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the Court was delivered by
This appeal comes from .the judgment of the Circuit Court in a controversy without action upon an agreed statement of facts, and the main question sought to have decided is whether the county of Bamberg is liable to the plaintiff as sheriff for summoning jurors in the Circuit Court. The following orders in reference to the matter were made:
“The question in the above entitled cause being submitted to the Court for decision, it is hereby adjudged and decreed, that the said county of Bamberg is not liable to the sheriff of Bamberg County for summoning jurors in criminal cases; and further, that the said county of Bamberg shall pay the sheriff of Bamberg County the fees allowed by law for summoning jurors on the civil side of the Court. O. W. Buchanan, Judge presiding. Bamberg, S. C., July 27, 1898.”
“There appearing to be a misunderstanding- as to the meaning of the former order made in this case, in order to settle the question, my judgment is that the plaintiff is not entitled to be paid extra for serving grand jurors, nor for serving petit jurors for any week during which any jury trials on the criminal side of the Court are had. To illustrate in this case, as I am informed, the plaintiff claims as follows:
*151 For serving grand jurors for April term.........$15 00
For serving petit jurors first week April term.... 25 00
For serving petit jurors second week April term. . 25 00
For serving petit jurors for July term.......... 25 00
Total amount claimed.....................$90 00
During the first week of the April term only criminal cases were tried; during the second week only civil cases were tried; while during the July term both criminal and civil cases were tried. Upon this state of facts, the plaintiff is entitled to be paid twenty-five dollars for serving jurors for the second week of the April term, but he is not entitled to be paid any of the other items claimed. O. W. Buchanan, presiding Judge. July 30th, 1898.”
“It having been brought to my attention that the purport and effect of the orders heretofore made by me in the above matter, to wit: the order of July 27, 1898, and the order of July 30, 1898, explanatory of said former order, have apparently been misunderstood by the county commissioners of said Bamberg County; now, in order that my judgment in this matter may be made perfectly clear and plain, it is hereby adjudged, ordered and decreed, that the sheriff of Bamberg County aforesaid is not entitled to receive any costs or fees in addition to his salary for serving the venire for any grand jury, nor for any petit jury which shall be exclusively engaged in the trial of cases in the Court of General Sessions; but that whenever a petit jury so summoned by him shall try any case in the Court of Common Pleas, whether during the first or any subsequent week of any term of the Circuit Court, then the said sheriff shall be entitled to receive from said county his full fees and costs for serving the venire for such jury, in addition to any salary now allowed him by law. O. W. Buchanan, presiding Judge. May 10, 1901.”
It further appears in the “Case” that the “explanatory order” of July 30th, 1898, was submitted to Judge Buchanan just on the eve of his leaving Bamberg at the close of the *152 term of Court, and while he was busily engaged in preparations for his departure, and was signed by him after the cursory examination which could be given it under such circumstances ; and the Judge himself expressed his surprise when he found that the next time he presided in Bamberg County Circuit Court that the county commissioners had put upon his original order the interpretation that the plaintiff, respondent, is not entitled to his costs for summoning a jury which shall try any criminal case. Under these circumstances, the matter was again brought before him, with full opportunity for the presentation of each side of the question, and the result was the signing of the order of May io; 1901, from which this appeal is taken.
This renders it unnecessary to consider appellant’s further contention, that the order of July 30, 1898, above stated, is res judicata and final, no appeal having been taken therefrom.
*154
The judgment of the Circuit Court is reversed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Hunter v. Bamberg County
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. Sheriffs — Bamberg Co. — Under 22 Stat., 584, providing salaries for the officers of Bamberg County, the sheriff is not entitled to receive from the county fees for serving the venires for petit jurors who try civil cases. 2. Appeal. — A Constitutional objection to a statute not raised below cannot properly come before this Court on motion by respondent to sustain judgment on that ground.