Northwestern Port Huron Co. v. Zickrick
Northwestern Port Huron Co. v. Zickrick
Opinion of the Court
This is an appeal by the plaintiff from an order granting the defendant a new trial by the circuit court of the Ninth judicial circuit. It is disclosed by the record that an action was commenced by the plaintiff to recover from the defendant certain moneys alleged to be due it from him; that the defendant answered, and that a trial was had of the action before the Pión. Loring E. Gaffy, judge of the Sixth judicial circuit, who was called in to try the case by the Hon. Charles S. Whiting, judge of the circuit court for the Ninth judicial circuit, in May, 1906; that upon the trial a verdict was directed and judgment duly entered thereon in favor of the plaintiff; that the time for serving notice of intention to move for a new trial and settlement of the bill of exceptions or statement of the case was extended from time to time until the 14th day of September, 1906; that a settlement of the case was prepared by the defendant’s counsel, served upon the counsel for plaintiff, to' which amendments. were prepared and served by plaintiff’s counsel; that on the 15th day of August, 1906, a stipulation was entered into between the attorneys for the respective parties, in which it was stipulated “that the amendments to the defendant’s proposed statement to the case as proposed by the plaintiff be inserted in the statement of the case originally proposed, * * * and that the said proposed amendments be considered as so inserted; that upon these conditions the judge be authorized to settle the proposed statement of the case, including the proposed amendments.” It is further disclosed by the record that on the 27th day of August the statement of the case was settled by the Hon. C. S. Whiting, judge of the Ninth judicial circuit, and that on September 24th the case came on before the court, Judge Whiting presiding, upon the motion for new trial; that the court proceeded on such hearing to briefly review the devision of Judge Gaffy, and held that on the trial the trial judge had committed error in refusing to admit cer
It will be observed that the action was tried by Judge Gaffy, the judge of the Sixth judicial circuit; that the statement of the case was settled by the judge of the Ninth judicial circuit, and the motion for a new trial was granted by the circuit court of the Ninth judicial circuit, and that it was granted for alleged errors of the trial court in refusing to admit evidence, which fact could only be shown by a bill of exceptions or a statement of the case. But so far as the record disclosed, it does not appear that Judge Gaffy was absent from the state or that he refused to settle the bill of exceptions. It is true that Judge Gaffy’s term of office expired about the 1st of July, 1906, of which fact this court will take judicial notice. In proceedings for a new trial it is provided, among other things, by subdivision 3 of section 303 of the Revised Code of Civil Procedure, that “if the amendments be adopted the statement shall be amended accordingly and then presented to the judge who tried or heard the case for settlement; or be delivered to the clerk of the court for the judge.” And by section 299 of the Revised Code of Civil Procedure it is provided: “A judge may settle and sign a bill of exceptions after, as well as before, he ceases to be such judge. If such judge, before the bill of exceptions is settled, dies, is removed from office, becomes disqualified, is absent from the •state or refuses to settle the bill of exceptions, or if no mode is provided by law for the settlement of the same, it shall be settled and certified in such manner as the Supreme Court may, by its order or rules direct. Judges of the circuit court and the Supreme
It is further contended by the learned counsel for. appellant that Judge Whiting, even had the statement been settled by Judge Gaffy, had no authority to review Judge Gaffy’s decision and reverse his rulings on the trial, and that his only authority, upon a statement having been properly settled by the trial judge, was to deny the motion for a new trial pro forma that an appeal might be taken to the appellate court. This contention is untenable. It is
The court, in granting a motion for a new trial not previously passed upon by the trial judge, does not in contemplation of law review the decision of the trial judge within the meaning of that expression as used in the cases cited by the learned counsel for the appellant. Undoubtedly, where a motion has been heard and determined by one circuit judge and no leave given to renew the motion, the same motion' cannot be heard by another circuit judge upon the same state of facts. Bank v. Jennings, 4 N. D. 228, 59 N. W. 1059. But the rulings made by the trial judge on the
A motion was made in this court by the respondent “for an order that the statement of the case in the above-entitled action heretofore settled by Judge C. S. Whiting be by die court referred to the Hon. Loring E. Gaffy, the judge before whom the said action was tried, to -be by him certified as to whether or not the said statement of the case is a full, true, and complete statement thereof, and that, if the said Eoring E. Gaffy cerifies that the same is such a true and complete statement, the court then order that such certificate be deemed as made by the said Eoring E. Gaffy of date August 27, 1906, and that this defendant and respondent be then allowed time to- file an amended abstract showing such amendments as to the proceedings, and to file and serve his brief in said action, and for such other relief as may be just in the premises.” This motion must be denied for the reason that the powers of this court in the premises are limited by section 299, above quoted, to the cases therein specified, and the powers of this court therefore do not extend to the making of the order requested by the respondent in his motion. It is only when some one of the conditions arises specified in section 299 that this court is authorized to act, and in such case its power is limited to the making of an order that the bill of exceptions or statement be “settled and certified” in such manner as this court “may by its order or rules direct.” It will be observed that in the case at bar no condition exists authorizing this court to make any order in the premises. As above stated, it does not appear that Judge Gaffy was requested to settle said bill of exceptions or statement, or refused to settle the same. This court is therefore without power or authority to
For the error' of the learned circuit court in making the order granting a new trial upon the statement of the case settled by the judge of the Ninth judicial circuit, the order granting the new trial is reversed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- NORTHWESTERN PORT HURON CO. v. ZICKRICK
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Published