Sheehan v. Holcomb
Sheehan v. Holcomb
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
§ 462. Damages against an officer for arrest and false imprisonment. One Sandford, who had lost a horse, discovered his horse hitched in the city of Dallas, but did not know who had hitched him. He reported his discovery to the chief of police of the city, informing that officer that the horse had been stolen, and he went with the chief of police to the place where the animal was hitched and pointed the horse out to him. Thereupon the chief of police informed Sheehan, who was a police
§ 463. Ordinance of city, tuith regard to arrests by policemen. At the time Sheehan arrested Holcomb, an ordinance of the city of Dallas was in full force and effect, which reads as follows: “It shall be the duty of each and every policeman to arrest without warrant all persons found in suspicious places and under circumstances which reasonably show that such persons have been guilty of some felony or breach of the peace, or threaten or are about to commit some offense against the laws or ordinances.” In his charge to the jury, the judge wholly disregarded this ordinance, and refused charges requested by defendant’s counsel applying the ordinance to the facts in the case. Was appellant entitled to the protection of this ordinance ? He certainly was if the ordinance be a legal one, and the evidence brings his acts within its provisions. That the ordinance is a legal one cannot be questioned, when we refer to article 228 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which reads as follows: “The municipal authorities of towns and cities may establish rules authorizing the arrest without warrant of persons found in suspicious places and under circumstances which reasonably show that such persons have been guilty of some
§ 464. Refusal of bail by policeman; burden of proof . But it may be said that even if Sheehan had the right to arrest he had no right to refuse appellee the privilege of giving bail, and furthermore that he should have immediately carried Holcomb before the nearest magistrate, and that failing to obey 'the law in these respects, he is guilty of false imprisonment. If the arrest was legal, as we think under the circumstances it was, the burden of proof rested upon Holcomb to show that Sheehan had authority to take bail, that bail was offered and refused, and that Sheehan failed to carry him immediately before the nearest magistrate for examination. It was not shown that any magistrate was immediately accessible. It was about dusk when the arrest was made, and appellee conducted appellant at once to the calaboose, and turned him over to the keeper thereof, who imprisoned him. It may be, though it does not appear from the record, that in refusing bail and taking appellee to the calaboose and turning him over to the keeper thereof, Sheehan acted under express authority and directions of.
Because the court failed to charge the law of the case, the judgment is
Reversed and'remanded.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Pat. Sheehan v. W. T. Holcomb
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published