40 Pa. Super. 352 | Pa. Super. Ct. | 1909
Opinion by
1. After describing the ordinary mode of instituting criminal proceedings, namely, by warrant of arrest founded on probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, followed by a hearing before a committing magistrate, Judge King said: “It is the fitness and propriety of the ordinary mode of criminal procedure, its equal justice to accuser and accused, that render it of almost universal application in our own criminal courts and make it unwise to depart from it, except in special circumstances, or pressing emergencies:” Lloyd’s Case, 3 Clark 188. This statement of the general rule recognizes the possibility of special circumstances or pressing emergencies which will justify resort to one or the other of the extraordinary modes of criminal procedure which Judge King then went on to describe: “The first of these is where criminal courts of their own motion call the attention of grand juries to and direct the investigation of matters of general public import, which, from their nature and operation in the entire community, justify such intervention. The action of the courts on such occasions, rather bears on things than persons, the object being the suppression of general and public evils, affecting, in their influence and operation, communities rather than individuals, and, therefore, more properly the subject of general than special complaint; such as great riots that shake the social fabric, carrying terror and dismay among the citizens; general nuisances affecting the public health and comfort;’ multiplied and flagrant vices tending to debauch and corrupt
2. The subpoena served on the defendant commanded him to appear before the grand jury at a specified hour, day and place “to testify all and singular those things which you shall know in a certain investigation of charges of bribery and corrupt solicitation of eouncilmen in the city of Pittsburg in our said court depending, and then and there to be tried between the commonwealth and a person or persons unknown, defendant on the part of the common-wealth. And herein fail not under
3. We are not disposed to go into an elaborate discussion of the question whether under the circumstances set forth in the appellant’s petition to quash the attachment he could claim the privilege to refuse to answer questions that might incriminate him, because the time for claiming that privilege, if he had it, had not arrived. He refused to go before the grand jury to testify to any matter, and it is apparent that he might have been asked questions the answers to which would not have affected him prejudicially in any way. In Eckstein’s Petition, Yard’s Appeal, 148 Pa. 509, it was held, that under the provisions of the act of June 1,1885, each branch of councils in cities of the first class was given power to compel the attendance of witnesses, and that upon the issuing of a subpcena it was the duty of the person summoned to appear in reponse to the summons and be sworn as a witness, and that he could not refuse to appear and be sworn on the ground that he was already under indictment for alleged criminal connection with the matters which the committee proposed to investigate and that the answers to questions propounded to him might tend to prejudice him in the criminal proceedings then pending. The court said: “The investigation which was in progress before the councils was a lawful investigation. The subpcena was lawfully issued, and it was his duty to obey it. Upon his refusal to do so, it was lawful for the court of common pleas to compel such obedience. It cannot be tolerated for a moment that a man may be allowed to disobey a lawful subpcena upon his mere opinion that the subpoena had been improperly issued, or that the particular tribunal before which he was summoned to appear has no jurisdiction to proceed. It was time enough for the appellant to have raised any objection after he had obeyed the subpoena, and been sworn as a witness. If a question had then been asked which tended to criminate him, or which was in violation of any of his rights as af citizen, under the constitution and laws of this commonwealth, he could have de
4. The suggestion that the contempt of the appellant was only punishable by fine, cannot be sustained. In Com. v. Gibbons, 9 Pa. Superior Ct. 527, affirmed in Kelly's Contested Election, 200 Pa. 430, it was held that where a person refused to answer questions propounded to him by examiners in a contested election, and appeared in open court and made answer to a rule to show cause why he should not be attached for contempt, and, in his answer, refused to obey an order which had been made upon him to appear before the examiners and answer the questions, the offense was committed in open court. This would seem to be conclusive of the question before us. See also as to punishment by imprisonment Com. v. Bell, 145 Pa. 374, and Com. v. Perkins, 124 Pa. 36.
The judgment is affirmed and the record is remitted to the court of quarter sessions of Allegheny county to the end that the sentence be fully carried into effect.