23 W. Va. 801 | W. Va. | 1884
The following are the errors assigned to this judgment in the petition for a writ of error:
“First. The said record does not show that any offence was committed by petitioner.
“Second. It does not specify in what the alleged contempt consisted, nor that an attachment issued against petitioner, nor that petitioner was present in court when said fine was imposed, nor that a rule of the court to show cause was served on the petitioner, nor that petitioner failed to appear and show cause.”
Is it true, that this record does not show that any offence was committed by the plaintiff in error ? The record expressly states that “Warren Miller esq., having been guilty of a contempt to the court in the presence thereof, itis considered that for his said contempt he be and is fined by the court twenty-five dollars.”
Is the offence thus stated set out so imperfectly, that it ought to be regarded as a nullity, and as if the record failed to show that any offence was committed by the plaintiff in error? In Adams ex parte 25 Miss. 892, the court says: “It was formerly held, that a judgment for contempt, which did not set out the particular cause on which it was founded, was a nullity, and that a party was entitled to be discharged from it. But the more recent eases have laid down the rule, that the judgment will be sufficient if it express on its face, .that it was a contempt generally, and that the specific cause need not be set out. Ired. B-. 86; E. C. L. K. 1.” In Summers ex parte 5 Ired. 153, after a review of the authorities the same conclusion is reached by the court. The only objection which can be made, or has been made at any time, to this sort of an entry is, that it might operate injustice to the defendant by depriving him of the means of correcting the judgment of the court, or if in prison, prevent him from getting a discharge from prison on a writ of habeas corpus, though he may have been committed for what could not pos
As to the second assignment of error it does appear affirmatively that plaintiff was fined for a contempt to the court in the presence thereof, and therefore, “ not for a contempt of the court in the non-performauce or disobedience to a judgment, decree or order of the court.” As I understand the record, the defendant was fined for a personal contempt to the judge while sitting, or for creating a disturbance in court which amounted to such personal contempt, it may be, as the record says, “ a contempt to the court.” Eor on a judgment of the court for such a contempt a writ of error lies to this Court. See ch. 128 § 4 of Acts of 1882 p. 369. But from what we have said it appears, that it was not necessary that the facts, which constituted this contempt should appear of record. If the plaintiff in error desired these facts to be set out and made a part of the record, he should have filed a bill of exceptions to the judgment. But section 29- of chapter 147 of Code of West Virginia page 691, provides, that “no court shall impose a fine for a contempt, unless the defendant be present in court, or shall have been served with a rule to show cause on some certain day, and shall fail to
The judgment of the circuit court must he affirmed; and the plaintiff in error must pay to the defendant his costs in this Court expended and thirty dollars damages.
Johnson and Woods, Judges, do not concur in so much of the opinion of Judge Green as maintains the proposition that it sufficiently appears from the judgment of said circuit court, that the plaintiff’ in • error was present in court when the said judgment was rendered, and they are therefore of opinion the judgment of the said circuit court ought to- be reversed, but they concur in the. residue of said opinion and the syllabus.
AEEIRMED.