Case Title: State Ex Rel. Kidder v. District Court

Citation: 472 P.2d 1008

Docket Number: 

State: montana

Court: Montana Supreme Court

Date: 1970-07-28T00:00:00Z

Document:
472 P.2d 1008 (1970) STATE of Montana ex rel., Hugh G. KIDDER, and L.H. Kozowski, Petitioners and Applicants, v. The DISTRICT COURT of the FOURTH JUDICIAL District of the State of Montana, in and for the COUNTY of Sanders and the Honorable E. Gardner Brownlee, a District Judge Thereof, Respondents. No. 11890. Supreme Court of Montana. Decided July 28, 1970. Submitted July 6, 1970. Hugh G. Kidder, Missoula, for petitioners and applicants. *1009 Turnage & McNeil, Jean A. Turnage, argued, Polson, for respondents. PER CURIAM: This is an application for a writ of supervisory control or other appropriate writ seeking to set aside an order of contempt by the district court, Hon. E. Gardner Brownlee, judge thereof, in Sanders County. Relators are Hugh G. Kidder, an attorney of Missoula, and his client, L.H. Kozowski of Plains, Montana. Kozowski was defendant in Sanders County Cause No. 4557, entitled Bronco Motors, Inc. v. Ralph E. Thompson and L.H. Kozowski. In that cause, District Judge Jack L. Green had made an order supplementary to execution requiring the defendant and judgment debtor Kozowski to appear and answer concerning his property before a judge of the district court in Thompson Falls at 10:00 a.m., May 12, 1970. The order was made on April 22, 1970. Personal service of the order was made on Kozowski on May 4. Kozowski, on May 11, the day before the scheduled hearing, contacted his attorney Mr. Kidder by telephone. Mr. Kidder at about 4:45 p.m. that day contacted Mr. Turnage, counsel for the judgment creditor, and sought agreement for a delay in the date set for the appearance of Kozowski. Mr. Turnage refused. On the following morning, Kidder accompanied Kozowski to the courthouse in Thompson Falls and there filed an affidavit of disqualification of the presiding judge, Hon. E. Gardner Brownlee. Mr. Kidder knew Judge Brownlee would be presiding. Mr. Kidder has had past difficulties with Judge Brownlee; and, it is frankly admitted by Kidder that he, rather than his client Kozowski, made the affidavit of disqualification because he would not appear in Judge Brownlee's court for any reason. He did not appear; rather, he advised his client not to appear. He left the clerk's office and the courthouse at about 9:30 a.m. and, as he put it in response to questions of this Court, "I made myself scarce." It is obvious that Mr. Kidder's filing of the affidavit of disqualification and ignoring of the court order to Kozowski to appear at 10:00 a.m. was done in flagrant and insulting disregard of the dignity of the court and its presiding judge. At 10:00 a.m. Judge Brownlee opened court. He waited until 11:00 a.m.; Kozowski did not appear. Judge Brownlee then made the following order: Thereafter, on the same day, Kozowski paid the $200 fine, upon advice of Kidder. Note here that what we have termed a "fine" is in reality a "purge payment" on the judgment, and not a "fine" in the true sense of the word. On the return day appearance was made by answer, largely setting up the facts and reason for the order of contempt. As noted in our order to show cause, heretofore quoted, we have two problems presented. Whether the contempt order is *1011 valid and whether the fine paid by Kozowski should be returned. As to the validity of the contempt order, we first meet the question of whether the affidavit of disqualification was proper. Relator argues that if it had the effect of removing Judge Brownlee from jurisdiction, it follows that Kidder's failure to appear was not contemptuous since the presiding judge could only act to arrange the calendar, call in another judge and handle administrative matters. As hereinafter set forth, we do not concur in this position of relator. For further background in this matter, the same counsel and the same judge were involved in State ex rel. Ross v. Dist. Ct., 150 Mont. 233, 239, 433 P.2d 778, 781. In that case the special master's report, adopted by this Court, said: In yet another case, State ex rel. McNeal v. Dist. Ct., 144 Mont. 550, 553, 399 P.2d 997, 999, this Court in a proceeding involving the question of disqualification and also involving Relator Kidder, stated: Added to this background, Relator Kidder informed this Court he felt that he did not dare go before Judge Brownlee for fear of being held in contempt by his very presence. While we cannot dispute counsel's feelings, we cannot accept such a contention about a judge whose work we have frequently reviewed and found to be of excellent judicial quality. Turning now to the instant case. On May 4 Kozowski was served with Judge Green's order to appear to answer questions on May 12. Kozowski did nothing until May 11, when he called Mr. Kidder to appear with him. Thus the attempted disqualification was not timely as required by section 93-901, R.C.M. 1947, as far as Kozowski was concerned. Yet, counsel argues that since he, counsel, did not receive the case until May 11 he could make the affidavit so long as he filed it immediately. To reach this conclusion counsel has the thought that he, independent of the litigant, has a right to disqualify. Section 93-901 provides in part: Counsel argues that thus he, counsel, has the right independent of the party because of the underlined language. We disagree and so hold. The attorney's or agent's right is derivative from that of the party; and would not serve to extend the statutory time for exerting that right. Thus, the affidavit did not operate to divest Judge Brownlee of jurisdiction. We now consider the contempt order heretofore quoted. For our purposes here we shall accept the deliberate advising of the client not to appear as a contemptuous act under the circumstances. The contempt, however, was not that of the litigant. He was merely following his attorney's advice; it is clear that he had no idea of not appearing. He retained Mr. Kidder to appear with him. Our question narrows down to whether it was a direct or an indirect contempt. We do not pass upon the sufficiency of the recital of the acts or omissions constituting the contempt. In State ex rel. Rankin v. District Court, 58 Mont. 276, 191 P. 772, the difference between indirect and direct contempt was discussed. Again in State ex *1012 rel. Stagg v. District Court, 76 Mont. 495, at pages 501, 502, 248 P. 213, at page 215, in a case similar to the instant case in that an affidavit of disqualification was involved, this Court said: Here, the contemptuous act of advising the client not to appear was not "in the immediate view and presence of the court" and thus the court did not follow the statute in cases of constructive or indirect contempt. It was therefore without jurisdiction to enter judgment. By what we have said, it is clear that the judgment of contempt must be set aside. It follows, too, that the payment of the $200 purge payment on the judgment by Kozowski as a result of a void order does not make that matter moot. Therefore it is ordered returned to Kozowski. The order of contempt is set aside and the matter returned to the district court for further proceedings on the matter of contempt if the court is so inclined. While this Court will require the district courts to proceed strictly within the statutes and decisions, it will not tolerate deliberate interference with the process of law.