Title: Nicholson v. Roop

State: north-dakota

Issuer: North Dakota Supreme Court

Document:

62 N.W.2d 473 (1954) NICHOLSON v. ROOP et al. No. 7385. Supreme Court of North Dakota. February 4, 1954. *474 *475 W. J. Austin, Bismarck, for plaintiff and appellant. Cox, Cox, Pearce & Engebretson, Bismarck, for defendants and respondents. NELSON, District Judge. Plaintiff brings this action for damages for malicious prosecution. In his complaint, after alleging the corporate capacity of defendant bank and that defendant Roop was, at all of the times material here, its vicepresident, he alleges that because of the acts of the defendants a complaint charging him with the crime of obtaining money by false pretenses was filed with a justice of the peace of Burleigh County, North Dakota; that under the warrant issued thereon he was brought before said justice and after preliminary hearing had on the charge made against him he was bound over to the District Court of Burleigh County, North Dakota, to answer to said charge and because of his inability to furnish bond for his appearance in said court was incarcerated in the county jail of Burleigh County for more than sixty days; that the criminal action brought against him was dismissed on the application of the State's Attorney and the proceeding thus terminated in his favor, and by reason of the foregoing facts he suffered actual and special damages in the sum of $26,200 for which he asks judgment and in addition thereto he asks that he be awarded punitive damages in the further sum of $5,000. Defendants answer jointly and except for admitting the corporate capacity of defendant bank and that defendant Roop was its Vice President as alleged, deny all of the other allegations of the complaint. For an affirmative defense defendants allege that a person describing himself as Houston Nickelson on August 26, 1947, opened an account in defendant bank by depositing therein a check for $900 drawn on the Exchange State Bank of Glendive and the following day the same person wrote a check on defendant bank in the sum of $400 payable to "Cash" and that defendant bank then paid said person the sum of $400; that the $900 check was returned by the bank on which it was drawn unpaid and marked "No A/C"; that shortly thereafter defendant Roop reported the foregoing facts to the Assistant State's Attorney of Burleigh County, North Dakota, at whose request said Roop signed a criminal complaint charging Houston Nickelson with the crime of obtaining money by false pretenses; that Houston Nickelson could not then be found and that on August 21, 1951, the State's Attorney's office of Burleigh County, North Dakota, received a telegram from the Chief of Police of Portland, Oregon, saying he *476 had Lester I. Nickelson, alias Houston Nickelson, in custody, that extradition was waived and requested instructions. The answer further alleges that the defendants never signed any complaint against Lester I. Nicholson nor asked for his arrest and that all matters were handled by the duly and regularly constituted police officers of Burleigh County, North Dakota, and denied that any act on the part of defendants resulted in any damage to plaintiff. At the close of plaintiff's case defendants made separate motions that the action be dismissed, both of which were denied. An action may be dismissed only on one or more of the grounds stated in Section 28-0801 NDRC 1943 and dismissal of the action under this statute leaves the issues undetermined and the plaintiff free to sue again. Westerso v. City of Williston, 77 N.D. 251, 257, 42 N.W.2d 429. Defendants offered no evidence and after both sides had rested made the following separate motions for directed verdicts which were resisted: A motion for a directed verdict seeks not only the termination of the action but the destruction of the cause of action as well. If granted it puts an end to the claim against which it is asserted. 53 Am.Jur. 255, Sec. 308; Westerso v. City of Williston, supra. Our statute, Section 28-1509 NDRC 1943, as amended by Chapter 204, SLND 1951, makes it mandatory on the trial court to deny a motion for directed verdict when resisted. The statute provides: The trial court accordingly denied both motions and submitted the case to a jury, which, on July 6, 1952, returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against both defendants. Although the court is required to deny the motion in the first instance such ruling is subject to review on a motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict made within ten days after rendition of the verdict. Section 28-1510 NDRC 1943, as amended by Chap. 204, SLND 1951, provides: On July 9, 1952, counsel for defendants filed with the trial judge their written motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict, setting forth as grounds therefor: Counsel for plaintiff was present in court when the foregoing motion was filed and participated in the hearing then had on such motion. The court granted the motion of both defendants for judgment notwithstanding the verdict and ordered judgment that plaintiff's action be dismissed on its merits. Judgment was thereafter entered in conformity with said order. Plaintiff appeals from the order granting the motion of both defendants for judgment notwithstanding the verdict and from the judgment entered dismissing his action on the merits. The denial of a motion for directed verdict does not deprive the trial court of the right to consider it further if, within the time provided by statute, Chapter 204, SLND 1951, the party making the motion follows it with a motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict or with a motion for a new trial. The order granting the motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict amounts to a delayed action directed verdict. Ennis v. Retail Merchants Ass'n Mutual Fire Ins. Co., 33 N.D. 20, 156 N.W. 234; Bormann v. Beckman, 73 N.D. 720, 19 N.W.2d 455, 458; Weber v. United Hardware & Implement Mutuals Co., 75 N.D. 581, 31 N.W.2d 456, 458. The defendants having made their motions for dismissal at the end of the plaintiff's case and having made their motions for directed verdicts at the close of all of the evidence, and their motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict within ten days after its rendition and before the entry of judgment have taken all of the necessary prerequisites entitling them to have their motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict considered by the trial court and on this appeal. Plaintiff in his brief and on oral argument has raised two questions of procedure challenging the sufficiency of the motions for directed verdicts, and for judgment notwithstanding the verdict, which we will note before passing on the merits of the case. First he asserts that the trial court could not consider the motions for directed verdicts made by the defendants at the close of all of the evidence, because, he says, the motions which challenge the sufficiency of the evidence to sustain a verdict for plaintiff, did not point out the particulars wherein the evidence was insufficient. Counsel calls our attention to the familiar rule that motions for directed verdicts will not be considered on appealwhen made on the ground of the insufficiency of the evidenceunless the particulars wherein defendant claims the evidence is lacking is specifically pointed out, and would apply it to the facts and record in this case. The rule is a salutary one and has consistently been adhered to by this court. Kolka v. Jones, 6 N.D. 461, 71 N.W. 558; Westerso v. City of Williston, supra; Jacobs v. Bever, N.D., 55 N.W.2d 512. *478 This rule has generally been applied to cases where the motion for directed verdict and the companion motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict have been denied. Jacobs v. Bever, supra; Westerso v. City of Williston, supra, and cases cited in 77 N.D. 259 and 260, 42 N.W.2d 433 and 434, which include the cases cited and relied on by plaintiff. Illustrative of the cases cited by plaintiff, in which the court held the motion for directed verdict not sufficiently specific are: Minder & Jorgenson Land Co. v. Brustuen, 31 S.D. 211, 140 N.W. 251, where the language of the motion was that "No defense has been established in this court against that cause of action. The plaintiff, on the uncontradicted testimony, is entitled to judgment for such amount." Davis v. C. & J. Michel Brewing Co., 31 S.D. 284, 140 N.W. 694, 696, where the motion read as follows: "Defendant moves the court to direct the jury to return a verdict in favor of the defendant against the plaintiff, for the reason that the facts proven by the plaintiff are not sufficient to, and do not, constitute a cause of action against the defendant." and Howie v. Bratrud, 14 S.D. 648, 86 N.W. 747, where defendant moved for directed verdict "for the reason that the evidence is insufficient to show or constitute a cause of action." An examination of the cases cited in 77 N.D. 259, 260, 42 N.W.2d 433, 434, will disclose that they are cases in which the motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict was denied. The situation in the instant case is very different. Here the trial court did review the evidence when passing on the motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict, and must, therefore, of necessity, have reached the conclusion that the motions for directed verdicts did point out the particulars wherein the evidence was insufficient to sustain the verdict. The motions for directed verdicts specifically state that there is no evidence of malice or want of probable cause. In Smalley v. Rio Grande Western Ry. Co., 34 Utah 423, 98 P. 311, 317, referring to the sufficiency of a motion for a directed verdict the court said: The foregoing case involved a question of negligence, but the holding is equally applicable to the case at bar where the motions pointed out that there was no proof of lack or want of probable cause or of malice. The positive statement in each that "there is no proof of lack or want of probable cause or of malice" was sufficient warning to plaintiff so that he could have, had he seen fit to do so, asked to have the case reopened to permit him to introduce further evidence in support of these two necessary elements in his cause of action. Counsel for plaintiff made no such request, nor has he on this appeal suggested that the evidence could be amplified in these respects on a new trial, but has steadfastly maintained that the evidence as now contained in the record is sufficient to sustain *479 the verdict rendered. We must, therefore, assume that further proof of malice or want of probable cause was not available or did not exist, and that hence the lack of evidence to sustain the verdict cannot be supplied on another trial if one were to be had. The motions for directed verdicts pointed out definitely and specifically that there was in the record neither proof of want of probable cause or of malice. In other words these elements of proof necessary to sustain plaintiff's cause of action were wholly lacking. This court has held that "The alleged grounds of the insufficiency of the evidence need not be specified in a motion for a directed verdict with the same particularity that is required in a motion for a new trial; it is enough that the insufficiency is pointed out in general terms." Olson v. Great Northern Railway Co., 56 N.D. 690, 219 N.W. 209, 212. This court has held in a case involving a motion for a new trial that "While [Sec. 28-1809 NDRC 1943], upon a motion for a new trial, requires a specification of insufficiency of the evidence to sustain the verdict to point out wherein the evidence is insufficient, nevertheless, if respondent does not object to this failure, and the trial court considers the evidence and passes upon its sufficiency, the failure to point out wherein the evidence is insufficient becomes immaterial." Clausen v. Miller, 63 N.D. 778, 249 N.W. 791, 792. We conclude that the statements in the motions for directed verdicts were sufficiently specific under the facts of the case. The further procedural objection raised by plaintiff is that the motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict may not be considered because the written motion was not filed with the Clerk of the District Court. The statute, Chapter 204, SLND 1951, does not require that it be filed, and if failure to file it constituted error it is error without prejudice because the record discloses that counsel for plaintiff was present when the written motion was submitted to the trial judge and participated in the hearing then held thereon. Failure to file the written motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict with the Clerk of the District Court was not, under the facts of the case, a jurisdictional prerequisite to its consideration by the trial court or by this court on appeal. This brings us to a consideration of the merits of the case. On August 26, 1947, a person claiming to be Houston Nickelson went to defendant bank and opened an account therein by depositing a check for $900 written by himself payable to "Cash" drawn on Exchange State Bank of Glendive, Montana, and signed Houston Nickelson. The following day the same individual withdrew from the account he had opened the sum of $400 by a check for that amount, also written by himself, payable to "Cash" and signed Houston Nickelson. Defendant Roop was then, and at the time of the trial of this action, a vice president of defendant bank and the individual who handled the original transaction resulting in the opening of the account in the name of Houston Nickelson. Some other officer or employee of the bank handled the transaction when the $400 check was presented and that amount withdrawn from the account. The $900 check was returned unpaid marked "No A/C" and because of the non-payment of the $900 check and the cashing of the $400 check defendant bank suffered a loss in the latter amount. Upon discovery of the loss defendant Roop reported the matter to Alfred Thompson, the Assistant State's Attorney of Burleigh County, North Dakota, who prepared a criminal complaint charging Houston Nickelson with the crime of obtaining money by false pretenses. The complaint was filed with I. M. Oseth, a justice of the peace in and for Burleigh County, North Dakota, who thereupon issued a warrant for the arrest of Houston Nickelson on said charge and delivered the warrant to the sheriff of said county for service. The person named in the warrant could not then be found and the sheriff issued the customary bulletin to be circulated among law enforcing officers announcing that he had a warrant for the arrest of Houston Nickelson. Nothing further transpired in connection with the *480 matter until August 21, 1951, when the State's Attorney's office of Burleigh County, North Dakota, received a telegram from the Chief of Police of Portland, Oregon, reading: "Lester I. Nickelson alias Houston Nickelson wanted by your office forgery in custody. Waives extradition. Advise". When the foregoing telegram was received the original complaint and warrant could not be located. The Assistant State's Attorney thereupon prepared a new criminal complaint charging Houston Nickelson with the crime of obtaining money by false pretenses and took it to the First National Bank in Bismarck and procured its execution by defendant Roop, whereupon the justice issued a new warrant of arrest under which plaintiff herein was apprehended and returned from Portland, Oregon, to Bismarck, North Dakota, where he was placed in custody pending a preliminary hearing on the charge contained in the criminal complaint. The preliminary hearing resulted in plaintiff being bound over to the District Court. Bail was fixed, but being unable to furnish it, plaintiff was committed to jail where he remained for a period of approximately sixty days, at which time the complaint against Houston Nickelson was dismissed by a Judge of the District Court of Burleigh County, North Dakota, on the written application of the State's Attorney of said county reciting as grounds therefor that the State's Attorney did not believe there was sufficient evidence available to secure the conviction of Houston Nickelson. This lawsuit followed. In considering the evidence for the purpose of determining whether the trial court was correct in its finding that there was no proof of lack or want of probable cause or of malice, we note first that the record is conclusive that the crime of obtaining money by false pretenses had been committed by some one, a fact which is conceded by all concerned. The whole case against these defendants hinges on the identity of the person committing the crime and specifically whether there was probable cause for believing that this plaintiff was the person who had written the checks by means of which the crime was committed. Plaintiff denied that he was Houston Nickelson, the person who signed the checks or the person named in the complaint and warrant. His counsel maintains very strenuously that defendant Roop, testifying at the preliminary hearing, positively identified plaintiff as the person who had been in the bank and who had deposited the $900 check, and he then argues that such positive identification of plaintiff was the basis on which the committing magistrate made a finding of probable cause and bound plaintiff over to the District Court to answer to the charge contained in the complaint. The record, however, does not bear out counsel's contention. Because the question of identity is the crucial question in the case we quote all of the evidence in the record given by defendant Roop bearing on the identification of plaintiff, all of such testimony having been elicited on cross-examination under the statute, Section 31-0202 NDRC 1943. "Q. Is the party who signed this check that man over there? (Indicating the man sitting at plaintiff's counsel table) A. I can't say that he is. A. Yes, sir. Plaintiff called as witnesses the other persons present at the preliminary hearing, namely the deputy sheriff who apprehended plaintiff, the Assistant State's Attorney who conducted all of the proceedings in the criminal action, and the Committing Magistrate, and sought to show by their testimony that defendant Roop had positively identified plaintiff at the preliminary hearing. *482 Their testimony was taken on the trial of this case for the purpose of proving what oral evidence had been adduced at the preliminary hearing such evidence not having been reported in shorthand, reduced to writing, or preserved by the use of any mechanical recording device. When plaintiff's counsel asked him to give the substance of the testimony that Roop gave at the preliminary hearing regarding the identity of the plaintiff, the magistrate said: The testimony of the Assistant State's Attorney is substantially the same as that of the magistrate. The strongest testimony against Roop on the matter of positive identification comes from the deputy sheriff who testified: This witness was then shown the snapshot that is described in the testimony of the magistrate and asked what Roop said at the preliminary hearing with reference to the snapshot and the witness answered: On cross-examination the deputy sheriff said: A careful consideration of all the deputy sheriff's testimony discloses that he did not positively testify that Roop said that the man in the snapshot was the same man that was in the bank but that the deputy sheriff "understood" that Roop so testified. The plaintiff argues that this evidence establishes that Roop positively stated that the plaintiff was the person who came into the bank and committed the crime and that the jury having found for the plaintiff, this court is bound thereby as to that fact and that plaintiff having been positively identified by Roop, he is liable to the plaintiff for false imprisonment to the extent of the damages determined by the jury. *483 We are unable to agree with the plaintiff either as to his contentions of fact or law. The jury were not entitled to take what the deputy sheriff understood Roop's testimony to be and expand it by inference into a positive identification contrary to the testimony of other witnesses. The evidence does establish, however, that the jury was entitled to reach the conclusion that Roop testified that the man in the snapshot, who was the plaintiff, was to Roop's best knowledge and belief the man who bilked the bank. We now pass to the law applicable to the case in order to determine whether the trial court erred in granting defendant's motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict. The plaintiff in a case of malicious prosecution has the burden of proving both lack or want of probable cause and malice, and if probable cause is shown, then the question of malice becomes immaterial, because no amount of malice, if there be probable cause, will render the defendant liable. Mielke v. Rode, 58 N.D. 465, 226 N.W. 507. In considering the evidence we are, however, required to consider it in the light most favorable to plaintiff. Olstad v. Stockgrowers Credit Corp., 66 N.D. 416, 266 N.W. 109; Nelson v. Scherling, 71 N.D. 337, 300 N.W. 803; Bormann v. Beckman, 73 N.D. 720, 19 N.W.2d 455; Weber v. United Hardware & Implement Mutuals Co., 75 N.D. 581, 31 N.W.2d 456. So far as the evidence of defendant Roop elicited on cross-examination under the statute is concerned we can consider only those parts that are favorable to plaintiff. Marino v. Valenti, Cal.App., 259 P.2d 84, citing Jeppi v. Brockman Holding Co., 34 Cal. 2d 11, 18, 206 P.2d 847, 9 A.L.R.2d 1297; Young v. Bank of America, etc., 95 Cal. App. 2d 725, 729, 214 P.2d 106, 16 A.L.R.2d 1155. It is not incumbent on a person making complaint to the proper officers of the commission of a crime that such person should have positive proof, or proof beyond a reasonable doubt, that the person named actually committed the crime, if he has probable cause to believe that such person did commit the crime alleged and acted in good faith and with due regard to the rights of others, including the person charged, in making the complaint. The considerations governing the liability of a person making complaint to the proper officers of the commission of a crime and the effect of the committing magistrate's disposition of the case on preliminary hearing, are well stated in the case of Krehbiel v. Henkle, 178 Iowa 770, 160 N.W. 211, 213, from which we quote: In this case the record conclusively shows that all proceeding for the arrest, apprehension and binding over of plaintiff herein were handled by the regular and duly constituted law enforcing officers. Defendant bank participated not at all and defendant Roop only to the extent that he was asked to do so by the law enforcing officers. In his brief and on oral argument counsel for plaintiff virtually concedes that the original arrest of the plaintiff was justified, but predicates his right to recover on the theory that defendant Roop was responsible for continuing the prosecution of the criminal case against plaintiff after receiving information indicating that the plaintiff in the present action was not Houston Nickelson the person charged in the complaint signed by defendant Roop. In support of this claim counsel cites a number of cases, and other authority, on the general proposition that even though there may have been probable cause for the arrest in the first instance a defendant may be held liable if, without probable cause, he continues the prosecution. We do not question the correctness of the rule of law for which counsel contends, but we fail to see where it is applicable to the facts in this case, showing, as they do, that the only participation of either defendant in the prosecution of the criminal case was in defendant Roop signing the complaint when requested to do so, and appearing and testifying at the State's Attorney's request at the preliminary hearing. This was not such a participation in the continuance of the prosecution as the cases contemplate. Under the law of this state once a prosecution on a felony charge has been initiated the complaining witness loses all control over it. A complaint charging the commission of a public offense, including a felony, must be dismissed by the committing magistrate if it appears that a public offense has not been committed or if there is not sufficient cause to believe the defendant guilty thereof, Sec. 29-0718, NDRC 1943, and can be dismissed only by the judge of the district court of the county where the action is pending after the defendant has been bound over, and then only on the written application of the State's Attorney of such county therein setting forth good reasons for the discontinuance of the prosecution. Section 29-1801 NDRC 1943 and Section 29-1804 NDRC 1943. In the case before us, if Houston Nickelson and Lester I. Nicholson actually are different individuals there has been a mistake as to the identity of this plaintiff, but the mistake, if any, originated with and was continued by the public authorities having charge of the case. If Houston Nickelson and Lester I. Nicholson are different *485 individuals the initial mistake of identity was made by the Police Department of Portland, Oregon. The record is silent as to just why the members of that Department concluded that Lester I. Nicholson and Houston Nickelson was the same individual. Plaintiff was a witness in this case in his own behalf and testified that he was not in the State of North Dakota during the month of August, 1947. He did not testify where he was during that month nor did he offer any evidence whatsoever to corroborate his claim of an alibi. Neither defendant ever made any charge against Lester I. Nicholson, signed no complaint charging him with the commission of any crime, nor did they ask that Lester I. Nicholson be arrested. The only charge made by either defendant was a charge against Houston Nickelson, as to whom there was conclusive evidence of probable cause. These defendants can not be held liable for a case of mistaken identity committed by the law enforcing officers having the matter in charge. The situation here is not different from that present in the case of Hughes v. Oreb, 36 Cal. 2d 854, 228 P.2d 550, 553, from which we quote: In Miller v. Fano, 134 Cal. 103, 107, 66 P. 183, 184, being one of the cases cited in the foregoing quotation, the court said: "It would be a hard and unjust law that would hold a party responsible in damages for false imprisonment for an honest mistake as to the identity of a party." In Turner v. Mellon, 257 P.2d 15, 17, a case of false imprisonment, the Supreme Court of California said: The court went on to say: Schnaufer v. Price, Tex.Civ.App., 124 S.W.2d 940, is very much in point. In that case, as in the case at bar, a swindle had been perpetrated on a bank official. The arrest of the plaintiff was made solely by and upon the responsibility of public officials. But he was the wrong man. After his arrest the bank official positively identified the plaintiff as the swindler, while in the case at bar the identification is not positive. The plaintiff in that case was later released upon the opinion of a handwriting expert to the effect that he did not sign a note involved in the swindle. The court held that the plaintiff failed to establish a cause of action for false arrest and imprisonment. That case is cited in the following annotations: 10 A.L.R.2d 756; 21 A.L.R.2d 711. On the question of identity and the effect of the action of the committing magistrate in binding a defendant over see the case of White v. Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co., 162 Or. 270, 90 P.2d 193, 197, where the Oregon court, among other things, said: For further authority on the question of liability in the case of mistaken identity see 34 Am.Jur. 733, Sec. 49; Annotation in 65 A.L.R. 225; Foulke v. New York Consol. R. Co., 228 N.Y. 269, 127 N.E. 237, 9 A.L.R. 1384. The dismissal of the criminal prosecution on the application of the prosecuting attorney would not be evidence against the defendant on the issue of want of probable cause in commencing the proceeding. 34 Am.Jur. 742, Sec. 62. See also annotation 114 A.L.R. page 889. The plaintiff failed to prove lack or want of probable cause or malice. It follows that the judgment of the District Court must be and is affirmed. MORRIS, C. J., GRIMSON, CHRISTIANSON and SATHRE, JJ., and NELSON, District Judge, concur.