Source: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/311/457/
Timestamp: 2019-04-21 02:40:54+00:00

Document:
1. Where its judgment is challenged in another State, the jurisdiction of a state court over the parties or the subject matter is open to inquiry. P. 311 U. S. 462.
2. If the judgment on its face appears to be a record of a court of general jurisdiction, then jurisdiction over the parties and the subject matter will be presumed, unless disproved by extrinsic evidence or by the record itself. P. 311 U. S. 462.
3. Where a judgment of a state court having jurisdiction of the parties and the subject matter is challenged in another State, the full faith and credit clause of the Federal Constitution precludes any inquiry into the merits of the cause of action, the logic or consistency of the decision, or the validity of the legal principles on which the judgment is based. P. 311 U. S. 462.
the service of process on absent defendants, was personally served in another State, held valid and entitled to full faith and credit under the Federal Constitution. P. 311 U. S. 463.
A court of another State cannot refuse to give full faith and credit to such judgment on the ground of an inconsistency between the judgment and the findings.
5. An incident of domicile is amenability to suit within the State even during sojourns without the State, where the State has provided a reasonable method for apprising the absent party of the proceedings against him. P. 311 U. S. 464.
105 Colo. 532; 100 P.2d 151, reversed.
Certiorari, 310 U.S. 622, to review the affirmance of a judgment which denied full faith and credit to a foreign judgment.
The Colorado Supreme Court held null and void a judgment of the Wyoming court against the claim of Milliken that that judgment was entitled to full faith and credit under the Federal Constitution. 101 Colo. 564, 76 P.2d 420; 105 Colo. 532, 100 P.2d 151. The case is here on a petition for certiorari which we granted, 310 U.S. 622, because of the substantial character of the federal question which is raised.
4/64ths of those profits. Milliken asserted a claim to a two-thirds interest in that 4/64ths share. As a settlement of that dispute, Transcontinental, on May 3, 1924, contracted to pay Milliken a 2/64ths interest and Milliken assigned [Footnote 2] to Transcontinental all his claims against Meyer pertaining to the lands in question and to Meyer's 4/64ths interest in the profits.
not give the Wyoming court jurisdiction of his person or property, and that such judgment was violative of the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Milliken's answer alleged, inter alia, that Meyer was a resident of Wyoming at the time of the Wyoming action, and that the Wyoming judgment was entitled to full faith and credit in Colorado under the Federal Constitution. Article 4, § 1. The Colorado court, on issues joined, found that Meyer was domiciled in Wyoming when the Wyoming suit was commenced, that the Wyoming statutes for substituted service were constitutional, that the affidavit for constructive service [Footnote 7] on Meyer was filed in good faith, substantially conformed to the Wyoming statute and stated the truth, that Wyoming had jurisdiction over the person of Meyer, that the Wyoming decree [Footnote 8] was not void, and that the bill should be dismissed.
the only basis for an action by Milliken against Meyer rested upon the claim before its assignment.
"record of a court of general jurisdiction, such jurisdiction over the cause and the parties is to be presumed unless disproved by extrinsic evidence, or by the record itself."
Adam v. Saenger, supra, at p. 303 U. S. 62. In such case, the full faith and credit clause of the Constitution precludes any inquiry into the merits of the cause of action, the logic or consistency of the decision, or the validity of the legal principles on which the judgment is based. Fauntleroy v. Lum, 210 U. S. 230; Roche v. McDonald, 275 U. S. 449; Titus v. Wallick, 306 U. S. 282. Whatever mistakes of law may underlie the judgment (Cooper v. Reynolds, 10 Wall. 308), it is "conclusive as to all the media concludendi." Fauntleroy v. Lum, supra, at p. 210 U. S. 237.
Accordingly, if the Wyoming court had jurisdiction over Meyer, the holding by the Colorado Supreme Court that the Wyoming judgment was void because of an inconsistency between the findings and the decree was not warranted.
of that citizenship arise out of the relationship to the state which domicile creates. That relationship is not dissolved by mere absence from the state. The attendant duties, like the rights and privileges incident to domicile, are not dependent on continuous presence in the state. One such incidence of domicile is amenability to suit within the state even during sojourns without the state, where the state has provided and employed a reasonable method for apprising such an absent party of the proceedings against him. See Restatement, Conflict of Laws, §§ 47, 79; Dodd, Jurisdiction in Personal Actions, 23 Ill.L.Rev. 427. Here, such a reasonable method was so provided and so employed.
Transcontinental Oil Co. In June, 1923, Transcontinental had disposed of a one-half interest in the properties in question to Texas Production Co. In April, 1931, Ohio Oil Co. acquired the remaining interest of Transcontinental in the properties.
Milliken's son, Carl S. Milliken, had an interest in the Milliken claim which he likewise assigned to Transcontinental.
"Service by publication may be had in either of the following cases:"
"6. In actions where the defendant, being a resident of this state, has departed from the county of his residence with the intent to delay or defraud his creditors, or to avoid the service of a summons, or keeps himself concealed with like intent."
"Personal service out of state. In all cases where service may be made by publication under the provisions of this chapter, personal service of a copy of the summons and the petition in said action may be made out of the state, and such summons, when issued for service out of the state, shall be returnable at the option of the party having it issued, on the second, third, or fourth Monday after its date, and shall require the defendant or defendants named therein to answer the petition in said action on or before the third Saturday after the return day named in said summons."
His deposition, however, was taken on oral interrogatories concerning his legal residence in Wyoming.
By the Ohio Oil Co., one of the vendees of Transcontinental. These payments were to Margaret M. Milliken, to whom Milliken's interests had been assigned.
Texas Production Co. and Ohio Oil Co. were joined as defendants. They filed separate answers and cross-complaints which are not material here. It should be noted, however, that the Ohio Oil Co., in its answer, set up the contract between Milliken and Transcontinental whereby Milliken assigned all of his rights against Meyer in the lands and the 4/64ths interest in question to Transcontinental and alleged that Milliken was estopped thereby to make any claims against it for the disputed 1/64th interest.
While the affidavit for constructive service stated, in accordance with § 5636 of the Wyoming Comp.Stat., supra, note 3 that Meyer concealed himself in order to avoid service of summons, the present record does not show whether or not the Wyoming court so found.
The Wyoming judgment does not seem to have been proved by respondents in accordance with the provisions of R.S. § 905, 28 U.S.C. § 687, in their suit in Colorado to set it aside. Nor was that judgment so proved by the answers. But, since the Colorado trial court gave the Wyoming judgment full faith and credit despite lack of such proof, respondents cannot here claim that that was error.

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 § 5636
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 § 687