Source: http://www.chanrobles.com/usa/us_supremecourt/274/195/case.php
Timestamp: 2017-10-19 10:49:25
Document Index: 41917205

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 22', '§ 21', '§ 22', '§ 648', '§ 23', '§ 23']

The United States filed a bill in equity in the District Court for Southern New York under § 22 of Title II of the National Prohibition Act to abate a liquor nuisance alleged to be maintained by Duignan, the appellant, upon premises occupied by him under a lease. By amended bill, the appellee the Pall Mall Realty Corporation, the owner of the leased premises, was made a party defendant. In its answer, it admitted the allegations of the bill. By cross-bill, it set up its ownership of the premises, its lease to Duignan, the maintenance of a liquor nuisance by him on the premises in violation of § 21 of Title II of the National Prohibition chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
So far as appellant's motion for a jury trial was directed to the issues raised by the bill and answer, it was properly denied, as § 22 of the National Prohibition Act chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
The right to a jury trial may be waived where there is an appearance and participation in the trial without demanding a jury. 79 U. S. 166. Section 649 of the Revised Statutes provides that issues of fact may be tried by the court without a jury, upon written stipulation of the parties, and that the finding of the court upon the facts shall have the same effect as the verdict of the jury. But this section does not preclude other kinds of waiver. Kearney v. Case, supra. Its purpose and effect, when read together with §§ 648 and 700, is to define the scope of appellate review in actions at law without a jury. Unless there is a written stipulation waiving a jury, there can be no review of the rulings on questions of law in chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
the course of the trial or of the sufficiency of a special finding to support the judgment. See Law v. United States, 266 U. S. 494, 266 U. S. 496. Cf. Fleischmann Co. v. United States,@ 270 U. S. 349, 270 U. S. 355-356. Appellant's failure to demand a trial by a common law jury amounted, we think, to a waiver of the constitutional right, if any, now claimed.
But even if his application for a jury trial be regarded as an assertion of his constitutional right, there were no issues to be tried by a jury, as he had failed to answer the cross-bill. @ 87 U. S. 110. Hence, there was no error in the court's finding the facts supporting its judgment, without a jury. Whether issues raised by the pleadings in proceedings under § 23 must be tried by jury if seasonably demanded is a question which does not arise on this record.
Appellant on appeal for the first time challenged the equity jurisdiction of the court, urging that the remedy at law was adequate. The cancellation of appellant's lease, which was the relief sought, was a remedy competent for equity to give. The repeated holdings of the lower courts that a suit brought under § 23 is one cognizable in equity 274 U. S. 514; Brown v. Lake Superior Iron Co., 134 U. S. 530, 134 U. S. 534-536; Perego v. Dodge, supra, 163 U. S. 164, especially where, as here, appellant did not answer the cross-bill. For the same reason, it is unnecessary for us to determine whether appellee adopted the proper procedure in seeking the forfeiture of the lease by cross-bill. chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
* Grossman v. United States, 280 F.6d 3; United States v. Bynton, 297 F.2d 1; United States v. Archibald, 4 F.2d 587; United States v. Gaffney, 10 F.2d 694. Cf. United States v. Schwartz, 1 F.2d 718.