Case Name: FORTIER v. GUMELSKY. In re FORTIER
Court: Louisiana Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1920-11-03
Citations: 148 La. 768
Docket Number: No. 24240
Parties: FORTIER v. GUMELSKY. In re FORTIER.
Judges: 
Reporter: Louisiana Reports
Volume: 148
Pages: 767–771

Head Matter:
(87 South. 741)
No. 24240.
FORTIER v. GUMELSKY. In re FORTIER.
(Nov. 3, 1920.
On Rehearing, Feb. 28, 1921.)
(Syllabus by Editorial Staff.)
I. Certiorari &wkey;*29 — Mandamus &wkey;>53 — Prohibition &wkey;>5(2) — Available to correct errors only in extraordinary cases.
Under Const, art. 94, writs of certiorari, mandamus, and prohibition were not available to correct action of court in dissolving an injunction in absence of pl’aintiff and bis attorney, though plaintiff wrote a letter to the judge, complaining that rule to show cause why injunction should not be dissolved fixed too short a time.
2. Appearance <&wkey;8(I) — Injunction <&wkey;175— Letter to court not appearance; injunction held properly dissolved.
Where, upon rule to show cause why injunction obtained by plaintiff should not be set aside, the rule being returnable on a certain date, counsel for plaintiff wrote to the judge, complaining that time fixed by 'the order was too short, and asking for a continuance, and the judge paid no attention to the letter, but at the time fixed, in the absence of plaintiff and .his attorney, but after they had been 'duly called at the courthouse door, proceeded and rendered judgment dissolving the injunction, t^iere was no error, as a letter cannot be made to take the place of a regular appearance in court.
On Rehearing.
3. Continuance <&wkey;48 — Properly denied, where no counsel present to urge motion.
Motion for continuance, filed on day for which the case was fixed for trial, held properly overruled, where no counsel was present 'to urge it.
Action by Edwin L. Fortier against Lazard Gumelsky. Judgment rendered dissolving the injunction obtained by plaintiff, and plaintiff applies for writs of certiorari, mandamus, and prohibition.
Application dismissed.
James T. Prowell, of ’New Orleans, and H. G. Hungate, of Hammond, for applicant.
Bolivar E. Kemp, of Amite, for respondent.

Opinion:
PROVO STY, J.
A rule to show cause why an injunction obtained by the plaintiff, For-tier, should not be set aside, was made returnable on the 9th of the month.
Counsel for Fortier wrote to the judge, complaining that the time thus fixed was too short — indeed, was in violation of the rules of court, owing to intervening holidays — and asking for a continuance. The judge paid no attention to this letter, but proceeded to try the case at the time fixed, and to render judgment dissolving the injunction. This he did in the absence of Fortier and his attorney, but after they had been duly called at the door of the' courthouse, as customary in the respondent judge's court.
On the day after the trial and judgment, i. e" on the 10th, Fortier filed in this court the present application for writs of certiorari, mandamus, and prohibition.
Only in cases calling for the exercise of the extraordinary powers of this court under article 94 of the Constitution are the writs now applied for available for correcting errors below, after trial and judgment. This is not such a case, and could not be even if there had been error; and there was none, since a letter cannot be made to take the place of a regular appearance in court, and since the time fixed for the return was not in violation of any rule of court. This fact, by the way, did not appear when the order nisi herein was made, but does appear from the rules themselves, of which a copy is annexed to the return of the learned respondent judge.
Application dismissed at the cost of applicant