Title: In Re Fox
Citation: 296 So. 2d 701
Docket Number: 47972
State: Mississippi
Issuer: Mississippi Supreme Court
Date: May 13, 1974

296 So. 2d 701 (1974) In re Disbarment of John P. FOX. No. 47972. Supreme Court of Mississippi. May 13, 1974. Rehearing Denied June 4, 1974. Frank T. Williams, Satterfield, Shell, Williams &amp; Buford, Jackson, L.G. Fant Jr., Fant, Crutcher, Moore &amp; Spencer, Holly Springs, for appellant. Lester F. Sumners, New Albany, Armis E. Hawkins, James S. Gore, James M. Hood, Jr., Houston, Walter M. O'Barr, John D. Sibley, Kenneth Coleman, Okolona, for appellee. ROBERTSON, Justice: On September 2, 1972, six members of the local bar, all in good standing, filed a petition for disbarment against John P. Fox in the Circuit Court of Chickasaw County. Fox was charged with unethical and dishonest conduct arising principally from his handling of collections and stock purchases for his client, David Kouba, while Kouba was a commercial pilot in Laos. The circuit court sustained a motion for a subpoena duces tecum, and ordered the Bank of Houston to produce all of its records of deposits in, and withdrawals from, the John P. Fox Trust Account from June 1st, 1969, through May 25, 1971. *702 On October 11, 1972, the Mississippi State Bar petitioned for leave to "Join the Petition to Disbar John P. Fox". The court granted the petition and authorized Honorable Lester F. Sumners of the New Albany bar and Honorable James Hugh Ray of the Tupelo bar to represent the State Bar Association in this matter. Fox was represented at all hearings by Honorable L.G. Fant, Jr., of the Holly Springs bar and Honorable Frank T. Williams, of the Jackson bar. This Court commends counsel for both sides for their very able and competent representation of their clients and the great help they have been to this Court in a most difficult matter. After a great deal of legal skirmishing and numerous hearings on preliminary motions even including a hearing before the United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi, and the Circuit Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, New Orleans Louisiana, and after an amendment to the Petition for Disbarment, the hearing of the case on its merits was finally begun on February 15, 1973, and factual testimony was taken through February 21, 1973. The record of the hearing is composed of 1498 pages of testimony in seven bound volumes and nine bound volumes of exhibits. After this long and protracted hearing, the court on May 30, 1973, found Fox guilty of "improper, unethical and dishonest acts, and a deceitful and dishonest course of conduct" and disbarred him from practicing law, revoked his license and ordered his name stricken from the rolls as a licensed practicing lawyer in the courts of this State. Fox assigns as error and argues these points in his brief: 1. The proceeding below was void under the Constitution of the United States and the law of the State of Mississippi; 2. Lawyers practice law by right; 3. The subpoena duces tecum was illegal; 4. The judge should have recused himself; 5. The intervention of the Mississippi State Bar was illegal and prejudicial; 6. Disbarment was unwarranted and extreme. In 1932 the Mississippi Legislature recognized the inherent right of the courts to discipline members of the bar, who by virtue of their oath and office are officers of the court and, therefore, vitally interested in the proper and efficient administration of justice through the courts. (Chapter 121, Laws of 1932). Mississippi Code Annotated section 73-3-155 (1972) a part of the original act of 1932 provides: This Court stressed its inherent right and recognized its solemn duty and responsibility *703 as the final judge of the law and the facts and the judgment to be rendered in Mississippi State Bar Association v. Wade, 250 Miss. 625, 167 So. 2d 648 (1964); In Re Denman, 224 Miss. 92, 79 So. 2d 536 (1955); In Re Quinn's Disbarment, 223 Miss. 660, 78 So. 2d 883 (1955); In Re Poole, 222 Miss. 678, 76 So. 2d 850 (1955); In Re Higgins, 194 Miss. 838, 13 So. 2d 829 (1943). Back in 1922, this Court in Ex Parte Cashin, 128 Miss. 224, 90 So. 850, said: Again in 1943 in Re Higgins, 194 Miss. 838, 13 So. 2d 829, this Court in positive and unmistakeable terms asserted its inherent jurisdiction over members of the legal profession as its own officers when it said: We can not over-emphasize the great and fundamental duties and responsibilities that devolve upon all attorneys licensed by the courts to practice law. In Poole, 222 Miss. 678, 76 So. 2d 850 (1955), this Court said: This Court (all nine Justices sitting en banc) has carefully studied, discussed and considered this voluminous record and all exhibits. We are satisfied that appellant Fox has received due process both in the circuit court and in this Court. We do feel, however, that in view of the fact that his troubles began in his course of dealing with David Kouba while he was overseas, and apparently ended when he made Kouba whole financially, and in view of appellant's age, abilities, past good reputation and promise for the future, that he deserves a second chance to prove himself as an honorable and trustworthy attorney. It is, therefore, the opinion of this Court that the appellant's conduct was not such that he should suffer permanent disbarment but that he should be suspended from the practice of law in all courts of this State for a period of four months, the period of suspension to begin 30 days after the mandate of this Court goes down to the lower court. It is so ordered that appellant be suspended from the practice of law for four months. GILLESPIE, C.J., and INZER, SMITH and WALKER, JJ., concur. RODGERS, P.J., and BROOM, PATTERSON and SUGG, JJ., dissent. RODGERS, Presiding Justice (dissenting). I am constrained to respectfully disagree with my astute colleagues in the result reached by the majority in this case. I submit that we have no jurisdiction of this case, and if we could have accepted jurisdiction on appeal, by any stretch of the imagination, there are other serious reversible errors shown in the record, one of which will be discussed later. There is no issue as to the fact that the defendant was tried by a group of lawyers before a judge in vacation, and on one occasion even out of the county of his residence. I agree that a circuit court has inherent jurisdiction to disbar a lawyer from practicing in that court, but I do not agree that a judge of the circuit court, this Court or any other court, has the authority to hear a proceeding not in term time and enter an order in vacation on any subject not specifically authorized by law, such as habeas corpus, supersedeas and authorized vacation decrees by a chancellor. A judge is not a court. He is just a member of the court, albeit a material member. One text writer has this to say on the subject: This state has established our circuit courts in the pattern and under the restrictions imposed on the assize circuit travelling court of England. There a court was "composed of an assembly of knights and other substantial men, with the baron or justice, in a certain place at an appointed time." Bouvier's Law Dictionary First Edition, Assize, at 182, 183 (1897). Judges of the assize and nisi prius circuits, sent out on the eight circuits, were judges of the superior courts of common law and given commission: of the peace; of oyer and terminer; of jail delivery; and of nisi prius. The courts were not only required to meet at a certain time and place, but sentences were not imposed until the fifth day after the trial in open court. Section 1428, Mississippi Code 1942 Annotated (1956) [now Mississippi Code Annotated *706 § 9-7-81 (1972)] gives the circuit court power to hear and determine all prosecutions except such as may be exclusively cognizable before some other court, "and said court shall have all the powers belonging to a court of oyer and terminer and general jail delivery, and may do and perform all other acts properly pertaining to a circuit court of law." Section 147, Mississippi Constitution 1890 recognizes the difference between equity courts and courts of the common law of this state. If we assume [as we must have so done] that Section 8715, Mississippi Code 1942 Annotated (1956) [now Mississippi Code Annotated § 73-3-155 (1972)] is applicable in this case [in which certain lawyers filed the bill of complaint rather than the statutory procedure following the acts of the State Bar Commission], even this law requires a hearing before a court, as shown by the following quotation from the statute: "Provided, that in all disbarment and/or reinstatement proceedings in the chancery or circuit court, a record shall be made of all testimony, ..." (Emphasis added) In the case of Walton v. State, 147 Miss. 851, 112 So. 790 (1927) we dealt with a legislative act, House Bill 363, Chapter 130, Laws of 1926, in which the Legislature attempted to make the terms of the circuit court for criminal business perpetual so as to keep the court open at all times. We pointed out, however, that Section 158, Mississippi Constitution 1890, required at least two (2) terms of court in each county. We held that in construing the law in effect at the time the Constitution was ordained and established, in the light of the common law, "that the court shall be held at stated times, ..." [147 Miss. at 863, 112 So. at 792]. We also said: "Perpetual terms of the court were not contemplated, neither were perpetual juries or professional jurors." [147 Miss. at 864, 112 So. at 792]. The only authority given to a circuit judge to try cases in vacation in this state is clearly set forth under Section 1523, Mississippi Code 1942 Annotated (1956) [now Mississippi Code Annotated § 11-7-133 (1972)], as follows: Cited under this section will be found the many cases holding that a circuit judge has no authority to try cases in vacation except those expressly authorized by law. We have often held that a circuit judge could not enter a judgment in vacation unless authorized by statutory authority to so do. See Wilson v. Rodewald, 61 Miss. 228 (1883). See also the many cases cited in Hyde Construction Company v. Highway Material Company, 248 Miss. 564, 159 So. 2d 170 (1963). The appellees contend that the authority of the judge to act in this case is based upon the inherent power of the court to preserve the dignity of the court. This argument must fail because one of the greatest inherent powers of the court is to punish for contempt, and contempt proceedings cannot be heard in vacation. It has been said: "The power of courts of justice, whether of record or not, to punish for *707 contempt is an incident essential to the execution and maintenance of judicial authority." 12 Am.Jur. Contempt § 3, at 390 (1938). It is also said to be inherent in all courts of general jurisdiction. 12 Am.Jur. Contempt § 40, at 418 (1938). Nevertheless, this Court has held that contempt proceedings could not be had in vacation. We said in Ex Parte Redmond, 156 Miss. 582, 126 So. 485 (1930) as follows: The writers of our Mississippi Constitution 1890 were careful to preserve our ancient right to be heard in open court. Section 24 is in the following language: Courts of Star-Chamber where "divers lords, spiritual and temporal, who were members of the privy council, together with two judges of the courts of common law" gathered together for the purpose of having a secret trial, have long since been abolished. One of the elements of due process is the right to be heard in open court by a fair and impartial judge. The appellant was denied due process because he was not given his day in court. If, however, there were a final judgment[1] from a court of law and we actually had jurisdiction of the case, the judgment should be reversed for several reasons. The first error occurred in the beginning of the trial. The specifications filed against the appellant were not such as to authorize a general perusal of the appellant's bank account; nevertheless, a subpoena duces tecum was issued requiring the bank to bring in all the defendant's trustee records, and from these records a case was made against the defendant. The subpoena duces tecum was clearly a fishing expedition issued without probable cause. The writ covered private affairs not involved in the charge. We said in Board of Review v. Williams, 195 Miss. 618, 15 So. 2d 48 (1943): See also 58 Am.Jur. Witnesses § 25, at 36 (1948); Bowman Dairy Co. v. United states, 341 U.S. 214, 71 S. Ct. 675, 95 L. Ed. 879 (1951); the many cases cited Annot., 23 A.L.R.2d 867 (1952). This Court, in speaking of the statutory authority to require the production of papers, had this to say: The defendant Fox was entitled to a fair trial in a regular open court and was entitled to all the other rights given by law to any other citizen, and, in my judgment, he was not given due process. I would, therefore, reverse this case so that he could be tried in open court on proper evidence at a regular term. PATTERSON, SUGG and BROOM, JJ., concur. BROOM, Justice (dissenting): While I agree with the statement in the majority opinion of the Court commending counsel for both sides on their able presentations in this cause, I am obliged to dissent as to the judgment rendered. It is my view that the purported record of evidence was made before the person of a judge, not a court, in vacation who had no authority in such a posture to hear the cause before him. The majority opinion does not precisely address the critical question of whether or not a judge may without statutory authority try a disbarment in vacation. Mississippi Code Annotated section 73-3-155 (1972) is cited and the rationale of the opinion is that courts have the inherent right to discipline members of the bar. Section 73-3-155 permits and directs us to "render final judgment" in disbarment cases, but this same section says that this shall be done "upon appeals ... from the chancery and/or circuit court. ..." (Emphasis added). This presupposes that proceedings below in such litigation were conducted in a court. The statute should not apply to action conducted below merely before the person of a judge in vacation. As case law authority, the majority opinion cites: In Re Poole, 222 Miss. 678, 76 So. 2d 850 (1955); In Re Higgins, 194 Miss. 838, 13 So. 2d 829 (1943); and Ex Parte Cashin, 128 Miss. 224, 90 So. 850 (1922). No case of this jurisdiction has ever ruled that disbarment matters may be tried in vacation. Cashin, which was tried in term time, says that disbarment is "sui generis" and not a "punishment proceeding." It also says that disbarment is a "summary" type power inherent "in the courts" (emphasis added), and makes the pronouncement that disbarment is "not the trial of an action or suit." More recently the rationale of these cases of this jurisdiction was in effect overruled. In Re Ruffalo, 390 U.S. 544, 88 S. Ct. 1222, 20 L. Ed. 2d 117 (1968); Spevack v. Klein, 385 U.S. 511, 87 S. Ct. 625, 17 L. Ed. 2d 574 (1967). It is fair to say that since Ruffalo and Spevack, the articulations of Cashin are no longer the law, but that: (1) Disbarment is a "punishment or penalty imposed on the lawyer;" (2) a lawyer who is the subject of disbarment proceedings is entitled to "procedural due process;" (3) disbarment is adversary in nature; and (4) it is the trial of a suit or action. Spevack held that lawyers are to be treated as having "first-class citizenship" and accorded equal rights extended to others. While considering the question of what powers are vested in a circuit judge to try disbarment matters and compile recorded testimony in vacation, one must be mindful that there is a vast difference between a judge and a court. My brethren who rendered the majority opinion herein failed to note this distinction and in so doing ignored the well established rule of this jurisdiction that both judges and/or courts when acting in vacation may act only within the limits of legislative authority. Also, the majority failed to apply the corollary *709 rule that actions taken by judges and/or courts absent statutory authority during vacation are absolutely void. It might be asserted that a judge may summarily strike from the roster of those who practice before him the name of a lawyer, but to disbar one generally is another matter. Chalmers, J., speaking for this Court in Wilson v. Rodewald, 61 Miss. 228 (1883), at page 232, recognized the distinction between a judge and a court, and said: This Court stated in Ex Parte Redmond, 156 Miss. 582, 126 So. 485 (1930) that a court is without power to try a lawyer in vacation on a charge of contempt. Every time this Court has been confronted with this question heretofore, we have ruled that judges have no more power in vacation than is specifically given them by statute. Hyde Constr. Co. v. Highway Materials Co., 248 Miss. 564, 159 So. 2d 170 (1963); White v. State, 185 Miss. 307, 188 So. 8 (1939); Union Motor Car Co. v. Cartledge, 133 Miss. 318, 97 So. 801 (1923); and Gulf Coast Stevedoring Co. v. Gibbs, 124 Miss. 188, 86 So. 582 (1920). All of these cases support Wilson, supra, and Arbour v. Yazoo &amp; M.V.R.R., 98 Miss. 714 at 717, 54 So. 158 (1910) which stated the rule "... it seems well settled that all proceedings (emphasis added) in a court, at a time when the holding of such court is unauthorized by law ... are void." Since Ruffalo, supra, and Spevack, supra, were decided by the United States Supreme Court, no one can deny that criminals and private litigants are entitled to procedural due process. How can it be said that procedural due process, in matters involving the privilege of lawyers to practice law, does not include the right to trial in term time accorded citizens of other echelons or classes? Who would assert that a murderer could be legally convicted in vacation though it be upon adequate notice and in strict adherence to every rule that would be applicable in term time? Is a lawyer entitled to less solemnities or less judicial consideration than a murderer? Historically the legislature has made laws fixing qualifications of judges, terms of office, establishing times or schedules when courts will be in session and providing what matters may be attended to when court is not in session during a fixed term. What this Court has done in (1) ignoring its prior decisions, that vacation powers of the person of a judge are no greater than granted by statute, and (2) in reading into Mississippi Code Annotated section 73-3-155, supra, the thesis that appeals from "chancery and/or circuit court" are the same as appeals from the person of a judge, amounts to judicial legislation. The record before us is so lacking in evidence of viable and cognizable qualities that we are not confronted with anything upon which we can render judgment. Jurisdiction is not present under such circumstances as here where the purported trial did not occur in a legally organized and constituted court, but took place in vacation before the person of a circuit judge. Absent jurisdiction, I take no part in the type sanction imposed against Fox except to say we have no authority other than to reverse and remand for appropriate trial. RODGERS, P.J., and PATTERSON and SUGG, JJ., join in this dissent. [1] There must have been a final judgment in the trial court before the Supreme Court has jurisdiction on appeal. See Section 1945, Miss.Code 1942 Ann. (1956) [now Miss. Code Ann. § 9-3-9 (1972)].