Title: City of Minot v. Kitzman
Citation: 71 N.W.2d 633
Docket Number: 7466
State: north-dakota
Issuer: north-dakota Supreme Court
Date: July 26, 1955

71 N.W.2d 633 (1955) CITY OF MINOT, Plaintiff and Appellant, v. Maynard KITZMAN, Defendant and Respondent. No. 7466. Supreme Court of North Dakota. July 26, 1955. Rehearing Denied August 26, 1955. Paul Campbell, Minot, for plaintiff and appellant. Joseph P. Stevens, Minot, for defendant and respondent. SATHRE, Judge. This is an appeal from an order of the District Court of Ward County dismissing the appeal of the City of Minot from a judgment of the Police Magistrate acquitting the defendant of a charge of violating Section 203 of Chapter 8 of the Revised Ordinances of the City of Minot. Said Section 203 is as follows: Section 204 of said Chapter 8 prescribes the penalty and is as follows: The facts in the case are as follows: The defendant Maynard Kitzman was arrested by the police officers of the city of Minot and charged with driving while under the influence of intoxicating liquor in violation of Chapter 8, Section 203 quoted herein. He entered a plea of guilty to such charge. Thereafter upon showing duly made before the Police Magistrate he was permitted to withdraw his plea of guilty and was granted a trial. After such trial the Police Magistrate rendered a judgment of acquittal. The city appealed to the district court from this judgment. Upon motion of the defendant the appeal to the district court was dismissed. In its order of dismissal the district court held that there was no statute granting the right of appeal by the city from the judgment of acquittal entered by the Police Magistrate's court. The city of Minot appealed from the order of the District Court dismissing its appeal. The sole question raised on this appeal is whether under the constitution and statutes of the state a city has the right to appeal from decisions of a Police Magistrate. Section 113 of the State Constitution provides: Section 114 of the Constitution provides: The only statute which provides for appeals to the district court from a judgment of a police magistrate is Section 40-1819, NDRC, 1943 which provides as follows: The right of appeal conferred by said Section 40-1819 applies only to the defendant. The statute confers no right of appeal on the City. Section 40-1811, NDRC 1943 provides: Section 33-1234, 1953 Supp. NDRC 1943 provides: Under Section 114 of the Constitution quoted herein "Appeals shall lie from * * final decisions * * * police magistrates in such cases and pursuant to such regulations as may be prescribed by law." As we have pointed out the only statutes which have reference to appeals to the district court from a judgment of a police magistrate are Sections 40-1819 and 40-1811, supra. Section 40-1819 provides that an appeal may be taken to the district court from any judgment of a police magistrate's court or in the court of a village justice of the peace in the same manner as is provided for by the taking of an appeal from a justice's court generally except as otherwise provided in this section. It provides that no appeal shall be allowed unless the defendant shall enter into an undertaking, etc. There are three subdivisions, each of which refers to requirements to be complied with by the defendant in order to perfect his appeal. No reference is made to appeals by the city or municipality. All the requirements and regulations prescribed by this statute apply only to appeals by the defendant. Section 40-1811 makes no reference to appeals by the city or municipality; it provides that in all cases not specifically provided for in this chapter the process and proceedings in the court of a police magistrate or of a village justice of the peace shall be governed by the provisions of law in this state regulating proceedings in justices' courts in criminal cases. *636 In 62 C.J.S., Municipal Corporations, § 364, p. 707 it is stated: And in Vol. 9 McQuillan, Mun. Corp., 3rd Ed., Sec. 27.65, page 719 a statement of similar import is made. Counsel for appellant argues that under the provisions of Section 33-1234, 1953 Supp. NDRC 1943, quoted herein, the city of Minot has the right of appeal. It will be noted that under this statute an appeal may be taken from a judgment of a police magistrate "sitting as a justice of the peace". In the case of Espeland v. Police Magistrate's Court, 78 N.D. 349, 49 N.W.2d 394, we held that said statute has no application to an action before a police magistrate for the violation of an ordinance of a city, and that it applies only where a police magistrate sits as a justice of the peace in a criminal action. In such cases the police magistrate is functioning solely in the capacity of a justice of the peace in hearing and determining issues arising under criminal statutes of the state. Since there is no statute in this state authorizing appeals by cities from final judgments of police magistrates acquitting a defendant of violation of a city ordinance the order of the district court dismissing the appeal is affirmed. BURKE, C. J., and JOHNSON, GRIMSON and MORRIS, JJ., concur.