Opinion ID: 1113136
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: on motion for a full court to consider suggestion of error

Text: McGEHEE, C.J. On October 25, 1954, a unanimous decision was rendered in the above styled cause by a majority of the members of this Court. (Hn 2) In increasing the personnel of the Court from six to nine members by a constitutional amendment, for the purpose of enabling the Court to keep the docket reasonably current in the disposition of cases, it was provided that five members of the Court should constitute a quorum for the hearing and disposition of a case. Under our procedure of working in two groups it follows that one of the Judges sitting on a particular day must sit with the other four on the next sitting thereafter. It is deemed expedient that in response to  the above styled motion we should emphasize the fact that neither an appellant nor appellee can either win or lose a case before a five-judge group except by unanimous consent of the judges who compose the same. If it should be found upon the consideration of the suggestion of error filed herein that either of the five Judges who participated in the former decision should be of the opinion that it should be sustained, the result will be that the suggestion of error will then automatically be referred to all nine of the Judges for decision. Therefore, in keeping with the purpose of the Legislature and the wishes of the people in providing for the increase of the Court from six to nine members so as to keep the docket reasonably current, we can not afford to set a precedent of referring a suggestion of error to the full Court to be passed on unless the members of the group rendering the original decision should get in disagreement as to what disposition should be made of the suggestion of error. If we should adopt any other course it would follow that we would likely be asked to do so in regard to almost every suggestion of error, necessitating the presentation to the entire group the facts and contentions of law in every such case, and to no purpose since the votes of the Judges who originally considered the case, being five in number, would control the decision to be rendered by the entire group of nine, assuming that they would all adhere to their former views. Moreover, if either of the original group should change his mind the suggestion of error would automatically go before the entire group for decision, as aforesaid. The above styled motion will, therefore, be overruled, the suggestion of error considered by the group who originally participated in the case, and in the event either  of them should change his vote the same will then be considered by all of the Judges. Motion overruled. Hall, Kyle, Holmes and Gillespie, JJ., concur.