Court Opinion

ID: 9531560
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 04:12:58.295245+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:28:30.874631
License: Public Domain

Concurring Opinion
Kelley, J.
The many cases cited in Judge Pfaff’s opinion apparently tend to support the statement that “a prosecution for the violation of a city ordinance, in which a monetary penalty only is sought is a civil and not a criminal action.” However, the referred to opinion appropriately further limits the weight of said statement by adding “In none of the Indiana cases brought to our attention in which such actions were held to be civil actions was imprisonment adjudged as an initial part of the penalty.”
The ordinance, alleged to have been violated by appellant, does not appear in the record and whether it contained a penalty provision for the imposition of imprisonment is, therefore, not apparent. The judgment of the City Court of East Chicago was that the “defendant is guilty, ordered to pay fine of Twenty-five ($25.00) Dollars and costs and serve 30 days in the County Jail.” (Italics supplied.) The fact that the City Court then suspended the imprisonment on certain conditions did not alter the fact that the imprisonment meted out was an initial imprisonment and was not assessed for the purpose of enforcing the money judgment.
It is noted that the complaint filed by appellee against the appellant made no reference or allegation as to any provision of the ordinance providing for imprisonment and did not pray for any relief in that regard. *54It simply averred that appellant “did then and there violate section 9-201 (a) of ordinance numbered 2525 ... by altering the building at 1117 Beacon Street, East Chicago, Indiana, without first obtaining a building permit therefor”, and that the City of East Chicago “has been damaged” in the sum of $300.00 and demanded judgment therefor. If the action had proceeded and had been determined by the city court in accordance with the then issue posed by the complaint and the relief demanded therein, then there could be no doubt that the proceeding for the violation of the ordinance would have been clearly a “civil” action.
However, the appellant in this case was brought into court on said complaint alleging and praying for $300.00 damages to the appellee city and, after trial on that issue, was confronted with a judgment depriving him of his personal liberty for a period of thirty (30) days. Under the statute, Sec. 4-2403, Burns’ 1946 Replacement, the court was empowered to and could have imposed imprisonment of appellant for a period of six (6) months in the “county jail” or “work-house.” The expanse of such an authorized deprivation of personal liberty without any formal charge of commission of an illegal act, in my opinion, cannot be countenanced upon the theory that is is justified because the action is a “civil” action instituted for the breach of an ordinance. The atrociousness of such a holding is at once apparent when it is observed that a citizen who has done no more than violate a city ordinance is denied the right to the legal protection usually accorded an accused offender and can be tried without formal charge and sentenced to imprisonment up to a period of six months, while those charged with such major offenses as Reckless Homicide (Sec. 47-2001(a), Burns’ 1952 Replacement), Driving While *55under the influence of intoxicating liquor — first offense — (Sec. 47-2001 (b), Burns’ 1952 Replacement), Sale of Narcotics (See. 10-3502, Burns’ 1956 Replacement), Assault (Sec. 10-402, Burns’ 1956 Replacement), Assault & Battery (Sec. 10-403, Burns’ 1956 Replacement), Seduction (See. 10-4208, Burns’ 1956 Replacement), Procuring for and conducting House of Assignation (Sec. 10-4218, Burns’ 1956 Replacement), Bigamy (Sec. 10-4204, Burns’ 1956 Replacement), Burglary with intent to commit a misdemeanor (Sec. 10-701 (c), Burns’ 1956 Replacement), and Contributing to the delinquency of a child (Sec. 10-812, Burns’ 1956 Replacement), all providing for approximately the same or less period of imprisonment, are accorded every legal right and protection, including that of a presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
It seems to me, that the proceedings against appellant, as commenced, were civil, but that when the city court, upon a complaint for damages, proceeded to enter against appellant an initial judgment of imprisonment, the whole action took on the character and nature of a criminal proceeding and, thereby, under the last proviso in Sec. 4-2702, Bums’ 1946 Replacement, appellant was authorized to appeal his conviction “in the same manner as provided by law for appeals from justices of the peace”, as prescribed in Sec. 4-2403, Burns’ 1946 Replacement.
While time limitations and lack of any law clerk assistance prevent a full and thorough consideration of this important question (important because it potentially involves the personal liberty of Indiana citizens who may commit a minor infraction of some city ordinance), I am convinced that there is no Indiana authority sanctioning the possible imprisonment of an otherwise law abiding citizen of this State, *56for a period up to six months, for the simple violation of a city ordinance, without any specific charge of crime or misdemeanor being laid against him and without benefit to him of the constitutional and legislative safeguards of personal liberty, the rule of reasonable doubt, the supporting applicable rules of evidence in criminal cases, and protection against double jeopardy. All these matters are not directly involved in appellant’s case, but their consideration is necessary in order to determine whether appellant correctly perfected his appeal as from a criminal proceeding.
Having determined that, in my opinion, appellant was authorized to appeal under the provisions of the last proviso in Sec. 4-2702, Burns’ 1946 Replacement, and as prescribed in Sec. 4-2403, Burns’ 1946 Replacement, the inquiry naturally arises as to whether appellant took his appeal to a court of competent jurisdiction to entertain the same.
It has now been settled in Indiana that appeals of criminal cases from a Magistrates Court in Marion County must be taken to the Criminal Court and not to the Circuit Court. See State ex rel. Bartley v. The Marion Circuit Court of Marion County et al. (1956), 235 Ind. 226, 132 N. E. 2d 703, 707. The various determinative statutes referred to in the opinion in that case, viz.: Sec. 4-2304, Burns’ 1946 Replacement, and Sec. 9-721, Burns’ 1956 Replacement, also are determinative of the question now at hand. Under said statutes appeals in criminal cases from city courts in Lake County must be taken to the Lake Criminal Court and not to the Lake Circuit Court.
It follows, in my opinion, that although appellant was authorized to appeal his conviction and jail sentence as from a criminal prosecution, as provided for in the last proviso of Sec. 4-2702, Burns’ 1946 Replace*57ment, and “in the same manner as provided by law for appeals from justices of the peace,” Sec. 4-2403, Burns’ 1946 Replacement, yet such appeal was attempted to be perfected in a court having no jurisdiction competent to entertain the same. His appeal from that part of the judgment imposing imprisonment upon him should have been taken to the Criminal Court and not to the Circuit Court. State ex rel. Bartley v. The Marion Circuit Court, supra.
No statute or legal authority has been called to our attention requiring the Circuit Court on its own motion to transfer such appeals to the Criminal Court. Secs. 4-2305 and 4-2306, Burns’ 1946 Replacement, do not so provide. The record discloses no motion or request by appellant for such a transfer. Any such question of transfer or right of transfer of such appeals is not present in this case and what has been above stated in this regard must not be interpreted as lending any support to any theory that the Circuit Court should or could have ordered appellant’s appeal transferred to the Criminal Court. It is adverted to only because inquiring minds may conjecture thereon.
It is my opinion that the Lake Circuit Court committed no error in dismissing appellant’s attempted appeal for the reason, first, that viewed as an appeal of a civil action, as the main opinion holds, it was not perfected in accordance with the requirements of Sec. 4-2403, Burns’ 1946 Replacement; and, second, viewed as an appeal from what was in effect a criminal prosecution, the theory adopted by me, it was not taken into the proper court with competent jurisdiction. I, therefore, concur in the result of main opinion.