Court Opinion

ID: 9559130
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 17:23:07.971387+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:09:49.465744
License: Public Domain

SHENK, J.
I dissent.
I am unable to concur in the light of the following undisputed facts: In 1950 this plaintiff was in the county jail under the identical order of commitment here involved. He applied to this court for release on habeas corpus on the ground that the order was void in that it failed to comply with section 1219 of the Code of Civil Procedure. This court held in accordance with his contention, namely, that the order was not regular on its face, was therefore void, and we ordered his release. (In re Vallindras, 35 Cal.2d 594 [220 P.2d 1].) Thereafter, he brought this action for damages for false imprisonment, again alleging that the same order was and is void, basing his cause of action on the determination of this court to that effect. This court now holds that this order is regular on its face for the purposes of an action for damages for false imprisonment.
In an almost identical situation, Mr. Justice Schauer stated for this court in In re Wells (1946), 29 Cal.2d 200 [173 P.2d 811], that an order which failed to comply with the requirements of section 1219 of the Code of Civil Procedure is “void in its entirety.” This court in the former Vallindras case on habeas corpus relied on the determination in the Wells case.
*157Section 262.1 of the Code of Civil Procedure provides; “A sheriff or other ministerial officer is justified in the execution of, and shall execute, all process and orders regular on their face and issued by competent authority, whatever may be the defect in the proceedings upon which they were issued.” Civil Code section 43.5(a) provides: “There shall be no liability on the part of and no cause of action shall arise against any peace officer who makes an arrest pursuant to a warrant of arrest regular on its face. ...” These sections protect a sheriff or peace officer only when the warrant or order under which he is acting is “regular on its face.”
Section 1219 of the Code of Civil Procedure is addressed not only to the courts but to those executing conditional warrants of commitment under it as ordered by the courts. The sheriff is chargeable with knowledge of what constitutes a valid order. (Rogers v. The Marshal, 1 Wall. (U.S.) 644, 650-651 [17 L.Ed. 714]; People v. O’Brien, 96 Cal. 171, 176 [31 P. 45] ; Rhodes v. Sargent, 17 Cal.App. 54, 57-58 [118 P. 727]; Storey’s Equity Jurisprudence (14th ed.) § 173.) The order under which Vallindras was imprisoned was void by final determination of this court and the sheriff is not protected in acting under it.
Carter, J., concurred.
Appellant’s petition for a rehearing was denied February 17, 1954. Shenk, J., and Carter, J., were of the opinion that the petition should be granted.