Court Opinion

ID: 9721266
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 08:54:24.082752+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:24:24.489341
License: Public Domain

Mr. PRESIDING JUSTICE THOMAS J. MORAN dissenting in part and concurring in part: To afford perspective to my view of the case, it is necessary to present the sequence of “facts” related in a purported bystander’s record supplied to us under Supreme Court Rule 323 (c). That rule provides that the trial court shall hold hearings, if necessary, and promptly settle, certify and order an accurate report of proceedings. Rather than settling any conflict, the record provided seems to place this court in the position of a nisi prius tribunal for, on September 24, 1970, the two magistrates and the attorneys for the parties, in the presence of a court reporter, related their best recollections of the happenings of April 9, 1970; conflicts in the versions were not settled by the trial court. From a reading of this “report of proceedings,” it is uncontroverted that Darling and his witnesses were present and ready for trial on April 9th at 1:00 P.M. in the courtroom of Magistrate Zettinger. The case was held in abeyance until 1:40 P.M., at which time Darling obtained a default order, proceeded to prove his case through the testimony of witnesses present, was granted judgment for $642.81 plus costs, and left. At about 2:00 P.M., Zamis appeared in Magistrate Zettinger’s courtroom where he moved to set aside the default judgment. The magistrate denied the motion, stating that he had, at defendants’ request, previously vacated a judgment in the same case. Zamis then stated that he wanted to discuss the matter with the Chief Judge. Darling came upon the scene at this time and all three went to see the Chief Judge. The latter was on the bench, instructing a jury, so the three waited in the adjoining attorney’s conference room. Zamis left the room and sought out Magistrate Schnake. From this point, versions vary. Zamis states that Magistrate Schnake appeared in a courtroom with Zamis, Darling and Magistrate Zettinger present; that he moved for the vacation of the order of default; that Darling argued against the motion; that Magistrate Schnake asked Magistrate Zettinger if he would vacate the order, to which he replied he would not; that Magistrate Schnake then stated that he would vacate the order; that all left and the next day Zamis received an order, signed by Magistrate Schnake, vacating the default judgment. Both Magistrate Zettinger and Darling claim that, after Zamis left the conference room, Magistrate Schnake came in and stated, “Forget it, I’ve already taken care of it,” and left. Magistrate Schnake’s version is that upon returning from lunch shortly after 2:00 P.M., Zamis approached him and advised him of the circumstances leading to the order of default; that he then conferred with Magistrate Zettinger in the hallway next to the conference room, stating that he thought, in the interest of justice, the default should be set aside; that Magistrate Zettinger did not agree but answered, “Do what you want to do,” or, “Do what you think is right,” and that he then told Magistrate Zettinger he was going to set aside the default judgment. He was uncertain as to whether Darling was present at the time. I believe it is clear to anyone that the rules of practice for the conducting of orderly proceedings were not followed. When Magistrate Zettinger denied the defendant’s motion to vacate the default judgment, this amounted to a final and appealable order. (See, Commonwealth Loan Co. v. Baker (1968), 40 Ill.2d 506, 508-509 and Bailey v. Conrad (1915), 271 Ill. 294, 295.) Whether the court acted arbitrarily or not is of no consequence here since there was, “technically,” no appeal taken from that denial. Rather, defendants sought a higher ruling at the trial level from a different judge. Research has been to no avail for a precedent upon which to bottom such action in the instance of a final order. Subsequent to the denial, without notice or the opportunity for plaintiff to be heard, (neither magistrate claims that a second hearing with the parties present took place, and only the defendants make such an assertion) Magistrate Zettinger’s order was vacated. The cases cited by the majority are not in point since none concern a final order. Despite this, however, it is unconscionable to me to allow the “procedure” followed in this case since it lends countenance and encouragement to the practice of “judge shopping” by all dissatisfied litigants. Even more basic to my dissent is the fact that the plaintiff was given neither a notice nor the opportunity to be heard before the order vacating the default judgment was entered and for this reason, in my opinion, the order of April 10, 1970, was void and should be reversed. So that the litigants may not be denied substantial justice because of the actions and procedures of both court and counsel, I would concur with the majority in remanding the original cause for a hearing on the merits.