Seay v. Howell

• Decision Date: 14 May 1957
• Docket Number: No. 37111,37111
• Citation: 311 P.2d 207
• Parties: Frank SEAY, Petitioner, v. Bob HOWELL, Judge of the District Court of Seminole County, Respondent.
• Court: Oklahoma Supreme Court

Page 207

311 P.2d 207

1957 OK 107

Frank SEAY, Petitioner, v. Bob HOWELL, Judge of the District Court of Seminole County Respondent.

No. 37111.

Supreme Court of Oklahoma.

May 14, 1957.

Syllabus by the Court

1. The provisions of Art. II, § 25, Oklahoma Constitution, and 21 O.S.1951 § 565, constitute a regulation and limitation of judicial authority over contempts of court. An act not defined by statute as an indirect contempt of court, but defined as a crime by statute is punishable under the Criminal Code and not as an indirect criminal contempt.

2. Contempts of court in Oklahoma are defined by constitutional and statutory definitions, and not by common law.

Original prohibition proceedings by petitioner, Frank Seay, against respondent, District Court of Seminole County, and the Hon. Bob Howell, Judge of said court, to prohibit respondent from proceeding further in the trial of an alleged indirect criminal contempt charge in the District Court of Seminole County. Writ granted.

George Bingaman, Purcell, Gus Rinehart, Oklahoma City, for petitioner.

Joe Looney, County Atty., Seminole County, T. H. Williams, Jr., Asst. County Atty., Wewoka, Mac Q. Williamson, Atty. Gen., Owen J. Watts, Embry, Crowe, Tolbert, Boxley & Johnson by V. P. Crowe and by Val R. Miller, Oklahoma City, for respondent.

JACKSON, Justice.

This is an original proceeding in this court by petitioner, Frank Seay, under Art. VII, § 2, Oklahoma Constitution, to prohibit respondent, District Court in Seminole County, Oklahoma, and the Hon. Bob Howell as Judge of said Court, from proceeding further in an indirect contempt action in Case No. 6681 in that court.

The information and affidavit for indirect criminal contempt in that court charges in substance that Frank Seay, an attorney, employed one R. A. Westbrook to attempt to influence the verdict of six prospective jurors who had been summoned to appear as jurors in a case then pending in the District Court of Seminole County; that the said Frank Seay gave R. A. Westbrook $20 in order that Westbrook might contact the six jurors and offer and give each of them $5 to influence their verdict and decision in favor of Seay's client; and that pursuant thereto Westbrook carried out his instructions and gave four of the prospective jurors $5 each and offered the other two jurors $5 each. It is further charged in the information and affidavit that these alleged criminal acts were contemptuous and contrary to Section 25, Art. 2, Oklahoma Constitution, and Secs. 565-567 of Title 21 O.S.1951.

We have heretofore held that under Art. VII, § 2, Oklahoma Constitution, this court has superintending control over inferiors courts, Heard v. Sullivan, Okl., 280 P.2d 708, whether such lower court is acting in its civil or criminal jurisdiction. Best v. Evans, Okl., 297 P.2d 379.

The decisive question before us is whether the acts charged in the information and affidavit for indirect criminal contempt constitutes an indirect contempt in the State of Oklahoma. If the acts charged do not constitute an indirect contempt the respondent should be prohibited from proceeding into the trial of the matter.

It cannot be disputed that under our form and theory of government all governmental power is inherent in the people, Art. II, Sec. 1, Oklahoma Constitution. It is also fundamental that many functions and powers of government have, by constitutional provisions, been delegated by the people to the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government, and neither branch shall exercise powers properly belonging to either of the others, Art. IV, Sec. 1, Oklahoma Constitution. It is within the power of the people of Oklahoma to deprive the courts of their so-called inherent powers to define contempts. It is also within the power of the people to authorize the Legislature to define and regulate proceedings in matters of contempt. The immediate question before us is whether the power to define contempts has been impliedly left with the courts or specifically delegated to the Legislature. This question has been answered for us in Art. II, § 25, Oklahoma Constitution, wherein it is specifically provided:

'The legislature shall pass laws defining contempts and regulating the proceedings and punishment in matters of contempt: * * *.'

Pursuant to the foregoing constitutional mandate the Legislature, in 21 O.S.1951 § 565, has defined indirect contempts as follows:

'* * * Indirect contempts of court shall consist of wilful disobedience of any process or order lawfully issued or made by court; resistance wilfully offered by any person to the execution of a lawful order or process of a court.'

We find nothing in the foregoing statutory definition that specifically or by inference includes bribing, or atempting to bribe a juror, as a contempt. Undoubtedly, under the constitutional provision above quoted, bribing and attempting to bribe jurors, could have been included.

The Legislature has made provision in other sections of the criminal code to insure the purity of the jury system. In 21 O.S.1951 § 383, it is provided:

'Every person who gives or offers to give a bribe to any judicial officer, juror, referee, arbitrator, umpire or assessor, or to any person who may be authorized by law or agreement of parties interested to hear or determine any question or controversy, with intent to influence his vote, opinion or decision upon any matter or question which is or may be brought before him for decision, is punishable by imprisonment in the penitentiary not exceeding ten years, or by a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars, or both.'

Other penalties for attempting to influence jurors is provided in 21 O.S.1951 § 388.

From the foregoing sections of the penal code (21 O.S.1951 §§...