State v. Berkeley

Decision Date22 June 1897
PartiesSTATE ex rel. DEARING, Pros. Atty., v. BERKELEY.
CourtMissouri Supreme Court

Appeal from circuit court, Jefferson county; James F. Green, Judge.

Ex officio information in quo warranto by Frank R. Dearing, prosecuting attorney, against James G. Berkeley, to try title to office. From a judgment of ouster, defendant appeals. Reversed.

J. G. Berkeley, in pro. per. Jos. G. Williams, for respondent.

SHERWOOD, J.

On an ex officio information filed in the circuit court, this proceeding in the nature of a quo warranto was instituted; and by the judgment of that court defendant was ousted from his office of city attorney of the city of Desoto, and from such judgment of ouster he appeals to this court.

1. The prosecuting attorney has in the case at bar instituted this proceeding in the proper manner. "The title to all offices being derived from the state, and it having an inherent right at any time to call upon one who assumes to exercise the functions of a public office to show his right to do so, it is evident that no specific allegations of right or title on the part of the state can be necessary. * * * Therefore in such cases * * * a charge, in general language, that the respondent has entered into, usurped, and unlawfully exercised the functions of a certain office, is all that is required to put him to his answer. * * * In all these cases the state seeks to recover not so much on the strength of its own title as upon the weakness or defects in the respondent's title, which it calls upon him to establish." Mechem, Pub. Off. § 491. "And when the information is filed in its name by the attorney general, or other similar officer, it will be presumed that he does so in his official capacity, and for the purpose of vindicating the rights of the state." Id. § 490. Not so, however, when the proceedings are begun at the instance of some private individual. In such case his interest in the question must be made to appear. Id. And an...

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