Taylor v. American International Shipbuilding Corporation
| Decision Date | 24 June 1922 |
| Docket Number | 276 |
| Citation | 119 A. 130,275 Pa. 229 |
| Parties | Taylor v. American International Shipbuilding Corporation, Appellant |
| Court | Pennsylvania Supreme Court |
Argued March 23, 1922
Appeal, No. 276, Jan. T., 1922, by defendant, from judgment of C.P. No. 2, Phila. Co., Dec. T., 1918, No. 4494, on verdict for plaintiff, in case of Robert Taylor v. American International Shipbuilding Corporation. Reversed.
Trespass for malicious prosecution. Before BARRATT, P.J.
The opinion of the Supreme Court states the facts.
Verdict and judgment for plaintiff for $2,000. Defendant appealed.
Error assigned, inter alia, was refusal of judgment for defendant n.o.v., quoting record.
The judgment of the court below is reversed, the record is remitted with direction to enter a judgment for defendant on its motion for judgment n.o.v.
Wm. Y C. Anderson, with him George W. Coles, U.S. Attorney, for appellant. -- Appellant's denial that the court had jurisdiction over the subject-matter of this action casts upon appellee the burden of upholding that jurisdiction Stanley v. Schwalby, 162 U.S. 255; Carr v. U.S., 98 U.S. 433; Wells v. Roper, 246 U.S. 335; Rixon v. Telegraph Co., 271 Pa. 67; Sloan Shipyards v. Fleet Corp., 268 F. 624; Keeley v. Kerr, 270 F. 874.
Appellant's evidence on no material point contradicted that of appellee, but simply emphasized and enlarged the indications that appellant had probable cause for arresting and prosecuting appellee as those indications appeared in appellee's case: Brown v. Waite, 38 Pa.Super. 216; Robitzek v. Daum, 220 Pa. 61; Wolf v. Stern, 71 Pa.Super. 191; Stratton v. Jordan, 77 Pa.Super. 596; Roessing v. Rys., 226 Pa. 523; McCarthy v. DeArmit, 99 Pa. 63; Smith v. Ege, 52 Pa. 419; Cooper v. Hart, 147 Pa. 594.
W. B. Gery, for appellee, cited: Hess v. Heft, 3 Pa. Superior Ct. 582; Haines v. Emergency Fleet Corp., 268 Pa. 92; Kane v. Shipbuilding Corp., 75 Pa.Super. 505.
Before MOSCHZISKER, C.J., FRAZER, WALLING, KEPHART and SADLER, JJ.
Prosecutions are presumed to have been properly instituted, and, to sustain an action for malicious prosecution, malice and want of probable cause must be proved by the plaintiff: McCarthy v. DeArmit, 99 Pa. 63, 69; Beihofer v. Loeffert, 159 Pa. 374, 376; Robitzek v. Daum, 220 Pa. 61, 63.
Probable cause is a reasonable belief in known or reported circumstances, sufficiently inculpatory, and adequate to justify a prudent man in acting as prosecutor of a crime against the accused. It does not depend on guilt, or the actual existence of the reported facts, but is based on an honest and reasonable belief in their existence.
Representations of others may be sufficient foundation for it, especialy if made by those who have had opportunities for knowledge. He who has reasonable ground for belief of guilt stands acquitted of liability, although he subsequently learns his mistake: McCarthy v. DeArmit, supra; Beihofer v. Loeffert, supra; Robitzek v. Daum, supra.
It is exclusively for the jury to pass on testimony, but the court must say, as a matter of law, whether the facts proven show probable cause. Generally, it is a mixed question of law and fact, and, where the facts are in dispute, they must be submitted to the jury, who should be instructed as to what facts constitute probable cause. But, if all the admitted facts, and the reasonable inferences therefrom, amount to probable cause, the court must so declare, and direct a verdict for defendant: Robitzek v. Daum, supra, p. 64; Boyd v. Kerr, 216 Pa. 259, 262; Roessing v. Pittsburgh Rys. Co., 226 Pa. 523, 526; McCoy v. Kalbach, 242 Pa. 123, 125; Wolf v. Stern, 71 Pa.Super. 191, 192; Stratton v. Jordan, 77 Pa.Super. 596, 599; Smith v. Ege, 52 Pa. 419, 422; Brobst v. Ruff, 100 Pa. 91, 94; Beihofer v. Loeffert, supra; Cooper v. Wm. R. Hart & Co., 147 Pa. 594, 607; Mahaffey v. Byers, 151 Pa. 92, 96; Bryant v. Kuntz, 25 Pa.Super. 102, 105; Burford v. Richards (No. 1), 58 Pa.Super. 8, 13; Jackson v. Hillerson, 59 Pa.Super. 508, 515; Sheldrake v. Rumpf, 68 Pa.Super. 546, 548. Particularly is this true where plaintiff's own evidence shows the existence of probable cause: Bernar v. Dunlap, 94 Pa. 329, 331; Boyd v. Kerr, supra, p. 262; Cole v. Reece, 47 Pa.Super. 212, 215.
The jury is not at liberty to find a fact without evidence, and if all the admitted facts on both sides amount to probable cause, the court should direct a verdict for defendant, even if malice is clearly proven: Rossing v. Pittsburgh Rys. Co., supra, p. 526.
Appellant, engaged in the greatest shipbuilding enterprise in the history of the world, was somewhat hampered in its work in the spring and summer of 1918 through the constant thefts at night of automobiles, accessories and tires from its garage. Operatives were assigned the case to thoroughly investigate and discover the criminals. The police department of Philadelphia assisted. These officers made an investigation extending over a period of several months, reporting daily to their superiors. Suspicion rested on appellee and three or four other men who worked at night in and about the garage, a man by the name of McWhorter being connected with them. This last named employee suddenly left appellant's service; his whereabouts were discovered in a Georgia jail where he was awaiting trial for larceny. The Georgia authorities surrendered him to the temporary custody of appellant, and he was taken to Philadelphia. On his way and after arriving there, he made statements concerning these thefts, later reduced to writing, wherein he charged appellee specifically with the larceny of an automobile, a magneto and other accessories.
It appears in plaintiff's case that, based upon this information, the reports of officers and the result of his own investigation, one Vallely, an employee of appellant and special deputy sheriff for Delaware County, charged appellee with the larceny of an automobile, accessories and tires. Appellee states that, when arrested, this officer informed him he was charged with being connected with the larceny of $20,000 worth of automobiles, etc.; that McWhorter, appellee's friend, had made a statement to Vallely implicating him in this thievery and selling the loot, afterwards spending the money received from these sales in and about town. McWhorter worked with plaintiff at the garage and went about with him in the evenings; appellee considered him a friend.
At that time, plaintiff made no denial of his guilt, and suggested nothing to Vallely indicating there might be a mistake. So, while appellant was acting, as plaintiff's case shows, partially on the statement of an accomplice, or one charged with larceny, that statement was not to be considered by appellant as unworthy of belief, especially in view of the fact plaintiff made no protest when arrested or any assertion of innocence. While he may not have been required to do so as a matter of law, yet, when the honesty of belief and good faith of appellant in instituting the prosecution is being tested, it becomes material.
Appellee was taken before a justice of the peace; a hearing was had wherein testimony was adduced that appellee had stolen a Ford car and a tire. He was held for court, and the grand jury returned a true bill. The officer arresting him testified at the trial concerning his information as to these alleged thefts. Plai...
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