United States v. McGovern

• Decision Date: 09 June 1924
• Docket Number: 4202.
• Citation: 299 F. 302
• Parties: UNITED STATES v. McGOVERN.
• Court: U.S. Court of Appeals — Ninth Circuit

299 F. 302

UNITED STATES v. McGOVERN.

No. 4202.

United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.

June 9, 1924

Rehearing Denied July 14, 1924.

John L Slattery, U.S. Atty., and Ronald Higgins and W. H. Meigs Asst. U.S. Atty., all of Helena, Mont. (L. A. Lawlor Attorney of U.S. Veterans' Bureau, of Washington, D.C of counsel), for the United States.

Loy J. Molumby and Chas. Davidson, both of Great Falls, Mont., for defendant in error.

Before GILBERT, HUNT, and RUDKIN, Circuit Judges.

HUNT Circuit Judge.

McGovern brought this action to recover upon his contract made under the War Risk Insurance Act and acts supplemental thereto. He alleged permanent and total disability while serving in the Navy from October 17, 1918, during the war. The government denied the alleged permanent and total disability and pleaded lapse of the insurance contract by reason of nonpayment of premiums. The cause was tried in June, 1923, the court sitting without a jury. Testimony was heard. Thereafter defendant and plaintiff filed motions for specific findings of fact and in November, 1923, the court filed its decision in favor of plaintiff, and on December 1, 1923, filed specific findings of fact and conclusions of law in favor of plaintiff, and thereafter rendered judgment against the United States for $2,530. Writ of error was allowed.

Counsel for defendant in error question the power of this court to review the rulings of the District Court, because it does not appear that the parties or their counsel complied with section 649 of the Revised Statutes (Comp. St. Sec. 1587), by filing a stipulation in writing waiving a jury. The point is well taken, and upon the authority of our decision in Bouldin et al. v. Alto Mines Co., 299 F. 301 (decided May 26, 1924), we are confined to an examination of the process, pleadings, and judgment. Commissioners v. St. Louis S.W.R. Co., 257 U.S. 547, 42 Sup.Ct. 250, 66 L.Ed. 364.

Upon the face of the record no error appears; hence the judgment must be affirmed, unless counsel for the United States are correct in their argument that the trial was had under the provisions of section 24, paragraph 20, of the Judicial Code called the Tucker Act (Comp. St. Sec. 991), which provides that, concurrent with the Court of Claims in certain classes of claims, the District Court had power to try the case without a jury. The action, however, was brought as one at law, pursuant to the authority...