STATE, EX REL. R. E. CRABTREE,
v.
WM. J. PORTER, JUDGE

Fla. | 1933-08-02
Davis, C. J, and Whitfield and Terrell, J. J, concur., Brown, J, dissents.
111 Fla. 621 Florida Supreme Court (1933) Positive Treatment
Also reported at: 149 So. 610
Cited by 15 cases

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Synopsis

The Florida Supreme Court issued a writ of prohibition against Judge William J. Porter, preventing prosecution of R. E. Crabtree for selling gasoline below state standards. The Court held that because the Commissioner of Agriculture had not personally promulgated the applicable gasoline standards as required by statute, the Information charged no cognizable offense.


Holding

The Court held that the Information charges no offense because the gasoline standards had not been validly promulgated by the Commissioner of Agriculture as required by statute. The Commissioner's statutory duty to define and fix standards could not be delegated to subordinates, and absent a validly promulgated standard, criminal prosecution cannot proceed.


Key Quotes

“that all such oils as hereinbefore enumerated and designated that are used or intended to be used for power, illuminating, cooking or heating purposes when sold under a distinctive name that shall fall below the standard fixed by the Commissioner of Agriculture are hereby declared to be illegal”

Section 6 of the Act defining illegal gasoline and establishing the Commissioner's role in setting standards

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Facts & Procedural History

Crabtree was charged by Information in Duval County Criminal Court with offering gasoline for sale that tested below the standard fixed by the Commiss…

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Opinion of the Court
Buford, J.

Buford, J.

Petitioner was informed against in the Criminal Court of Record in and for Duval County, Florida, by Information in which it was charged that “R. E. Crabtree of the County of Duval and State of Florida, on the fourteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord, one thousand, nine hundred and thirty-three in the County and State aforesaid, did then and there unlawfully offer or expose for sale certain gasoline in Duval County, Florida, which test of said gasoline showed an analysis below the standard for gasoline as fixed by the Commissioner of Agriculture of the State of Florida as required by law.” He was arrested and arraigned. He filed motion to quash the Information upon the ground that it charged no offense against the laws of the State of Florida. Motion to quash was overruled and the cause docketed for trial.

Petitioner applied for Writ of Prohibition upon the ground that the Information charged no offense whatever against the laws of. the State of Florida.

Section 1 of Chapter 7905, Acts of 1919, provides as follows:

“Section 1. That for the purpose of this Act all gasoline, naphtha, kerosene, benzine, or other like product of petroleum under whatever name designated, used for illuminating, heating, cooking or power purposes, sold,.offered or ■exposed for sale in this State, shall be subject to inspection and analysis as hereinafter provided. All manufacturers, wholesale and jobbers, before selling or offering for sale in this State, any gasoline, kerosene or other mineral oil for power, illuminating, cooking or heating purposes, shall file with the Commissioner of Agriculture an affidavit that they desire to do business in this State, and shall furnish *623the name, brand or trademark of the oil or oils, which they desire to sell, together with the name and address of the manufacturer thereof, and that such oil or oils are in conformity with the standard prescribed by the Commissioner of Agriculture.”

Section 6 of the Act provides as follows:

“Sec. 6. That all such oils as hereinbefore enumerated and designated that are used or intended to be used for power, illuminating, cooking or heating purposes, when sold under a distinctive name that shall fall below the standard fixed by the Commissioner of Agriculture, are hereby declared to be illegal, and shall be subject to confiscation and sale by order of the Commissioner of Agriculture. It is hereby made the duty of all manufacturers, wholesalers and jobbers and distributors who sell, barter or exchange gasoline or other oils within this State, to post conspicuously at the place of delivery to the consumer a card or sign not smaller than 12x15 inches, setting forth in size type not smaller than one inch in heighth, in the English language, the degree of gravity of the product sold, offered or exposed for sale.”

Section 14 of the Act provides as follows;

“Sec. 14. That the Commissioner of Agriculture shall promulgate such rules and regulations not inconsistent with the provisions hereof as in his judgment may be necessary to the proper enforcement of this Act; and to define and fix the standards and specifications for all the oils and gases referred, to in Section 1 hereof; such standards and specifications to be fixed before any of such oils and gases shall be sold or otherwise dispensed in this State.”

And, Section 16 of the Act provides as follows:

Sec. 16. That any person, firm or corporation, who shall knowingly violate any of the provisions of this Act or any *624rule or regulation promulgated by the Commissioner of Agriculture shall upon conviction thereof be punished by a fine of not more than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) or by imprisonment in the State Prison for not more than twelve months, or by both such fine and' imprisonment in the discretion of the Court.”

These are the pertinent sections of the legislative Act to be considered here.

It will be noted that Section 6 of the Act provides, “that all such oils as hereinbefore enumerated and designated that are used or intended to be used for power, illuminating, cooking or heating purposes when sold under a distinctive name that shall fall below the standard fixed by the Commissioner of Agriculture are hereby declared to be illegal and shall be subject to confiscation and sale by order of the Commissioner of Agriculture.”

The- Act in Section 14 authorizes the Commissioner of Agriculture to define and fix the standards and specifications for all the oils and gases referred to in Section 1 thereof. Such standards and specifications to be fixed before any such oils and gases shall be sold or otherwise dispensed in this State.

The Information charges that the Petitioner did offer or expose for sale certain gasoline in Duval County, Florida, which test of the said gasoline showed an analysis below the standard for gasoline as fixed by the Commissioner of Agriculture of the State of Florida, as required by law.

The amended Petition for the Writ of Prohibition alleges that at the time of the alleged exposing of and offering for sale of the said gasoline that no ruling or order had been promulgated by the Commissioner of Agriculture of the State of Florida fixing the standard test for gasoline in this State. It is alleged that the only order or rule which *625had been promulgated in that regard was made and promulgated by one J. Hinton Pledger, Supervisor of Inspection. The legislative Act did not authorize any rules or orders to be made and promulgated by a Supervisor of Inspection. This duty of making and promulgating orders and rules fixing the standards of tests to apply to gasoline and other oils was only authorized to be performed by the Commissioner of Agriculture and he was not authorized to delegate that authority to some one else.

Rule nisi was issued herein on the 21st day of June, 1933. On June 23rd a stipulation was filed in this Court signed by R. B. Moseley, Attorney for Petitioner, .and by Wm. J. Porter, Respondent in Proper Person, wherein it was stipulated and agreed between those parties that the time for filing a defense to the said petition in said cause be extended to and including the 18th day of July,. 1933. The rule to show cause was returnable to the 28th day of June, 1933. The Respondent has filed no return.

Therefore, and for the reasons above stated, the permanent Writ of Prohibition is now awarded.

Let the Writ issue.

Davis, C. J, and Whitfield and Terrell, J. J, concur.

Brown, J, dissents.

Brown, J.

(dissenting). — It seems to me that writ of prohibition was not the proper remedy, and that -the rule nisi should be quashed sua sponte. The lower court had jurisdiction to rule on all of the questions raised, and if it ruled erroneously, the Relator had an adequate remedy by writ of error. See Eberhardt v. Barker, 140 So. 633; Curtis v. Albritton, 101 Fla. 853, 132 So. 677; Crill v. State Road Dept., 96 Fla. 119, 117 So. 795.

Dissent
Brown, J.

Brown, J.

(dissenting). — It seems to me that writ of prohibition was not the proper remedy, and that -the rule nisi should be quashed sua sponte. The lower court had jurisdiction to rule on all of the questions raised, and if it ruled erroneously, the Relator had an adequate remedy by writ of error. See Eberhardt v. Barker, 140 So. 633; Curtis v. Albritton, 101 Fla. 853, 132 So. 677; Crill v. State Road Dept., 96 Fla. 119, 117 So. 795.


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Citator

Cited By

  • State v. Petteway, 121 Fla. 822 (Fla. 1935)
    …a court within his power when he attempts to exercise jurisdiction beyond the legitimate scope of his powers. State, ex rel. Brooks, v. Freeland, 103 Fla. 663, 138 So. 27; Feger v. Fish, 106 Fla. 564, 143 So. 605; State, ex rel. Crabtree, v. Porter, 111 Fla. 621, 149 So. 610. Having been required to testify concerning the matter for which he stands charged petitioner was under the statute relieved from prosecution or punishment therefor in this proceeding. For this reason the writ of prohibition should iss…
  • State v. Wm. M. Rowlett, 125 Fla. 562 (Fla. 1936)
    …with the essential requirements of law, those common law processes adapted and designed to restrain [*567] such lack of jurisdiction or excessive exercise of power, including the remedy by prohibition, are proper. State, ex rel. Crabtree, v. Porter, 111 Fla. 621, 149 So. 610. The only other question raised which is necessary for consideration in the disposition of this matter is whether or not the relator has been charged with having committed any act which constitutes a ground for the revocation of his li…
  • …cordance with the essential requirements of law, those common-law processes adapted and designed to restrain such lack of jurisdiction or excessive exercise of power, including the remedy by prohibition, are proper. State ex rel. Crabtree v. Porter, 111 Fla. 621, 149 So. 610.” [At pages 312 and 313] In Edgerton v. International Company, Sup.Ct.Fla.1956, 89 So. 2d 488, a restaurant owner filed a suggestion for writ of prohibition in the circuit court, alleging that the Hotel and Restaurant Commission of the…
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