People v. Sampsell — 248 N.Y. 157

Majority

p. 157

The People of the State of New York, Appellant, v. Roy O. Sampsell, Respondent.

Headnote

Municipal corporations — Dunkirk (city of) — streets — railroads — validity of city ordinance prohibiting blocking of railroad crossing by train for more than three minutes — insufficiency of evidence to warrant conviction for violation of ordinance.

1. Section 3 of chapter 5 of the Dunkirk City Ordinances, which prohibits the blocking of street railroad crossings by trains for more than three minutes, is valid, and is not rendered unlawful by section 1985 of the Penal Law.

2. The evidence upon the trial of defendant charged with violating such ordinance examined and held insufficient to establish that the locomotive was intentionally suffered to remain standing upon the crossing.

People v. Sampsell, Chautauqua Co. Ct., Nov. 4, 1927, affirmed.

(Argued April 4, 1928;

decided May 1, 1928.)

Appeal, by permission, from a judgment of the Chautauqua County Court, entered November 4, 1927, which reversed a judgment of the Municipal Court of the city of Dunkirk convicting the defendant of violating section 3 of chapter 5 of the Dunkirk city ordinances which prohibits the blocking of street railroad crossings by trains for more than three minutes.

Glenn W. Woodin, District Attorney, for appellant.

The provisions of section 3 of chapter 5 of the Dunkirk city ordinances are not in contravention of section 1985 of the Penal Law of the State of New York or any other statute. (Bishop on Statutory Crimes, §§ 20, 23; Polinsky v. People, 11 Hun, 390 ; 73 N. Y. 65 ; Roger v. Jones, 1 Wend. 237 ; Rhode Island v. Palmer, 253 U. S. 350 ; Safee v. Buffalo, 204 App. Div. 561 .) Section 3 of article 5 of the Dunkirk city ordinances is not an unreasonable and improper exercise of power under the general powers

p. 158

given to the city of Dunkirk by chapter 538 of the Laws of 1909 and the other applicable statutes of this State. (Safee v. Buffalo, 204 App. Div. 561 ; People ex rel. Ogden v. McGowan, 118 Misc. Rep. 828 ; Cronin v. People, 82 N. Y. 318 ; Kurt v. L. S. & M. S. R. Co., 127 App. Div. 838 ; 194 N. Y. 598 ; Penn. R. R. Co. v. Jersey City, 47 N. J. L. 286 ; Long v. Jersey City, 37 N. J. L. 348 ; Birmingham v. Ala. R. R. Co., 98 Ala. 134 ; Matter of Stubbe v. Adamson, 220 N. Y. 459 ; Commissioners v. Lent, 240 N. Y. 1 ; People v. Persee, 204 N. Y. 397 ; People ex rel. Hegeman v. Corrigan, 195 N. Y. 1 ; People v. Abeel, 182 N. Y. 415 ; People v. Wernes, 174 N. Y. 132 ; People v. D’Antonio, 150 App. Div. 109 ; People v. Friedman, 138 App. Div. 29 ; Sturges Co. v. Beauchamp, 231 U. S. 320 .)

Edmund S. Brown and Harold J. Adams for respondent.

The provisions of section 3 of chapter 5 of the Dunkirk city ordinances are in contravention of section 1985 of the Penal Law of the State of New York and other statutes. (People v. Harrison, 238 N. Y. 348 ; Anderson v. How, 116 N. Y. 336 ; Burns v. Delaware & Hudson Co., 116 App. Div. 111 ; People v. Potter, 112 N. Y. Supp. 298 ; People v. Gillies, 57 Misc. Rep. 568 ; McMorris v. Howell, 89 App. Div. 272 .) Section 3 of article 5 of the city of Dunkirk ordinances is an unreasonable and improper exercise of power under the general powers given to the city of Dunkirk by chapter 538 of the Laws of 1909 and other applicable statutes of this State. (People v. Gilbert, 68 Misc. Rep. 48 ; Dillon on Municipal Corporations, § 368; Cooley, Constitutional Limitations [7th ed.], 279; Mayor, etc., v. Hussey, 21 Ga. 80 ; Penn. R. R. Co. v. Jersey City, 47 N. J. L. 286 ; Long v. Jersey City, 37 N. J. L. 348 ; Birmingham v. Ala. R. R. Co., 13 So. Rep. 141 .)

We hold that the ordinance of the city of Dunkirk (Dunkirk City Ordinances, chap. 5, § 3) is valid,

p. 159

and is not rendered unlawful by Penal Law, section 1985.

We think, however, that the evidence fails to establish that the locomotive was intentionally suffered-to remain standing upon the crossing.

The judgment should be affirmed.

Cabdozo, Ch. J., Pound, Ceane, Andeews, Lehman and Kellogg, JJ., concur; O’Bbien, J., not sitting.

Judgment affirmed.

Cases cited

Polinsky v. People 73 N. Y. 65 N.Y. 1878-03-19 p. 157
Rogers v. Jones 1 Wend. 237 N.Y. Sup. Ct. p. 157
National Prohibition Cases 253 U. S. 350 SCOTUS 1920-06-07 p. 157
Cronin v. People 82 N. Y. 318 N.Y. 1880-10-12 p. 158
Heffron v. Lackawanna Steel Co. 194 N. Y. 598 N.Y. 1909-03-05 p. 158
Stubbe v. Adamson 220 N. Y. 459 N.Y. 1917-04-24 p. 158
Commissioners of Palisades Interstate Park v. Lent 240 N. Y. 1 N.Y. 1925-02-25 p. 158
People v. Werner 174 N. Y. 132 N.Y. 1903-03-17 p. 158
People v. D'Antonio 150 App. Div. 109 N.Y. App. Div. 1912-04-14 p. 158
People v. Friedman 138 App. Div. 29 N.Y. App. Div. 1910-04-22 p. 158
Sturges & Burn Manufacturing Co. v. Beauchamp 231 U. S. 320 SCOTUS 1913-12-01 p. 158
People v. Harrison 238 N. Y. 348 N.Y. 1924-06-03 p. 158
Anderson v. How 116 N. Y. 336 N.Y. 1889-10-22 p. 158
People v. Gillies 57 Misc. Rep. 568 N.Y. Sup. Ct. p. 158
McMorris v. Howell 89 App. Div. 272 N.Y. App. Div. 1903-12-30 p. 158