Cuyler v. Atlantic & N. C. R. Co.

Citations

• 131 F. 95
• 1904 U.S. App. LEXIS 4879

Syllabus

<p>1. Federal Courts — Jurisdiction — Contempt — Statutes — Construction-Newspaper Publications.</p> <p>Rev. St. § 725 [U. S. Comp. St. 1901, p. 5S3), provides that the federal courts shall have power to punish contempts by fine and imprisonment, provided that such power shall not extend to any case except misbehavior in the presence of or so near the court as to obstruct the administration of justice, the misbehavior of officers of the court, and the disobedience or resistance of any such officer, party, juror, witness, or other person to any lawful writ, process, order, decree, or command of the court. Held, that the jurisdiction prescribed by such act was exclusive, and deprived the court of power to punish a newspaper publisher for contempt consisting of an editorial in his paper criticizing the official conduct and integrity of the court.</p> <p>2. Same — Imprisonment—Void Judgment — Habeas Corpus.</p> <p>Where a federal court rendered judgment against a newspaper publisher for contempt, which judgment was void as in excess of the court’s jurisdiction, the publisher was entitled to discharge on habeas corpus.</p> <p>¶ 2. See Habeas Corpus, vol. 25, Cent. Dig. § 20.</p>