Lassen County v. Shinn

Citations

• 88 Cal. 510
• 26 P. 365
• 1891 Cal. LEXIS 724

Syllabus

<p>Counties — Power of Supervisors — Employment of Special Attorneys. — The board of supervisors of a county may employ counsel, other than the district attorney, to transact the legal business of the county, if in the judgment of the board the public interest will thereby be sub-served.</p> <p>Id. — Collection of Money Due State—Support of Indigent Persons — Discretion of Supervisors — Review by Courts. — The employment, by the supervisors of a county, of special counsel to collect money due the county from the state, appropriated by the state for the support of aged indigent persons, is within the discretion and judgment of the supervisors, and is not open to review by the courts.</p> <p>Id. — Contingent Fee — Knowledge of Success — Misrepresentations — Equitable Relief.—The fact that the attorneys employed by the supervisors were engaged for a contingent fee, and knew of a decision of the supreme court which would insure success, of which the district attorney and supervisors were ignorant, and that one of the attorneys represented to the supervisors that it was very uncertain whether anything could be collected, and there were considerable risks in the undertaking, is not ground for equitable relief against the payment of the contingent fee.</p>