Standard Oil Co. of Ind. v. Missouri

Citations

• 224 U.S. 270
• 32 S. Ct. 406
• 56 L. Ed. 760
• 1912 U.S. LEXIS 2303

Syllabus

<p>It is. essential to the validity of a judgment that the court rendering it have jurisdiction of the subject-matter and of the parties; but it is for the highest court of a State to determine its own jurisdiction and that of the local tribunals.</p> <p>Where the constitution.of a State gives to its highest court the power to issue writs of quo warranto and to hear and determine the same, judgment of ouster and fine entered by that court implies that it had jurisdiction to so decide and enter judgment and is conclusive upon this court whether the judgment is civil or criminal or both. Standard Oil Co. v. Tennessee, 217 U. S. 420.</p> <p>Under due process of law one is entitled to notice and opportunity to be heard, and the notice must correspond to the hearing and the relief must be appropriate to the notice and the hearing.</p> <p>Even a court of original general jurisdiction, civil and criminal, cannot enter a judgment beyond the claim asserted. It would not be due process of law.</p> <p>Quaere: Whether under general rules, information in the nature of quo warranto is a civil, or criminal, proceeding, and whether under general allegations of misuse, with only a prayer for ouster, a fine may be imposed in those jurisdictions where ■ quo warranto has ceased to be a criminal proceeding.</p> <p>Whatever the rule elsewhere, in Missouri a corporation may in quo warranto be subjected to a money judgment, whether in nature of fine or damages for breach of implied contract not to violate its franchise.</p> <p>The prayer for relief is not a part of the notice guaranteed by the due process clause of the Constitution. The facts state the limit of the relief.</p> <p>It is not a denial of due process of law for a court having jurisdiction to determine quo warranto and to enter judgment for a fine because there is no statute fixing the maximum penalty.</p> <p>The power to fine reposed in a court of last resort is not unlimited, but is limited by the obligation not to impose exc