Nevada Cornell Silver Mines, Inc. v. Hankins

I dissent from the order of reversal.

It is a generally recognized canon of construction that, "if a statute is plain, certain and unambiguous, so that no doubt arises from its own terms as to its scope and meaning, a bare reading suffices; then interpretation is needless." The statute is of this character. It reads in part: "Summons shall be served by the sheriff of the county where the defendant is found, or by his deputy, or by any citizen of the United States over twenty-one years of age. * * *" Section 5022.

There is nothing obscure in its phrasing. This broad authorization certainly…