City of Paris v. Paris-Henry County Public Utility District

*391These two cases, tried together, were prosecutions brought by the City of Paris (City) against the Paris-Henry County Public Utility District (Defendant) for violating an ordinance (No. 316) of the City by making-excavations in its streets without first obtaining permits therefor and otherwise complying with the ordinance.

Defendant admitted it had made the excavations without such compliance, but insisted it had a right to do so under a prior ordinance (No. 295) which constituted a franchise and contract between the Defendant and the City; and that the later ordinance, upon which the…