Anderson v. State

135 So. 3d 994, 2013 WL 3716862, 2013 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 58
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Alabama
DecidedJuly 12, 2013
DocketCR-12-0958
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 135 So. 3d 994 (Anderson v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Anderson v. State, 135 So. 3d 994, 2013 WL 3716862, 2013 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 58 (Ala. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinions

WELCH, Judge.

Michael Dewayne Anderson appeals the circuit court’s denial of his petition for postconviction relief, filed pursuant to Rule 32, Ala. R.Crim. P., in which he attacked his 1997 conviction for intentional murder and his resulting sentence as a habitual felony offender to life imprisonment. This Court affirmed Anderson’s conviction and sentence on appeal in an unpublished memorandum issued on October 31, 1997. Anderson v. State, (No. CR-96-1106) 727 So.2d 179 (Ala.Crim.App.1997) (table). This Court issued a certificate of judgment on November 18,1997.

Anderson filed this, his 12th, Rule 32 petition on August 15, 2012.1 In his petition, Anderson made the following allegations: 1) that the trial court lacked jurisdiction to render a judgment or to impose sentence because, he says, the State did not follow § 15-8-25, Ala.Code 1975, in that the indictment did not state the facts against him or identify him by his date of birth or Social Security number; 2) that the trial court lacked jurisdiction to appoint counsel for him without his consent; and 3) that he was denied his constitutional right to testify because his statement made during police interrogation should have been submitted to the court as testimony.

On August 20, 2012, the circuit court ordered that the State’s reply to Anderson’s petition was due on October 11, 2012. On September 7, 2012, Anderson filed a motion requesting leave of court to file an amendment to his petition. In that motion, Anderson argued as amended grounds that he is innocent, that he was denied the right to confront his accuser at the preliminary hearing, that he was not provided a record of the preliminary hearing, that the complaint and affidavit used to obtain the warrant against him were illegal, and that the evidence relied upon to arrest him was illegally obtained. On that same day, the circuit court denied Anderson’s motion for leave to file an amended petition.

On October 11, 2012, the State filed a motion to dismiss the petition, arguing [996]*996that the petition was time-barred by Rule 32.2(c) and that it was successive under Rule 32.2(b). The State also argued that the claims in the petition were precluded because these claims could have been, but were not, raised at trial or on appeal. See Rules 32.2(a)(3) and (a)(5). On October 25, 2012, Anderson filed an objection to the State’s response. On February 19, 2013, Anderson filed another motion to amend, and the circuit court denied that motion on February 20, 2013. On that same day, the circuit court issued an order summarily dismissing Anderson’s petition, finding the claims precluded as successive under Rule 32.2(b), time-barred by Rule 32.2(c), and precluded under Rules 32.2(a)(3) and (a)(5), because they were claims that could have been, but were not, raised at trial or on appeal. This appeal follows.

On appeal, Anderson appears to reassert the claims raised in his petition. Anderson also argues the claims he attempted to raise in his request to amend his petition. Anderson further argues that the circuit court erred in denying his motion for leave to amend his petition. We agree. Because of our disposition of this case, we need address only this issue.

In Broadnax v. State, 987 So.2d 631 (Ala.Crim.App.2007), this Court stated:

“In Ex parte Rhone, 900 So.2d 455 (Ala.2004), the Alabama Supreme Court set forth the principles governing amendments to Rule 32 petitions:
“‘This Court’s statements concerning the amendment of Rule 32 petitions are supported by the plain language of Rule 32.7, Ala.R.Crim.P. Subsection (b) of that rule unambiguously grants discretion to the trial court, providing that “[ajmendments to pleadings may be permitted at any stage of the proceedings prior to the entry of judgment.” (Emphasis added [in Ex parte Rhone ].) Guiding the exercise of that discretion is the mandate of subsection (d) that “[ljeave to amend shall be freely granted.” (Emphasis added [in Ex parte Rhone].) However, because the trial court has discretion to refuse an amendment to a Rule 32 petition, we must consider the nature of the factors that would provide a proper basis for such a refusal.
“ ‘In Ex parte Allen, [825 So.2d 271 (Ala.2002),] this Court cited Talley v. State, 802 So.2d 1106, 1107 (Ala.Crim. App.2001), in support of our statement of the principles relevant to the amendment of Rule 32 petitions. In Talley, the Court of Criminal Appeals stated:
“ ““ “[Ajmendments should be freely allowed and ... trial judges must be given discretion to allow or refuse amendments.... The trial judge should allow a proposed amendment if it is necessary for a full determination on the merits and if it does not unduly prejudice the opposing party or unduly delay the trial.” Record Data International, Inc. v. Nichols, 381 So.2d 1, 5 (Ala.1979) (citations omitted). “The grant or denial of leave to amend is a matter within the sound discretion of the trial judge....” Walker v. Traughber, 351 So.2d 917 (Ala.Civ.App.1977).’
“ ‘ “Cochran v. State, 548 So.2d 1062, 1075 (Ala.Crim.App.1989).”
“ ‘802 So.2d at 1107-08 (emphasis added [in Ex parte Rhone ]). The statements in Talley are consistent with this Court’s prior decisions, as well as with Rule 32.7. Thus, it is clear that only grounds such as actual prejudice or undue delay will support a trial court’s refusal to allow, or to consider, an amendment to a Rule 32 petition.’ [997]*997“900 So.2d at 457-58. The Court then concluded that ‘[t]he right to amend is limited by the trial court’s discretion to refuse an amendment based upon factors such as undue delay or undue prejudice to the opposing party. That limitation is ... sufficient to protect the rights of the parties, while allowing the trial court sufficient control over the management of its docket.’ 900 So.2d at 459.
“In Ex parte Jenkins, 972 So.2d 159 (Ala.2005), the Alabama Supreme Court further explained its holding in Ex parte Rhone:
“ ‘This Court recently examined the principles applicable to the amendment of Rule 32 petitions in Ex parte Rhone, 900 So.2d 455 (Ala.2004). In Rhone, the petitioner moved to amend his Rule 82 petition 16 days after the trial court had received the original petition. In denying the petition, the trial court addressed only the claims in the original petition. The Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the denial, holding that the trial court had not exceeded its discretion in failing to address the claims in the amendment to Rhone’s petition because “Rhone failed to meet his initial burden of showing diligence in filing the amendment or that the facts underlying the amendment were unknown to him before filing his original petition.” Rhone v. State, 900 So.2d 443, 448 (Ala.Crim.App.2004). This Court granted certiorari review to consider Rhone’s contention that the Court of Criminal Appeals’ decision conflicted with the well-established principle stated by this Court in Ex parte Allen, 825 So.2d 271, 273 (Ala.2002), that although “[ljeave to amend a Rule 32 petition is within the discretion of the trial court, ... it should be freely granted.”

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185 So. 3d 1142 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 2014)

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Bluebook (online)
135 So. 3d 994, 2013 WL 3716862, 2013 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 58, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/anderson-v-state-alacrimapp-2013.