Battles v. State

389 So. 2d 957, 1980 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 1320
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Alabama
DecidedJuly 29, 1980
Docket7 Div. 733
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 389 So. 2d 957 (Battles 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
Battles v. State, 389 So. 2d 957, 1980 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 1320 (Ala. Ct. App. 1980).

Opinion

TYSON, Judge.

This was an appeal from a judgment denying appellant’s discharge in a habeas corpus proceeding after a hearing on extradition papers from the State of Florida.

The State of Florida, through its Governor, has sent a requisition warrant, accompanied by an information from the State’s attorney for the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit of Florida, which information is in two [958]*958counts. The first count charged Billy Battles with obtaining a vehicle with intent to defraud, and the second charged Billy Battles with passing a worthless check. Both of these counts arise according to the information from the same transaction in which Billy Battles obtained a 1974 Ford, Serial Number 4N54H118242, from a dealer in Florida by the name of Larry L. Stimmett. The information asserts that the check given Stimmett was on a closed bank account.

The second count of the information asserts that Billy Battles did, on July 1, 1979, in Bay County, Florida, issue a check for $1300.00 to Larry L. Stimmett, drawn on the Sand Mountain Bank of Boaz, Alabama, which check is dated July 29, 1979, knowing at the time of making, or uttering, or issuing such check that there were not sufficient funds on deposit or credit with the said bank to cover the check in question.

The trial court, pursuant to a petition for writ of habeas corpus filed by the appellant’s attorney, conducted a hearing on the validity of the extradition papers, and all of the papers from the State of Florida were placed in evidence before the Circuit Judge. The appellant testified himself and stated that he advised Mr. Stimmett that there were not sufficient funds on deposit when he discussed the purchase of the car in Bay County, Florida, on July 1, 1979, but indicated that the transaction occurred on a Sunday, and that he wanted to drive the vehicle back to Gadsden, Alabama, and would place the funds on deposit to cover the check. He said he so advised Stimmett at the time. The appellant contended that Stimmett allowed him to drive the 1974 Ford back to Gadsden with this understanding, and that he subsequently developed car trouble in driving back and contacted Mr. Stimmett in Florida and so advised him.

The appellant also admitted on cross-examination that he later sold the automobile to one Charlie New.

In resisting the extradition to Florida, the appellant, through his counsel, calls the attention of this Court to the provisions of § 15-9-31 and § 15-9-33, Code of Alabama 1975, which are as follows:

“§ 15-9-31. Form of Demand.
“No demand for the extradition of a person charged with crime in another state shall be recognized by the governor unless in writing and accompanied by a copy of an indictment found, or by an information supported by affidavit, in the state having jurisdiction of the crime or by a copy of an affidavit made before a magistrate there, together with a copy of any warrant which was issued thereon. The indictment, information or affidavit made before the magistrate must substantially charge the person demanded with having committed a crime under the law of that state, and the copy must be authenticated by the executive authority making the demand, which shall be prima facie evidence of its truth.”
“§ 15-9-38. What supporting documents to show.
“A warrant of extradition must not be issued unless the documents presented by the executive authority making the demand show that the accused was present in the demanding state at the time of the commission of the alleged crime and that he thereafter fled from that state and is now in this state, and that he is lawfully charged by indictment or by an information filed by a prosecuting officer and supported by affidavit to the facts, or by affidavit made before a magistrate in that state, with having committed a crime under the laws of that state, or that he has been convicted of crime in that state and has escaped from confinement or broken his parole.”

Specifically, counsel for the appellant calls our attention to the fact that there is no affidavit attached to the information which is contained in the extradition papers; and, secondly, that the affidavit, which is made by an investigator of the office of the state’s attorney in Bay County, Florida, is dated eleven days after the information, and is attached to the “application for requisition,” which is dated August 30, 1979, some ten days after the information contained in the extradition papers. [959]*959Appellant’s counsel also calls our attention to the fact that the investigator who signed the affidavit has “no personal knowledge of the facts alleged,” nor does the affidavit disclose the source of the information or the reliability of the source.

Finally, counsel asserts that such affidavit is a conclusionary affidavit and that, in order for an information to be valid, such should be accompanied by a sworn affidavit by the party having personal knowledge of the facts asserted.

I

Where, as here, the allied papers accompanying the requisition warrant from the Governor of a foreign state are placed in evidence at the habeas corpus hearing, then there is a duty on the part of the trial court and -the appellate court on subsequent review to look to their legal sufficiency to justify the issuance of the rendition warrant. Aldio v. State, 44 Ala.App. 303, 208 So.2d 212 (1967); Martin v. State, 50 Ala.App. 1, 276 So.2d 149 (1973); Watson v. State, 30 Ala.App. 184, 2 So.2d 470 (1941); and Meadows v. State, 38 Ala.App. 319, 82 So.2d 811 (1955).

Section 15-9-31, Code of Alabama 1975, clearly requires that there shall be attached to the requisition warrant from the Governor of the foreign state a certified copy of any indictment found or by information supported by affidavit in the state having jurisdiction of the crime or by copy of an affidavit made before a magistrate there, together with a copy of any warrant issued thereon.

The two-count information by the state’s attorney of the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit of Florida is dated and certified by the clerk of the Bay County, Florida, Court, under date of August 20, 1979. There is no affidavit or warrant attached to this information.

There is an “application for requisition” directed to the Governor of Florida by the state’s attorney of Bay County, dated, sworn to, and certified to under date of August 30, 1979, seeking the extradition of Billy Battles and asserting that there is an information which was attached, but the record does not show that there was an affidavit attached to the information. Rather, the affidavit in tKie instant cause is dated, sworn to, and certified to by the clerk of the Circuit Court of Bay County, Florida, all under date of August 31, 1979, and reads as follows (R. 48):

“IN THE COUNTY COURT IN AND FOR BAY COUNTY, FLORIDA
“STATE OF FLORIDA APPLICATION OF vs PROBABLE CAUSE BILLY BATTLES ,
“STATE OF FLORIDA COUNTY OF BAY

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Related

Ex Parte Sanchez
642 S.W.2d 809 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1982)
Johnson v. State
425 So. 2d 515 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1982)
Wheaton v. State
420 So. 2d 604 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1982)
Alabama v. Battles
452 U.S. 920 (Supreme Court, 1981)

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Bluebook (online)
389 So. 2d 957, 1980 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 1320, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/battles-v-state-alacrimapp-1980.