Dowling v. Lee

66 So. 142, 68 Fla. 23
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedJune 25, 1914
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 66 So. 142 (Dowling v. Lee) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dowling v. Lee, 66 So. 142, 68 Fla. 23 (Fla. 1914).

Opinion

Shackleford, C. J.

John P. Lee, an officer on the supernumerary list of the National Guard of the State of Florida, commissioned as second lieutenant, was arraigned before and tried by a General Court Martial, convened by the Governor as Commander-in-Chief of the National Guard of the State of Florida, sitting in Duval County, .on two. charges, the first for an offense in viola tion of the 21st Article of War and the second for an offense in violation of the 62nd Article of War, specifica[25]*25tions being set forth to each charge. He was found guilty of each charge and sentenced to pay a fine of one hundred dollars. The record of the proceedings 'of the Court Martial was submitted to and approved by the Governor and the sentence imposed confirmed and ordered carried into effect. After more than ten days had elapsed from the date of such approval and Lee not having paid the fine so imposed, the Governor issued his warrant to the Sheriff of Duval County, thereby commanding him to arrest Lee and to keep him confined in the jail of Duval County until such fine had been paid or until he had been confined in said jail one day for each dollar, or fraction thereof, of such fine, and the legal fees of such Sheriff. This warrant was executed by such Sheriff by the arrest and imprisonment of Lee in such jail, whereupon he sued out a writ of habeas corpus and upon a hearing before the Circuit Judge was ordered to be discharged. W. H. Dow-ling, as Sheriff of Duval County, Florida, has brought this judgment here for review by writ of error. The sole assignment is that the court erred in making .its order whereby the petitioner was discharged.

The first point presented to us for determination is as to whether or not the Court Martial which tried Lee had jurisdiction of his person and of the subject-matter embraced in the charges presented to the Court Martial and upon which he was convicted. As we have several times held, habeas corpus cannot be used to take the place, or to serve the purpose, of a writ of error to determine whether a judgment is erroneous, when the court has jurisdictiofi of the person and the conviction is of an offense under the law and within the jurisdiction of the court to try. Hardee v. Brown, 56 Fla. 377, 47 South. Rep. 834, and Kinkaid v. Jackson, 66 Fla. 378, 63 South. Rep. 706, wherein prior decisions of this court will be found cited. As was held [26]*26in Johnson v. Sayre, 158 U. S. 109, 15 Sup. Ct. Rep. 773, “The Court Martial having jurisdiction of the person accused and of the offense charged, and having acted within the-scope of its lawful powers, its decision and sentence cannot be reviewed or set aside by the civil courts, by writ of habeas corpus or otherwise.” See also Dynes v. Hoover, 20 How. (U. S.) 65; Ex Parte Reed, 100 U. S. 13; Ex parte Mason, 105 U. S. 696; Smith v. Whitney, 116 U. S. 167, 16 Sup. C.t. Rep. 570; Swaim v. U. S., 165 U. S. 553, 17 Sup. C't. Rep. 448; Bishop v. U. S., 197 U. S. 334, 25 Sup. Ct. Rep. 440; In re Crain, 84 Fed. Rep. 788; People v. Doyle, 59 N. Y. Supp. 959.

The first contention made on behalf of the defendant in error, as we understand it, is that the general court martial by which he was tried and convicted was without jurisdiction over his person, and hence he should have been discharged. We call attention to the fact that, as is shown by the transcript of the record, this was one of the contentions made before the Circuit Judge in the habeas corpus proceedings, but it would seem that he was not impressed with its soundness, as is shown by his order or judgment, which reads as follows:

“In Re Application John P. Lee for Habeas Corpus.

This matter coming on to be heard upon the petition for a writ of habeas corpus and the return of W. H. Dowling, as the Sheriff of Duval County, Florida, and having been argued by counsel, and it appearing to the court that the second charge and the specifications thereto in the proceedings of the Court Martial not constituting in law an an offense against the laws of the State of Florida, and it appearing that the sentence imposed was based upon the conviction of the said John P. Lee of said illegal charge:

[27]*27It is thereupon considered that the prayer of the petition be and the same is hereby granted and that the said W. EL Dowling, as Sheriff of Duval County, Florida, is hereby ordered to release the said John P. Lee from custody and the said John P. Lee be and he is hereby released and discharged from custody of said W. H. Dowling as Sheriff of Duval County, Florida.

Done and ordered this October 1st, 1913.

DANIEL A. SIMMONS, Judge.”

It is conceded by the defendant in error that general courts martial, under the authority conferred by the constitution and statutes of this State, have jurisdiction over the persons of non-commissioned officers and enlisted men, but it is urged that such courts martial have not jurisdiction over commissioned officers. As is admitted by the respective parties, Chapter 6501 of the Laws of Florida, Acts of 1913, page 332, has no applicability in the instant casé for the reason that such chapter did not go into effect or become operative until after the’ commission of the offenses with which Lee was charged. We are of the opinion that this contention has not been sustained. It seems to us that the provisions of Section 25 of Chapter 5930 of the Laws of Florida, amending Section 703 of the General Statutes, found on page 96 of the Acts of 1909, are sufficiently broad to embrace commissioned officers. This section reads as follows:

“Sec. 25. That Section 703, of the General Statutes of the State of Florida, be and the same is hereby amended so as to read as follows:

703. Courts-Martial. — General courts-martial may be convened by order of the Commander-in-Chief or of any general officer, and such courts shall have power to im[28]*28pose fines not exceeding two hundred dollars; to sentence to forfeiture of pay and allowances; to a reprimand; to dismissal or dishonorable discharge from the service; to reduce non-commissioned officers to the ranks; to sentence enlisted men to confinement when in the field on camps of instruction, at rendezvous for target practice, on practice marches, or whenever engaged in active and continuous military duty; Provided, however, that such confinement shall not extend beyond the time of the return to its home station of the organization to which such men belong and its relief from duty; or any two or more such punishments may be combined in the sentences imposed by such courts. Regimental courts may be appointed by every officer commanding a regiment or corps for his own regiment or corps; garrison courts may be appointed by the commanding officer of any garrison, fort, post or other place where the troops consist of different corps, for such garrison or other place; and such regimental and garrison courts-martial shall have the same powers of punishment as general courts-martial, except that fines imposed by such courts shall not exceed one hundred dollars. But no sentence of dismissal from the service or dishonorable discharge shall be executed until approved by the Commander-in-Ohief.

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Bluebook (online)
66 So. 142, 68 Fla. 23, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dowling-v-lee-fla-1914.