Ex Parte Patterson

70 So. 3d 435, 2011 WL 927653
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Alabama
DecidedMarch 18, 2011
DocketCR-10-0334
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 70 So. 3d 435 (Ex Parte Patterson) 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
Ex Parte Patterson, 70 So. 3d 435, 2011 WL 927653 (Ala. Ct. App. 2011).

Opinions

PER CURIAM.

The petitioner, Rodney Wayne Patterson, filed this petition for a writ of habeas corpus requesting that we reinstate his original bail, which had been revoked. In October 2009, Patterson was arrested for attempted murder; his bail was set at $75,000. In January 2010, Patterson was indicted for attempted murder and his bail, which he had paid, remained the same. In May 2010, the State moved that Patterson’s bail be revoked because, it argued, Patterson had been charged with another offense while he was free on bail for the attempted murder charge, and a condition of his release had been that he not engage in any criminal activity. On May 13, 2010, Judge Pride Tompkins revoked Patterson’s bail. On November 12, 2010, Patterson was found “not guilty” of reckless endangerment 1 — the charge that formed the basis for the revocation of his pretrial bail. Patterson then moved to have his original bail reinstated. After a hearing on November 15, 2010, Judge Tompkins denied Patterson’s motion. This original petition for a writ of habeas corpus followed.

Patterson asserts that he is entitled to remain free on pretrial bail because, he argues, he has been acquitted of the [437]*437charge that formed the basis for the revocation of his pretrial bail.

“The purposes of bail are to secure the accused’s attendance, and avoid the imprisonment of persons still entitled to a presumption of innocence, among others.
“Since it is not the purpose of the criminal law to confine a person accused of crime before conviction, bail is allowed in recognition of the presumption of innocence until guilt is proved, and is a necessary corollary to the constitutional concept that persons may be imprisoned only after conviction. Bail is intended to enable an accused to remain out of jail until the next proceeding in the case, or until there has been a final disposition of the accusation, and to prepare a defense. Bail also reheves the state of the burden of detaining possibly innocent persons pending trial.”

8 C.J.S. Bail § 6 (2010). “Bail operates to balance the ‘presumption of innocence of the accused and the compelling interest of the State that the accused appear to answer the accusation against him.’” Ex parte Henson, 131 S.W.3d 645, 647 (Tex. App.2004).

Under Alabama law, an accused has a constitutional right to pretrial bail in all noncapital cases.

“Article I, § 16, Alabama Constitution of 1901, provides: ‘That all persons shall, before conviction, be bailable by sufficient sureties, except for capital offenses, when the proof is evident or the presumption great; and that excessive bail shall not in any case be required.’ This Court has interpreted § 16 as providing an absolute right to bail in all noncapital cases. State v. Blake, 642 So.2d 959, 968 (Ala.1994). See also, Ala. Code 1975, § 15-13-2; Brown v. State, 615 So.2d 1306 (Ala.Crim.App.1993); and Ex parte Jackson, 687 So.2d 222 (Ala.Crim.App.1996).”

Ex parte Colbert, 805 So.2d 687, 688 (Ala. 2001). See § 15-13-3, Ala.Code 1975, which states: “In all cases other than those specified in subsection (a) of Section 15-13-3 [capital cases] a defendant is, before conviction, entitled to bail as a matter of right.”

We have recognized that this constitutional right is subject to forfeiture by the defendant. In Ex parte Fleming, 814 So.2d 302 (Ala.Crim.App.2001), we stated:

“[A] defendant may forfeit his constitutional right to pretrial bail by his conduct while out on bail. See Shabazz v. State, 440 So.2d 1200 (Ala.Crim.App. 1983). In Shabazz, we stated:
“ ‘The Constitution of the State of Alabama provides “That all persons shall, before conviction, be bailable by sufficient sureties,, except for capital offenses, when the proof is evident or the presumption great; and that excessive bail shall not in any case be required.” Ala. Const, art. I, § 16. Additionally, § 15-13-2, Code of Alabama 1975, states that “In all cases other than those specified in subsection (a) of section 15-13-3, a defendant is, before conviction, entitled to bail as a matter of right.” Subsection (a) of § 15-13-3 deals with capital cases. The courts of this State have consistently construed the statute and constitutional provision as ensuring to an accused an absolute right to bail. Brakefield v. State, 269 Ala. 433, 113 So.2d 669 (1959); Holman v. Williams, 256 Ala. 157, 53 So.2d 751 (1951); Sprinkle v. State, 368 So.2d 554 (Ala.Crim.App.1978), writ quashed, 368 So.2d 565 (Ala.1979).
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“ ‘... Although the court found the right to bail on a noncapital case to [438]*438be absolute, even when there had previously been a forfeiture of bail on the same charge, it also said that an accused could forfeit his constitutional right to bail if it appeared that he had done so through affirmative evidence. This court opines that engaging in felonious criminal activity while out on bail is an example of such affirmative evidence. Mere failure to appear in court would not suffice.’
“440 So.2d at 1201-02 (emphasis added). Cf: Alabama courts have recognized that the following constitutional protections may be waived: (right to counsel at trial) (Clemons v. State, 720 So.2d 985 (Ala.1998), cert. denied, 525 U.S. 1124, 119 S.Ct. 907, 142 L.Ed.2d 906 (1999)); (right to counsel and to conduct own defense) (Ex parte Arthur, 711 So.2d 1097 (Ala.1997)); (right against self-incrimination) (Ex parte Graddick, 501 So.2d 444 (Ala.1986)); (right to trial by jury) (Arrington v. State, 773 So.2d 500 (Ala.Crim.App.2000)); (right to speedy trial) (Williams v. State, 641 So.2d 1305 (Ala.Crim.App.1994)).
“The philosophy expressed in Shabazz has been incorporated into Rule 7.3(a), Ala. R.Crim. P., and Rule 7.5(b), Ala. R.Crim. P., promulgated by the Alabama Supreme Court. Rule 7.3(a) lists the mandatory conditions of release, once bail has been set. Those mandatory conditions require that a defendant
“ ‘(1) Appear to answer and to submit to the orders and process of the court having jurisdiction of the case;
“‘(2) Refrain from committing any criminal offense;
“‘(3) Not depart from the state without leave of court; and “‘(4) Promptly notify the court of any change of address.’ ”

814 So.2d at 303-04.

Rule 7.5(b), Ala. R.Crim. P., provides, in pertinent part:

“If, after a hearing on the matters set forth in the motion, the court finds that the defendant released has not complied with or has violated the conditions of release, or that material misrepresentations or omissions of fact were made in securing the defendant’s release, the court may modify the conditions or revoke the release. If a ground alleged for revocation of the release is that the defendant released has violated the condition under Rule 7.3(a)(2) by committing a criminal offense, or that there was a misrepresentation or omission concerning other charges pending against the defendant released, the court may modify the conditions of release or revoke the release,

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Related

Ex Parte Patterson
70 So. 3d 435 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 2011)

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Bluebook (online)
70 So. 3d 435, 2011 WL 927653, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ex-parte-patterson-alacrimapp-2011.