Ex Parte Young

418 S.W.2d 824, 1967 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1084
Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas·Decided September 14, 1967·No. 40775·Published·Cited by 7,943 cases

Opinion

OPINION

WOODLEY, Presiding Judge.

This is a habeas corpus proceeding in which the applicant seeks release from confinement in the Texas Department of Corrections under a final conviction in a felony case.

Petition presented originally to this Court is one of the means by which the constitutional authority of the Court of Criminal Appeals to “issue the writ of habeas corpus” may be invoked and the power vested in said Court “upon affidavit or otherwise to ascertain such matters of fact as may be necessary to the exercise of its jurisdiction” applied. (Art. V, Sec. 5, Constitution of Texas, Vernon’s Ann.St.)

Another means by which relief from confinement under a void conviction for a felony may be obtained is that provided by the statute, now Art. 11.07, Vernon’s Ann.C.C. P. as amended, that is by petition originally presented to a district court or judge thereof who likewise have constitutional authority “to issue writs of habeas corpus”. Art. V, Sec. 8, Constitution of Texas.

*826 We are now faced with the duty of construing said Art. 11.07 of the 1965 Code of Criminal Procedure as amended by SB 145, Acts of the 60th Legislature, p. 1734, effective August 28, 1967, in the light of the following :

New concepts of the meaning of due process announced by the Supreme Court of the United States are binding on State as well as Federal Judges, and their duties and responsibilities in the administration of federal constitutional law are co-equal.

A judgment of conviction obtained in violation of due process of law is void for want of jurisdiction of the court to enter such judgment. Fay v. Noia, 372 U.S. 391, 83 S.Ct. 822, 9 L.Ed.2d 837.

Habeas corpus is an appropriate means by which relief from confinement under a void conviction may be obtained in the State as well as in the Federal Courts. Ex parte Bush, Tex.Cr.App., 313 S.W.2d 287; Ex parte McCune, 156 Tex.Cr.R. 213, 246 S.W.2d 171; Ex parte Puckett, Tex.Cr.App., 310 S.W.2d 117; Ex parte Traxler, 147 Tex.Cr.R. 661, 184 S. W.2d 286; Ex parte Church, 163 Tex.Cr.R. 357, 292 S.W.2d 120.

Under recent decisions of Federal Courts sitting in Texas, Art. 11.07 C.C.P. 1965 provides an effective, adequate and speedy post conviction remedy in that it offers the applicant the opportunity for a full and fair state court fact-finding hearing of the sort dictated by the Supreme Court in Townsend v. Sain, 372 U.S. 293, 9 L.Ed.2d 770, 83 S.Ct. 745, but

The original filing in the Court of Criminal Appeals of a petition for writ of habeas corpus is “virtually ineffective” for providing the type of fact-finding hearing promulgated in Townsend v. Sain; and

The denial of an application for writ of habeas corpus filed originally in the Court of Criminal Appeals by a convicted felon is not exhaustive of the post conviction remedy available under Texas law. Harris v. Beto, decided January 7, 1967, Memorandum Order, Northern District of Texas; Castillo v. Beto, decided March 1, 1967, Memorandum Order, Northern District of Texas; Carroll v. Beto, 379 F.2d 329, 1967, Memorandum Order, Northern District of Texas (affirmed, Carroll v. Beto, 270 F.Supp. 812, 1967, 5th Circuit Court of Appeals).

Certiorari will be granted by the Supreme Court and the denial of a petition for writ of habeas corpus presented originally to the Court of Criminal Appeals alleging facts which, if proved, would render the applicant’s confinement under a felony conviction illegal and entitle him to relief without a hearing such as dictated in Townsend v. Sain will be vacated with costs and the case remanded to the Court of Criminal Appeals for further proceedings not inconsistent with the Supreme Court’s opinion. See Greer v. Beto, 384 U.S. 269, 86 S.Ct. 1477, 16 L.Ed.2d 526; Ex parte Greer, Tex.Cr.App., 408 S.W.2d 711.

Where the applicant is entitled to a writ or a hearing on his petition and is denied such right, the Court of Criminal Appeals may hear the petition as an original proceeding. Ex parte Pearce, Tex.Cr.App., 230 S.W.2d 830; Ex parte Gomez, Tex.Cr.App., 241 S.W.2d 153; Ex parte Geter, Tex.Cr.App., 383 S.W.2d 405. See also Ex parte Williams, 169 Tex.Cr.R. 96, 331 S.W.2d 940.

Under prior decisions the Court of Criminal Appeals is not bound by the findings of the district judge but decides the case upon facts ascertained “by affidavit or otherwise.” Art. V, Sec. 5, Constitution of Texas.

The resolution of disputed issues of fact has not heretofore been left with the district judge, subject to review of the Court of Criminal Appeals, either where the petition was presented to the district judge under *827 Art. 11.07 or presented originally to the Court of Criminal Appeals. (See Ex parte Church, 163 Tex.Cr.R. 357, 292 S.W.2d 120, where the judge of the trial court failed to certify the facts, as requested, and the Court of Criminal Appeals assumed that the allegations of the petition originally presented to said court were true; and State ex rel. Wilson v. Briggs, Tex.Cr.App., 351 S.W.2d 892, where the Court of Criminal Appeals declined to be bound by findings of a district judge.)

The distinction between issuing the writ and granting the relief prayed for in the petition of an applicant seeking relief from confinement under a felony conviction has been particularly important in Texas procedure because, under the statute the district judge may issue the writ but may not order the applicant released. However, the Supreme Court in Townsend v.

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Ex Parte Young, 418 S.W.2d 824, 1967 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1084 (Tex. 1967).

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