Formby v. Fulk, Judge

214 S.W.2d 920, 214 Ark. 175
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedNovember 22, 1948
Docket4536
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 214 S.W.2d 920 (Formby v. Fulk, Judge) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Formby v. Fulk, Judge, 214 S.W.2d 920, 214 Ark. 175 (Ark. 1948).

Opinion

Holt, J.

March 28, 1948, Billy E. Forby was, by information, charged with the crime of rape. On the same date, the Hon. Gus Fulk, Judge of the Pulaski Circuit Court, First Division, committed Forby to the Arkansas State Hospital for Nervous Diseases for a mental examination, in accordance with the provisions of Initiated Act 3, adopted by the people at the General Election in 1936, appearing as §§ 3913 et seq., Pope’s Digest.

On April 20, 1948, the superintendent of the State Hospital, Dr. Jackson, and the assistant superintendent, Dr. Oscar Kozberg, reported to the court: “DTAG-NOSIS: Without psychosis, mental deficiency — mental age 12 years. (1) It is our opinion that Billy E. Forby was sane and legally responsible for bis acts at the time of their alleged commission. (2) It is further our opinion that Billy E. Forby is sane and legally responsible for bis acts at the time of this mental examination and that be is capable of carrying out anything necessary in bis defense.”

Therefore, on May 21, 1948, notwithstanding the above report, Forby petitioned the court to grant him a jury trial, as provided in § 3881 of Pope’s Digest, to determine the issue as to bis sanity, alleging that be was then insane. The trial court granted the petition and on June 1, 1948, the jury returned the following ver-diet: “We, the jury, find the petitioner, Billy E. Forby, of unsound mind.” Thereafter, on the next day (June 2nd) the trial court committed Forby to the Arkansas State Hospital to remain for an indeterminate period of time or until found sane.

On July 22, 1948, Dr. Jackson made the following report to Judge Fulk: “Billy E. Forby was returned to this institution June 2, 1948, and has remained under observation in this hospital to the present date. This man has been observed by the members of the State Hospital medical staff, as well as two consultant psychiatrists. The unanimous opinion of the staff physicians is as follows:: 1. That Billy E. Forby is at the present time sane and mentally competent. 2. That Billy E. Forby was mentally competent at the time of the alleged offense. 3. That Billy E. Forby is mentally capable of cooperating and aiding in his defense.”

Following this report, Dr. Jackson delivered Forby to the Sheriff of Pulaski County who placed him in the Pulaski County jail (§§ 11 and 12, Act 241 of the Acts of 1943).

September 24, 1948, Forby petitioned for a second separate sanity trial before a jury and alleged that “the court is without jurisdiction to try the defendant on the issue of his guilt or innocence of the charge, until such time as the jury has found him to be sane.”

This petition was denied by the court and the charge against Forby was set for trail on October 18, 1948.

On September 25, 1948, defendant, Forby, filed in this court “Petition for Writ of Prohibition,” in which he prayed “that the First Division Circuit Court of Pulaski County, Arkansas, be prohibited and restrained from trying said case on the issue of the guilt or innocence of the defendant on the charge named in the indictment, until such time as a jury has been empaneled and the issue of the defendant’s present insanity has been submitted to such jury and the defendant has been declared to be of sound mind by said jury.”

Petitioner, Forby, says: “As we see it, there are two issues before the court at this time — First: Is pro-Mbition a proper remedy under the facts and circumstances in this case? Second: If prohibition is a proper remedy, are the facts and circumstances of this case such that the court will grant the writ of prohibition?”

The State, after conceding that prohibition is the proper remedy, earnestly argues, first that “§ 3881 of Pope’s Digest which authorizes a separate sanity trial in such cases has been repealed by Initiated Act No. 3, of 1936,” and second “even if § 3881 has not been repealed, the granting of another separate sanity trial under § 3881 is within the sound judicial discretion of the court. ’ ’

The question presented is of first impression here.

Since we have reached the conclusion that the State’s first contention must be. sustained, — that is, that Act 3 repealed § 3881 of Pope’s Digest, — it becomes unnecessary to consider the State’s second contention.

Section 3881 of Pope’s Digest provides: “Insanity of defendant — procedure. If the court shall be of the opinion that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the defendant is insane, all proceedings in the trial shall be postponed until the jury be impaneled to inquire whether the defendant is of unsound mind, and if the jury shall find that he is of unsound mind the court shall direct that he be kept in prison, or conveyed by the" sheriff to the lunatic asylum, and there kept in custody by the officers thereof until he is restored, when he shall be returned to the sheriff, on demand, to be re-conveyed by him to the jail of the county.”

Initiated Act No. 3 is entitled “An Act to amend, modify and improve judicial procedure and the criminal law, and for other purposes,” and contains the following provisions material here: “Section 11. INSANITY DEFENSE. "Whenever a prosecution for any crime has been instituted in the circuit court by indictment or information, and the defense of insanity at the time of the trial or at the time of the commission of the offense has been raised on behalf of the defendant and becomes an issue in the cause, or the circuit judge has reason to believe that the defense of insanity will be raised on behalf of the defendant and will become an issue in the cause, or shall be of the opinion that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the defendant was insane at the time of the alleged commission of the offense with which he is charged, or has become insane since the alleged commissoin of such offense, the judge shall postpone all other proceedings in the cause and shall forthwith commit the defendant to the Arkansas State Hospital for Nervous Diseases, where the defendant shall remain under observation for such time as the court shall direct, not exceeding one month. The judge shall order the superintendent or supervising officer of the State Hospital to direct some competent physician or physicians employed by the State Hospital to conduct observations and investigations of the mental condition of the defendant, and to prepare a written report thereof. On issuing such order, the judge shall direct the circuit clerk to notify the prosecuting attorney and the counsel for the defendant of the issuance of the order. If the defendant is at large on bail, the court shall commit him to custody during the period and for the purposes of the examination hereinbefore provided. If the trial has already begun when the issue of insanity is raised, and the court deems it necessary for the proper administration of justice that a mistrial be declared, it shall be the duty of the judge to declare such mistrial, and then to proceed as herein provided. The action of the court in committing the defendant for examination shall not preclude the State or defendant from calling expert witnesses to testify at the trial, and such expert witnesses shall have free access to the defendant for the purposes of observation and examination during the period of his commitment to the State Hospital for examination.

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Bluebook (online)
214 S.W.2d 920, 214 Ark. 175, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/formby-v-fulk-judge-ark-1948.