Josiah v. Farrelly

28 V.I. 101, 1993 WL 13751623, 1993 V.I. LEXIS 4
CourtSupreme Court of The Virgin Islands
DecidedJune 15, 1993
DocketCivil No. 827/92
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 28 V.I. 101 (Josiah v. Farrelly) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of The Virgin Islands primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Josiah v. Farrelly, 28 V.I. 101, 1993 WL 13751623, 1993 V.I. LEXIS 4 (virginislands 1993).

Opinion

SWAN, Judge

MEMORANDUM OPINION

Before the Court is plaintiff Floyd Josiah's petition for a Writ of Habeas Corpus, challenging the Governor's refusal to approve his parole request, already favorably considered by the local Parole Board, thereby allowing his continued incarceration.

After the hearing and while the case was pending, the Governor approved the latest requests for parole by plaintiffs Cecil Grant and Rafael Greenidge. Therefore, these plaintiffs' cases are moot. However, Floyd Josiah's counsel has filed a Memorandum which informed the Court that Josiah wishes to proceed with the case on those matters of concern to him. For the reasons which follow, Josiah's petition for a Writ of Habeas Corpus will be denied.

FACTS

Floyd Josiah ("Plaintiff") has raised a plethora of issues; however, the Court will address only those that it deems dispositive of the case on the merits.

In his petition, plaintiff offers a paucity of background information, including that plaintiff is currently incarcerated, serving a fifty years sentence. As gleaned from the petition, plaintiff asserts that he has been successfully rehabilitated, and on several occasions, the Board of Parole ("Board") has recommended that he be paroled. Nonetheless, Defendant Alexander A. Farrelly, Governor of the Virgin Islands ("Governor"), has disapproved all of plaintiff's requests for parole.

[105]*105Plaintiff further asserts that favorable recommendations for his parole by numerous persons of diverse backgrounds demonstrate community support for his petition for parole.

Plaintiff argues that Title 5 V.I.C. Section 4604 of the Virgin Islands Code gives him a Fourteenth Amendment United States Constitution liberty interest in his parole requests, entitling him to certain due process considerations. He also asserts that the Governor's failure to explain his numerous disapprovals of the Board's favorable recommendations violates plaintiff's constitutional Due Process Rights. Lastly, plaintiff asserts that the Virgin Islands parole statute is unconstitutional.

In response to plaintiff's contentions, defendants moved to dismiss the action, asserting two reasons. First, defendants argue that this Court lacks jurisdiction to hear this case. Second, defendants assert that plaintiff's petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus contains numerous procedural and substantive deficiencies warranting dismissal. Because any procedural deficiencies can summarily be cured or rectified, the Court will address defendants' claim that this Court lacks jurisdiction and then will proceed to resolve the merits of plaintiff's allegations. Therefore, the issues are as follows:

ISSUES

1. Whether the Territorial Court has jurisdiction to hear local habeas corpus cases.
2. Whether Title 5 V.I.C. Section 4604 gives plaintiff a liberty or property interest in parole which is protected by the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment in the United States Constitution.
3. Whether Due Process requires the Governor to explain his reasons for disapproving plaintiff's parole requests.
4. Whether the Virgin Islands Parole Statute is unconstitutional.
5. Whether the Attorney General is the Governor's Agent when attending Parole Board meetings.
The Court will discuss the issues in seriatem.

DISCUSSION

A. Jurisdiction

For the reasons which follow, the Court has jurisdiction to hear this case.
[106]*106Since October 1, 1991, the local judicial landscape in the Virgin Islands has been changed dramatically by the Territorial Court having acquired jurisdiction in all civil actions involving local matters. Essentially, with few exceptions, the Territorial Court is presently the Court of local jurisdiction. Yet, defendants assert that this court has no jurisdiction to hear this matter. For their contention, defendants rely exclusively upon Joseph v. DeCastro (District Court, Appellate Division No. 91-26, 1992), which defendants' counsel has informed the Court will be appealed.
Nevertheless, this Court's jurisdiction is best explained and understood by the "trilogy" of local jurisdiction; which are the 1984 Amendment to the Revised Organic Act of 1954, as amended, the case of Estate Thomas Mall, Inc. v. Territorial Court of the Virgin Islands; 923 F.2d 858 (3rd Cir. 1990), and Act No. 5594 of the Legislature of the Virgin Islands (Approved September 5, 1990), which became effective October 1, 1991, and codified in 4 V.I.C. § 76.
In 1984, the Revised Organic Act of 1954 was amended to allow for vesting in the local courts established by the Virgin Islands Legislature greater jurisdiction over local matters. (See Act of October 5, 1984 Pub. L. 98-454, 98 Stat 1738). This sentiment is enumerated by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in the Estate Thomas Mall, Inc., supra, which says:
"In 1984, Congress passed an amendment to the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands, 48 U.S.C. Section 1541 et. seq. (1954). The 1984 amendment, P.L. 98-454 eliminates concurrent jurisdiction in the District Court when jurisdiction is vested in the local courts of the Virgin Islands. . . pg. 260.

In the same decision, the Appellate Court explicitly said that the 1984 Amendment was not immediately in effect. Rather, the 1984 amendment's effective date must await passage of a local law, effectuating the jurisdictional changes from the District Court to the Territorial Court. The Appellate Court asserted, ". . . Accordingly, we now hold that section 1612(b) does not ex proprio Vigore divest the District Court of jurisdiction over local matters. Such divestment will not occur until the Virgin Islands Legislature enacts a law which effects the power created by the 1984 amendments." pg. 264.

[107]*107Moreover, the Estate Thomas Mall Inc's decision appears to be consistent with the 1984 amendment to Section 22(b) of the Revised Organic Act of 1954 as amended which provides:

(b) "... the District Court of the Virgin Islands shall have general original jurisdiction in all causes in the Virgin Islands the jurisdiction over which is not then vested by local law in local courts of the Virgin Islands. . . ." (underline supplied)

Act No. 5594 eliminated the then existing concurrent jurisdiction between both the District Court and the Territorial Court. Likewise, the Act divested the District Court of jurisdiction over local matters once that jurisdiction is vested or reposed in the Territorial Court. Act No. 5594 expressly repealed the language in the old section 76 of Title 4 of the Virgin Islands Code which included the language "The Territorial Court shall have original jurisdiction concurrent with that of the District Court in all civil actions . . . ." As its replacement, a new section 76 was enacted. The unambiguous language of the new section 76, is instructive and states in pertinent part:

"Section 76. Original Jurisdiction

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
28 V.I. 101, 1993 WL 13751623, 1993 V.I. LEXIS 4, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/josiah-v-farrelly-virginislands-1993.