Peterson v. State

842 So. 2d 734, 2001 WL 996304
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Alabama
DecidedApril 26, 2002
DocketCR-00-1417
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 842 So. 2d 734 (Peterson v. State) 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
Peterson v. State, 842 So. 2d 734, 2001 WL 996304 (Ala. Ct. App. 2002).

Opinion

842 So.2d 734 (2001)

Charles Louis PETERSON
v.
STATE.

CR-00-1417.

Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama.

August 31, 2001.
Opinion on Return to Remand November 30, 2001.
Opinion on Return to Second Remand February 1, 2002.
Opinion on Return to Third Remand April 26, 2002.

*735 Katrina McCan Mu'Min, Birmingham, for appellant.

William H. Pryor, Jr., atty. gen., and Cecil G. Brendle, asst. atty. gen., for appellee.

BASCHAB, Judge.

The appellant, Charles Louis Peterson, was indicted for capital murder. In 1997, he pled guilty to felony-murder and first-degree robbery. The trial court sentenced him to serve consecutive terms of thirty years in prison on the felony-murder conviction and twenty years in prison on the first-degree robbery conviction. He did not appeal his convictions. On July 25, 2000, the appellant filed a Rule 32 petition, challenging his convictions. After the State responded, the circuit court summarily dismissed his petition. This appeal followed.

The appellant argues that the trial court did not have jurisdiction to render judgments and impose sentences in his case. Specifically, he contends that his convictions for both felony-murder and first-degree robbery violate double jeopardy principles and that he should not have been convicted of two offenses because only one indictment was returned against him. The appellant's double jeopardy claim may be meritorious. Accordingly, we remand this case to the circuit court with instructions that that court make specific, written findings of fact regarding the appellant's double jeopardy claim. On remand, the circuit court may require the State to respond specifically to the appellant's double jeopardy claim and/or may conduct an evidentiary hearing on that claim. The circuit court shall take all necessary action to see that the circuit clerk makes due return to this court at the earliest possible time and within 42 days after the release of this opinion. The return to remand shall include the circuit court's specific, written findings of fact and, if applicable, the State's response and a transcript of the evidentiary hearing.

REMANDED WITH INSTRUCTIONS.

McMILLAN, P.J., and COBB, SHAW, and WISE, JJ., concur.

On Return to Remand

The appellant, Charles Louis Peterson, was indicted for capital murder. In 1997, he pled guilty to felony-murder and first-degree robbery. The trial court sentenced him to serve consecutive terms of thirty *736 years in prison on the felony-murder conviction and twenty years in prison on the first-degree robbery conviction. He did not appeal his convictions. On July 25, 2000, the appellant filed a Rule 32 petition, challenging his convictions. After the State responded, the circuit court summarily dismissed his petition. On August 31, 2001, we remanded this case for the circuit court to make specific, written findings of fact regarding the appellant's double jeopardy claim. See Peterson v. State, 842 So.2d 734 (Ala.Crim.App.2001).

On remand, the circuit court did not make specific findings of fact regarding the appellant's double jeopardy claim. Rather, it simply stated that the appellant's claim was precluded and was without merit. However, the appellant alleged that he was indicted for murder made capital because he committed it during the course of a robbery. See § 13A-5-40(a)(2), Ala.Code 1975. He further asserted that he was convicted of felony-murder, for which the underlying offense was robbery, and first-degree robbery. Therefore, he concluded that his convictions for both offenses violated double jeopardy principles.

On remand, the circuit court stated in its order that the appellant's double jeopardy claim "has previously been affirmed on direct appeal by the Court of Criminal Appeals and on the initial Rule 32 proceeding." (Return to Remand.) However, the appellant did not appeal his conviction. Additionally, we did not address the double jeopardy claim the appellant now raises when we affirmed the denial of his previous Rule 32 petition. See Peterson v. State, (CR-97-1814) 744 So.2d 962 (Ala.Crim.App.1998) (table). Finally, the appellant's double jeopardy claim challenges the jurisdiction of the court to render judgments and impose sentences. See Rolling v. State, 673 So.2d 812 (Ala.Crim.App.1995). Therefore, because the appellant's specific claim has not been addressed on the merits in any previous proceeding, the circuit court improperly determined that the claim is precluded.

The circuit court found that the appellant's claim was not meritorious because "Felony Murder includes many possible offenses including Burglary in the first or second degree, which the evidence herein would support a conviction." (Return to Remand.) However, it did not make any findings as to what the indictment against the appellant alleged. Additionally, the record before this court does not include a copy of the indictment, the amended indictment, the plea agreement, or a transcript of the plea proceedings. If the appellant was indicted for an intentional murder committed during the course of a robbery, then an unintentional murder committed during the course of a burglary is not an included offense. See generally Ex parte Dixon, 804 So.2d 1075 (Ala.2000). Therefore, if his felony-murder conviction was based on an underlying burglary, it must be set aside. See Johnson v. State, 675 So.2d 85 (Ala.Crim.App.1995). Furthermore, if the appellant's convictions for both felony-murder and first-degree robbery were based on the same robbery, his convictions for both offenses violate double jeopardy principles. See Weaver v. State, 763 So.2d 972 (Ala.Crim.App.1998), rev'd on other grounds, 763 So.2d 982 (Ala.1999).

For these reasons, we again remand this case to the circuit court with instructions that that court make specific, written findings of fact regarding the allegations contained in the indictment against the appellant and the felony that provided the basis for the felony-murder conviction. If the circuit court determines that the appellant should not have been allowed to plead *737 guilty to both felony-murder and first-degree robbery, it may grant appropriate relief. The circuit court shall take all necessary action to see that the circuit clerk makes due return to this court at the earliest possible time and within 42 days after the release of this opinion. The return to remand shall include the circuit court's specific, written findings of fact. In addition, if such documents are available, the return to remand shall include copies of the indictment, the amended indictment, the plea agreement, and the transcript of the plea proceedings.

On Return to Second Remand

The appellant, Charles Louis Peterson, was indicted for capital murder. In 1997, he pled guilty to felony-murder and first-degree robbery. The trial court sentenced him to serve consecutive terms of thirty years in prison on the felony-murder conviction and twenty years in prison on the first-degree robbery conviction. He did not appeal his convictions. On July 25, 2000, the appellant filed a Rule 32 petition, challenging his convictions. After the State responded, the circuit court summarily dismissed his petition. On August 31, 2001, we remanded this case for the circuit court to make specific, written findings of fact regarding the appellant's double jeopardy claim. See Peterson v. State, 842 So.2d 734 (Ala.Crim.App.2001).

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Bluebook (online)
842 So. 2d 734, 2001 WL 996304, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/peterson-v-state-alacrimapp-2002.