Petition of Davis

380 P.2d 880, 141 Mont. 565, 1963 Mont. LEXIS 169
CourtMontana Supreme Court
DecidedApril 11, 1963
Docket10579
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 380 P.2d 880 (Petition of Davis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Montana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Petition of Davis, 380 P.2d 880, 141 Mont. 565, 1963 Mont. LEXIS 169 (Mo. 1963).

Opinion

PER CURIAM.

This is an application for a writ of habeas corpus, filed pro se by Gerald F. Davis, an inmate of the Montana State Prison.

The applicant, Gerald F. Davis, is one of a group of inmates who are rapidly becoming known to appellate courts as the Griffith v. Illinois type inmates. They are in constant communication with the various appellate courts of the states and the United States. The records of this court show that this applicant has filed the following:

*566 Petition requesting this court to direct ■ the district court to furnish a transcript of the evidence at state expense. This petition was denied April 4, 1961, because no application or showing had been made in the district court which had jurisdiction before the application here. See State v. Davis, 139 Mont. 616, 362 P.2d 1013.

Petition for writ of certiorari to review matters occurring upon his trial was denied on May 15, 1961, because there was no showing that the district court had exceeded its jurisdiction, and it appeared that adequate provisions existed for appeal which constituted a plain, speedy and adequate remedy to have reviewed the proceedings upon the trial. (Not reported) 18 State Rep. 124.

Then came a petition seeking a writ of mandate to compel the district court to proceed to determine the merits of a motion for new trial which was also denied on June 1, 1961, because the statutory procedure required for motions for new trial were not followed. Petition of Gerald F. Davis, 139 Mont. 619, 361 P.2d 963.

A petition for rehearing was then filed, coupled with a petition for writ of mandate, and they were both denied as being without merit on June 12, 1961.

An application for writ of habeas corpus which after consideration by this court was denied on August 18, 1961. Petition of Gerald F. Davis, 139 Mont. 622, 365 P.2d 948.

On August 31, 1961, a petition for rehearing was considered and denied.

On February 19, 1962, a petition for writ of error coram nobis was denied for the reasons set forth in the opinion of this court. See Petition of Gerald F. Davis, 140 Mont. 155, 369 P.2d 415.

On March 29, 1962, a petition for writ of mandate was denied for the reasons set forth in our order. See Petition of Gerald F. Davis, 140 Mont. 613, 380 P.2d 880.

*567 On June 6, 1962, application for writ of supervisory control was denied for the reasons set forth in our order. See Petition of Gerald F. Davis, 140 Mont. 617, 374 P.2d 115.

Also on June 6, 1962, Petition of Gerald F. Davis, 140 Mont. 617, 374 P.2d 115, an application for a certificate of probable cause was denied for the reason that it was filed by petitioner pro se and he was at the time represented by counsel and ip such event petitions should be made and presented by counsel. See our order, Petition of Gerald F. Davis, 140 Mont. 618, 374 P.2d 114.

On October 8th, 1962, the appeal from his conviction was lodged in this court and following oral argument a decision was handed down on November 29, 1962, affirming the conviction. See 141 Mont. 197, 376 P.2d 727.

On December 17, 1962, this court denied a petition for rehearing, State v. Davis.

The present application for a writ of habeas corpus was filed on March 25, 1963.

In addition to proceedings before our court, it appears petitioner has been before the United States District Court of Montana on at least three occasions; he has been before the United States Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit, appealing from one of the rulings of the United States District Court, and he has also sought a writ of certiorari from the Supreme Court of the United States, Davis v. U. S., 368 U.S. 904, 82 S.Ct. 184, 7 L.Ed.2d 99. So far as our records indicate he has been denied the relief requested by him in these Federal courts in each instance.

One matter should be mentioned before we proceed, and that is, that immediately following his conviction this petitioner discharged his court-appointed counsel and elected to appear as his own attorney. Some months later he did request counsel to prepare and present his appeal to this court and the district court promptly made such an appointment and a new and different counsel represented him on his appeal.

*568 The applicant sets forth some ten questions or contentions that he requests this court to pass upon which, inter alia, are:

(1) That he has been deprived of his constitutional right to have knowledge of the offense charged as prescribed by statute;

(2) The amendment of the information in matters of alleged substance after plea;

(3) Whether such amendment can lawfully be done; -

(4) The amending of the information allowing the charging of a prior conviction of a like offense the day before the opening of the trial;

(5) Whether the petitioner had reasonable, fair and due notice of what acts he was charged with?

(6) Did such action by the trial court in allowing the amendment tend to be prejudicial toward the petitioner?

(7) Can an information be amended to charge a prior conviction of a like offense while the petitioner was serving on parole ?

(8) Has the trial court and the Supreme Court acted in accordance with the Constitution in the handling of this case ?

(9) Did the trial court’s action in providing allegedly ineffective counsel violate the petitioner’s rights? and

(10) Did the petitioner have a fair trial?

Concerning matters numbered 1 and 5, this court in the caseof State v. Fairburn, 135 Mont. 449, 340 P.2d 157, specifically set forth the test of a valid information in the following language:

“* * # Will the accused and the court be apprised of the charge? Will the accused be surprised by the evidence? Will a conviction bar-another prosecution? This is the intendment of the Montana code rules of criminal pleading, R.C.M. 1947, Title 94, Chapter 64, and of the following statutes as particularly applicable to the information attacked in this appeal: Sections 94-6404, 94-6403, subd. (2), 94-6412, subds. (6) and (7), 94-6413, and 94-6429.”

*569 Approaching the information here with a common understanding, can the appellant contend that he does not know what is charged by the information? The answer is no. The information tells him what to expect, it imports notice and affords the opportunity to defend, the rest is up to him.

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Related

Lott v. State
2006 MT 279 (Montana Supreme Court, 2006)
In Re DeCelle
218 A.2d 714 (Supreme Court of Vermont, 1966)
In re Davis
390 P.2d 100 (Montana Supreme Court, 1964)
State v. Noller
381 P.2d 293 (Montana Supreme Court, 1963)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
380 P.2d 880, 141 Mont. 565, 1963 Mont. LEXIS 169, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/petition-of-davis-mont-1963.