Petition of Gallagher

436 P.2d 530, 150 Mont. 476, 1968 Mont. LEXIS 405
CourtMontana Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 25, 1968
Docket11434
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 436 P.2d 530 (Petition of Gallagher) 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 Gallagher, 436 P.2d 530, 150 Mont. 476, 1968 Mont. LEXIS 405 (Mo. 1968).

Opinion

PER CURIAM:

Byron Joseph Gallagher, an inmate of the Montana State *477 Prison, appearing pro se, has filed with this conrt a motion to vacate sentences imposed upon him on the ground that they were imposed in violation of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution.

In support of this contention, petitioner asserts that (1) an involuntary confession was admitted at his trial; (2) no bench warrant was issued for his arrest; (3) no warrant for search and seizure; and (4) a witness was intimidated into giving damaging testimony.

Before proceeding to a discussion of these contentions, it should be noted that the district court of Gallatin County upon receipt of a petition from petitioner in June of 1967, referred the matter to the Montana Defender Project, which the court noted in its order of June 30, 1967, was properly staffed, organized, and effective in such representation, and further ordered that certified copies of all the proceedings in this cause and the original record should be sent to the director of the Montana Defender Project. Petitioner thereafter instructed the Montana Defender Project that he did not want legal representation from them. Later petitioner filed a petition to vacate sentences and to proceed in the district court and this petition was referred by the district judge to the Montana Defender Project on October 27, 1967. Upon receipt of copy of this order, petitioner wrote the district judge, informing him that he did not want to be represented by the Montana Defender Project, and also that he considered the order sending his petition to that organization as evasive and contrary to justice, demanded what he termed a “judgment hearing” and stated that he would appear personally in his own defense. Upon further consideration of the matter, the district judge entered an order on November 20, 1967, reciting that the file in this matter had been carefully considered by the court, together with the court’s personal recollection of the arraignment and appointment of experienced counsel to represent petitioner on his plea of guilty, and the court stated that the request to *478 personally appear in the district court was unnecessary and denied the motions.

The exhibits submitted by petitioner in support of his petition to this court, include the informations filed against him in Yellowstone, and Gallatin Counties, court minutes and other records. On December 11, 1961, an information was filed against petitioner in Yellowstone County, charging him in the first count with the crime of robbery by taking property from the person, possession and immediate presence of one Roy H. Watne on the 9th day of December, 1961; and in the second count with the crime of robbery of a Safeway store of the sum of $870.00. Defendant appeared before that court with counsel on December 11, 1961, and requested further time to enter a plea and the chuse was continued until December 12, 1961. On December 12th a demurrer was filed to the information and thereafter overruled by the court. Petitioner also filed a petition where he stated that at the time of his arrest on December 9, 1961, the police officers in Billings took into their possession an automobile, the property of Joseph Gallagher, Sr., of Buffalo, New York, and that in said automobile in a paper bag was the approximate sum of $500 that was the personal property of petitioner; that petitioner was advised that the Billings police officers at the time of his arrest also seized an additional and separate sum of money in the approximate sum of $870 and which he had been advised was claimed to be the sum set forth in the information as being the property, of Safeway Stores, Inc. Further that the sum of $500 was needed for payment of attorney’s fees and request was made for a court order directing the police to forthwith deliver this sum to the attorney for the petitioner. The minutes reveal that the petition was taken under advisement by the court and the defendant entered a plea of not guilty.

On January 5, 1962, petitioner and his counsel were again before the district court at which time a motion was made to withdraw the former plea, and upon such motion being granted *479 by the court, the petitioner entered a plea of guilty to both counts of the information. Petitioner waived the calling of any witnesses and time for pronouncement of judgment, stated he had no legal excuse to show why judgment should not be pronounced against him and the court thereupon sentenced him to ten years on count one and ten years on count two, both to be served concurrently.

Petitioner was then taken to Gallatin County wherein an information had been filed against him charging him with the crime of robbery of the Empire Savings and Loan Association of the sum of $1,042.40 on November 28, 1961. This information had been filed on December 12, 1961. On that same day, December 12, 1961, the county attorney moved the district court for an order allowing the impounding of certain items found in the possession of the defendant, which included several rolls of money of the United States of America, the wrappers of which were stamped “Empire Savings and Loan Association.” Such impoundment was granted.

On January 9, 1962, the defendant (petitioner here) appeared before the court, was advised of his right to counsel and waived counsel, and was arraigned. He was advised of his right to further time in which to enter his plea but he waived this right and pleaded guilty. He was further advised of his right to additional time before pronouncement of judgment and sentence and he requested the court to appoint counsel to present testimony in mitigation before sentence was pronounced. The matter was continued and the court appointed an experienced trial lawyer as counsel for the defendant.

On January 10, 1962, defendant and his counsel were before the court, sworn testimony in mitigation was presented and exhibits received. These exhibits recited that petitioner had been charged in New Jersey with the crime of robbery on August 11, 1958, at the time having in his possession an automatic pistol, and further, he was charged with the crime of robbery on August 21, 1959, and at that time also having in his *480 possession an automatic pistol. Petitioner entered a plea of not guilty to both indictments on October 19, 1959, but on November 12, 1959 retracted his plea of not guilty and entered a plea of non vult. This plea means the defendant does not contend, a substitute for a plea of guilty. On December 14, 1959, he was sentenced on the first count of each indictment to the New Jersey Reformatory and on the second count imposition of sentence was postponed. On February 14, 1960, these judgments were vacated and petitioner was resentenced to the New Jersey Reformatory on each count, the sentence on the second count to run concurrently with that on the first count. Also, that on January 8, 1960, petitioner was charged in the State of New Jersey with bringing stolen property into the state and entered a plea of not guilty. On March 25, 1961, he was allowed to retract his former plea of not guilty and entered a plea of non vult. He was sentenced to be imprisoned in the New Jersey Reformatory, such sentence to run concurrently with and retroactive to the present sentence then being served.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

State v. Osborn
200 N.W.2d 798 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1972)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
436 P.2d 530, 150 Mont. 476, 1968 Mont. LEXIS 405, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/petition-of-gallagher-mont-1968.