Robinson v. City of Montgomery

518 So. 2d 204, 1987 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 5190, 1987 WL 966
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Alabama
DecidedSeptember 8, 1987
Docket3 Div. 276
StatusPublished

This text of 518 So. 2d 204 (Robinson v. City of Montgomery) 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
Robinson v. City of Montgomery, 518 So. 2d 204, 1987 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 5190, 1987 WL 966 (Ala. Ct. App. 1987).

Opinions

LEIGH M. CLARK, Retired Circuit Judge.

The appellant herein has been convicted in three separate cases tried jointly by the Circuit Court of Montgomery County, to which Court appellant had appealed from three judgments of conviction in the Municipal Court of the City of Montgomery. In one of the cases, defendant was charged with assault in the third degree; in another he was charged with obstruction of governmental operations; and in the third case he was charged with resisting arrest.

The transcript of the evidence in the Circuit Court of Montgomery County before a jury discloses that five witnesses testified on call of the City and six other witnesses testified on call of the defendant, including the defendant himself, as to what occurred at the time and place there was activity by defendant which constituted the basis for the charges against him. The testimony of the witnesses revealed a long unpleasant relationship between the defendant and members of the Montgomery Police Department.

Before any evidence was taken in the case, defendant asked the court, through his trial attorney, that he “be allowed to help defend himself,” as to which there was the following coloquy among the trial judge, defendant’s attorney, and the defendant:

“THE COURT: That’s no motion for cause. All right, motion for defendant to give opening statement in part. Now, are you — are you all moving he be allowed to help defend himself?
“MR. McGINNIS: We are moving that for opening statement or in any other time in the trial, with your permission—
“THE COURT: Either you are going to defend him or he requests for the court he defend himself. If that’s what he wants, you are there to help.
“MR. McGINNIS: Restricted to opening statement.
“THE COURT: If he is going to defend himself and he asks the court to allow him to do that, I’ll do that. And the court will still order you be there to assist him. How you handle the case, the trial, that’s up to you.
“MR. McGINNIS: If you were to do that, could I assist him in any manner including witnesses?
“THE COURT: Sure. You are there with him.
“MR. McGINNIS: If that’s what you want, tell the Court that you wish to do it, try the case yourself, with my assisting you.
[206]*206“THE DEFENDANT: I, sir — I wish to try the case myself.
“THE COURT: Do you know what you are doing? The Court has appointed Mr. McGinnis, who is one of the most competent lawyers in criminal matters in the City of Montgomery, has been practicing before me a long time. Tell me on what grounds you wish to defend yourself.
“THE DEFENDANT: Your Honor, the thing that has happened to me, there is no way for me to explain it all to Mr. McGinnis throughout the time that I have been with him. The things that are likely to be said in the courtroom, I think, I would be a better judge of whether....
“THE COURT: The jury is going to judge the facts. You have a right to counsel under the 5th Amendment of the Constitution. And the Court, in my opinion, has appointed the best young trial lawyer in criminal matters in the City of Montgomery.
“THE DEFENDANT: Yes, sir.
“THE COURT: You have a right to defend yourself if you know what you’re doing. But there are certain rules of evidence the Court has to follow in a trial.
“THE DEFENDANT: Yes.
“THE COURT: Everything you want to say may not be relevant to be said. So if you are going to defend yourself, I advise you to get familiar with the rules of criminal law, the evidentiary procedures, and the rules of the court, and if you feel you want to defend yourself, the Court will grant your motion but I keep Mr. McGinnis to assist you at all times.
“THE DEFENDANT: Yes, sir.”

A brief on behalf of the appellant has been submitted by two attorneys of the firm of attorneys that included a member thereof that represented defendant as here-inabove indicated on the trial of the case. Eight issues are presented in the brief of counsel for appellant, which we will now consider in the order of their presentation and under their respective captions set forth in appellant’s brief.

I.

“Whether the Circuit Court of Montgomery County lacked jurisdiction over all three cases because the judgments of the Municipal Court of the City of Montgomery were void for lack of properly verified affidavits.”

In support of this issue, counsel for appellant cites the following cases: Dison v. State, 469 So.2d 662 (Ala.1984); Gandy v. City of Birmingham, 478 So.2d 11 (Ala. Crim.App.1985); and Cherry v. State, 491 So.2d 1006 (Ala.Crim.App.1986). None of said cited cases is in point. Each held that the unverified Uniform Traffic Ticket and Complaint, referred to as “U.T.T.C.,” did not constitute compliance with the law to the effect that a judgment of conviction cannot be based upon an indictment or a complaint that has not been verified by the person making the complaint.

II.

This issue of counsel for appellant is thus captioned:

“The Circuit Court of Montgomery County lacked jurisdiction because the City of Montgomery failed to timely file a properly signed complaint with the Circuit Court of Montgomery County.”

In order to show precisely the contention of counsel for appellant as to this issue, we now quote from the brief of said counsel all that is stated with reference to it:

“The procedures by which appeals to circuit courts from judgments of municipal courts are perfected are set forth in Section 12-14-70, Code of Alabama, et seq. Section 12-14-70(a), Code of Alabama provides that ‘[a]ll appeals from judgments of municipal courts shall be to the circuit court of the circuit in which the violation occurred for trial de novo.’ Section 12-14-70(c), Code of Alabama provides that a ‘defendant may appeal in any case within fourteen days from the entry of judgment by filing notice of appeal and giving bond_’ Section 12-14-70(b) provides that ‘When an appeal has been taken the municipality shall file the notice and other documents in the court to which the appeal is taken within [207]*20715 days, failing which the municipality shall be deemed to have abandoned the prosecution, defendant shall stand discharged, and the bond shall be automatically terminated.’ (Emphasis added.)
“One of the essential documents which must be filed is a complaint. Section 12-22-13, Code of Alabama requires that the complaint be signed by the municipal prosecutor. Cf. Rule 15.1(b), Alabama Rules of Criminal Procedure. If a complaint is not so signed jurisdiction does not vest in the circuit court. Mays v. City of Prattville, 402 So.2d 1114 (Ala. Crim.App.1981).
“Here, Appellant had appealed his municipal court conviction on January 3, 1985. (R. 387, 388, 389). All of the complaints here under consideration bore the name of ‘O.H. Hale’ above the typed words ‘Attorney for the City of Montgomery.’ (R. 369, 370, 371). By the side of the name ‘O.H.

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

Related

Berkemer v. McCarty
468 U.S. 420 (Supreme Court, 1984)
Ex Parte Washington
448 So. 2d 404 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1984)
McHellen v. State
351 So. 2d 689 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1977)
Ex Parte Dison
469 So. 2d 662 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1984)
McCants v. State
459 So. 2d 992 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1984)
Moulds v. State
426 So. 2d 942 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1982)
Mays v. City of Prattville
402 So. 2d 1114 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1981)
Wright v. City of Montgomery
477 So. 2d 489 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1985)
Foy v. State
387 So. 2d 321 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1980)
City of Montgomery v. Collins
355 So. 2d 1111 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1978)
Mosley v. City of Auburn
428 So. 2d 165 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1982)
Robinson v. State
428 So. 2d 167 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1982)
State v. Walters
440 So. 2d 115 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1983)
Gandy v. City of Birmingham
478 So. 2d 11 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1985)
Ex Parte Hightower
443 So. 2d 1272 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1983)
Melech v. State
168 So. 2d 33 (Alabama Court of Appeals, 1964)
Traywick v. State
378 So. 2d 1196 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1979)
Mason v. City of Vestavia Hills
518 So. 2d 221 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1987)
Hughes v. State
105 So. 664 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1925)
Wilson v. State
39 So. 2d 254 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1949)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
518 So. 2d 204, 1987 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 5190, 1987 WL 966, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/robinson-v-city-of-montgomery-alacrimapp-1987.