Rush v. State

749 So. 2d 1024, 1999 WL 1042927
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 18, 1999
Docket1998-CP-01341-SCT
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 749 So. 2d 1024 (Rush v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mississippi Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rush v. State, 749 So. 2d 1024, 1999 WL 1042927 (Mich. 1999).

Opinion

749 So.2d 1024 (1999)

William RUSH
v.
STATE of Mississippi.

No. 1998-CP-01341-SCT.

Supreme Court of Mississippi.

November 18, 1999.

*1025 William Rush, Appellant, pro se.

Office of the Attorney General by Jean Smith Vaughan, Attorney for Appellee.

EN BANC.

SMITH, Justice, for the Court:

¶ 1. This case comes to this Court on appeal of William Rush from a denial of post-conviction relief by the Circuit Court of Lowndes County. Rush claims double jeopardy in that he was previously charged and convicted in Monroe County for the same charge in the case at bar. Rush also claims his attorney was ineffective. After thorough review, we find no merit to Rush's claims, and we, therefore, affirm the trial court.

FACTS

¶ 2. William Rush was indicted by the Lowndes County Grand Jury for the crime of forgery as an habitual offender. In order to escape sentencing as an habitual offender, on May 19, 1997, Rush pleaded guilty to a charge of uttering a forgery in the Circuit Court of Lowndes County, Mississippi. The plea agreement obligated the prosecution to recommend a sentence of fifteen years and drop the habitual charge as well as charges of embezzlement and burglary pending against Rush. Pursuant to the plea bargain, the prosecution requested, and the Court retired the charges in Cause number 97-260-CR1 to the files. Rush was sentenced to a fifteen year term on the forgery charge.

¶ 3. On July 1, 1997, Rush filed with the Circuit Court of Lowndes County a Motion for Rehearing which was denied. On August 26, 1997, Rush filed a Motion for Post *1026 Conviction Relief alleging ineffective assistance of counsel and double jeopardy. Rush claims that he had been previously convicted on the same forgery charge in Monroe County for which he was subsequently convicted in Lowndes County.

¶ 4. The Monroe County indictment, Cause No. CR95-019, filed February 6, 1995, charged Rush with having forged the name of the account holder, Wayne Davidson, on two National Bank of Commerce checks: a check dated September 29, 1994 and another dated October 1, 1994. The checks are numbered 0158 and 0111. Attorney Julian W. Fagan, III, represented Rush on those charges. On May 8, 1995, Monroe County charge No. CR95-019 was retired to the files because of the "special circumstances" of the case and because full restitution had been made on the two Monroe County charges.

¶ 5. Attached to Rush's pleadings here is a letter dated September 25, 1995, from Julian Fagan to Robert Prather, who represented Rush on the case at bar in Lowndes County. Fagan represented Rush on the forgery charges in Monroe County. Fagan explained:

There were three checks drawn on the account of William Davidson, copies of which are attached. William Rush, Jr. and Sam Thomas were both charged in regard to these checks. By agreement with the Monroe County Sheriff's Department, William Rush, Jr., agreed to pay $300.00 of the total of $500.00 on the three checks, and Sam Thomas was to pay the other $200.00. William agreed to extradition to Michigan to complete serving a sentence there and also agreed to plead one count of forgery in Monroe County, to attend drug rehabilitation and to make restitution in the amount of $300.00 plus costs.

¶ 6. A subsequent letter, dated July 15, 1998, written by Fagan to Circuit Judge Lee J. Howard, explained that Fagan had agreed with the Monroe County Sheriff and the county Prosecuting Attorney that Rush would pay restitution for the two Monroe County checks, agree to extradition to finish serving a sentence in Michigan, plead guilty to one count of forgery in Monroe County and to attend drug rehabilitation. Based on this agreement, restitution was made only on the Monroe County offenses, but not on the Lowndes County offense. Rush never pled guilty to any charge in Monroe County. Rush was returned to Michigan to complete serving his sentence for which he was on parole. The trial court denied Rush's Motion for Post-Conviction Relief on the grounds that Rush was never tried or convicted on the charge in Monroe County.

LAW

¶ 7. Rush raises seven issues, however, he only discusses and cites authority regarding ineffective assistance of counsel and double jeopardy. Therefore, this Court will only discuss these two issues. The remaining issues not discussed by Rush and without authority will not be addressed as they are procedurally barred. Gray v. State, 728 So.2d 36, 71-72 (Miss. 1998).

DOES DOUBLE JEOPARDY APPLY?

¶ 8. The double jeopardy clause of the United States Constitution, found in the fifth amendment, provides: "nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb...." The Mississippi Constitution, Article 3, § 22, provides likewise: "no person's life or liberty shall be twice placed in jeopardy for the same offense; but there must be an actual acquittal or conviction on the merits to bar another prosecution." Gray v. State, 605 So.2d 791, 792 n. 1 (Miss.1992). The three primary purposes of the Double Jeopardy Clause are that (1) it protects against a second prosecution for the same offense after an acquittal, (2) it protects against a second prosecution for the same offense after a conviction, and (3) it protects against multiple punishments for the same offense. Ohio v. Johnson, 467 U.S. 493, 498, 104 S.Ct. 2536, 2540, 81 *1027 L.Ed.2d 425 (1984); Whalen v. United States, 445 U.S. 684, 100 S.Ct. 1432, 63 L.Ed.2d 715 (1980); North Carolina v. Pearce, 395 U.S. 711, 717-18, 89 S.Ct. 2072, 2076-77, 23 L.Ed.2d 656, 664-65 (1969).

¶ 9. The fact that the defendant pled guilty to the charge does not waive his double jeopardy claim. Menna v. New York, 423 U.S. 61, 62, 96 S.Ct. 241, 46 L.Ed.2d 195 (1975); Blackledge v. Perry, 417 U.S. 21, 30, 94 S.Ct. 2098, 40 L.Ed.2d 628 (1974); Willie v. State, 738 So.2d 217 (Miss.1999); Matlock v. State, 732 So.2d 168, 170-71 (Miss.1999).

¶ 10. Rush contends that the prosecution in Lowndes County of charges already disposed of in another county violates the double jeopardy clause. If Rush pleaded guilty to one charge in Monroe County in exchange for dropping of other charges in Lowndes County pursuant to a valid plea bargain and the charge pled to is in fact identical, resolution of the case at bar is a simple matter,—the subsequent prosecution in Lowndes County would clearly be barred by double jeopardy. If a plea bargain allows a defendant facing multiple charges to plead to one charge in exchange for having the other charges dismissed or remanded, the remanded charges are barred from further prosecution. Santobello v. New York, 404 U.S. 257, 262, 92 S.Ct. 495, 499, 30 L.Ed.2d 427 (1971); State v. Comstock, 168 Wis.2d 915, 485 N.W.2d 354, 367 (1992) (principles of fairness, finality, and repose prohibit prosecutor from re-prosecuting charges that court dismissed as result of plea agreement); Nelson v. State,

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

Related

Charles Dalton Shoemake v. State of Mississippi;
Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2019
Armstrong Knight v. State of Mississippi
192 So. 3d 360 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2016)
Deriera Magee v. State of Mississippi
189 So. 3d 658 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2015)
Berry v. State
19 So. 3d 137 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2009)
Gaddy v. State
21 So. 3d 677 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2009)
Brooks v. State
18 So. 3d 859 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2008)
Riley v. State
855 So. 2d 1004 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2003)
Robinson v. State
836 So. 2d 747 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 2002)
Vinson v. Vinson
818 So. 2d 1204 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2002)
Randolph v. State
852 So. 2d 547 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 2002)
Lewis v. State
776 So. 2d 679 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 2000)
Oral Robinson v. State of Mississippi
Mississippi Supreme Court, 2000
Pinkney v. State
757 So. 2d 297 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 2000)
Jamie Randolph v. State of Mississippi
Mississippi Supreme Court, 1999
Timothy Terrell Lewis v. State of Mississippi
Mississippi Supreme Court, 1999

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
749 So. 2d 1024, 1999 WL 1042927, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rush-v-state-miss-1999.