State Ex Rel. Craig v. Tahash

116 N.W.2d 657, 263 Minn. 158, 1962 Minn. LEXIS 765
CourtSupreme Court of Minnesota
DecidedJune 29, 1962
Docket38,630
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 116 N.W.2d 657 (State Ex Rel. Craig v. Tahash) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State Ex Rel. Craig v. Tahash, 116 N.W.2d 657, 263 Minn. 158, 1962 Minn. LEXIS 765 (Mich. 1962).

Opinion

Thomas Gallagher, Justice.

Appeal from an order of the District Court of Washington County denying relator’s petition for a writ of habeas corpus based on his claim that he is unlawfully confined in State Prison under an invalid judgment of conviction. He asserts that at the time of his conviction he had pleaded guilty to the commission of a prior felony so that his sentence had been increased up to 14 years; and that at the time of his commission of the prior felony he was only 17 years of age and his right to have the juvenile court dispose of his case had been denied. He contends, therefore, that his conviction of the prior felony was invalid; that when he had pleaded guilty to such prior conviction he had done so in error; and that if the prior felony conviction was invalid the court erred in imposing the present sentence for a term in excess of the prescribed statutory period. 1

In a memorandum attached to the order denying relator’s petition, the court set forth:

“It appears from the petition herein and the exhibits attached thereto that petitioner was convicted of the crime of robbery, first degree, on or about May 27, 1942, in the District Court of Hennepin County and was sentenced to the State Reformatory for a term of not to exceed *160 five years. It also appears that on the 7th day of July, 1949, in the District Court of Hennepin County, he was, on his own plea of guilty, convicted of the crime of carnal knowledge and abuse of a female child, and by reason of his prior conviction of robbery, first degree, was sentenced to the State Reformatory for an indeterminate term of not to exceed fourteen years. It further appears that again in said District Court of Hennepin County, he was convicted of the crime of burglary, third degree, and on April 9, 1951, sentenced to the State Prison for a term of not to exceed five years.
“Petitioner now finds himself in prison under the sentence for carnal knowledge of not to exceed fourteen years and the sentence for burglary, third degree, of not to exceed five years, being in the aggregate of nineteen years. By his petition, his sole claim to liberty at this time is based on the assertion that the fourteen-year sentence for carnal knowledge is void or excessive, in that his previous conviction for robbery, first degree, of May 27, 1942, is void and could not be used to increase his punishment for the carnal knowledge crime. In other words, his claim is that if his sentence for carnal knowledge were seven years instead of fourteen years, the aggregate of his two last sentences would be twelve years instead of nineteen years, and that with credit for good time he was entitled to his release from prison on September 20, 1959. It is clear from his petition that he is making no claim that he is entitled to his release unless he can establish in this habeas corpus proceeding that his sentence for robbery, first degree, of May 27, 1942, is void.
“* * * in a proceeding before the District Court of Hennepin County entitled State of Minnesota vs. John S. Craig (of which I have taken judicial notice), petitioner filed a petition for a writ of error coram nobis in December, 1960, in which he raised precisely the same issue which he now brings before this court by way of habeas corpus. On February 23, 1961, the District Court of Hennepin County, Hon. John A. Weeks, District Judge, filed his order disposing of the issue adversely to petitioner and denied his petition. No appeal or other proceeding for a review of Judge Weeks’ order has been taken; and so far as this court is concerned, the issue is regarded as res adjudicata.”

*161 The record of the juvenile court of Hennepin County with respect to relator’s 1942 conviction indicates the following: On May 22, 1942, relator appeared in juvenile (district) court of Hennepin County before the Honorable Fred B. Wright in response to a complaint signed by Lieutenant M. Palm of the Minneapolis Police Department charging him with the crime of robbery in the first degree, and setting forth the details thereof. The record discloses that on that date relator appeared in juvenile court with his mother; that at that time he had been before this court on at least four prior occasions for incorrigibility (juvenile court file No. 29914); petty larceny (juvenile court file No. 30339); using an automobile without owner’s permission (juvenile court file No. 32277); and receiving stolen property (juvenile court file No. 34595). The record further discloses that—

“* * * JoJjq appeared in court with his mother. Because of the boy’s defiant attitude and the fact that he is close to 18 years of age, Lt. Palm recommended that the case be referred to District Court. Therefore, Judge Wright referred John to the County Attorney for criminal prosecution.”

The juvenile court thereupon made its order as follows:

“The above entitled matter came on for hearing on the 22nd day of May 1942, a petition having been filed alleging that said John Craig is a delinquent child and that his age is 17 years; and the Court being advised in the premises, and being of the opinion that by reason of the degree of maturity evidenced by said John Craig it is not appropriate to deal with him as a juvenile.
“It Is Hereby Ordered that the county attorney [of] said county institute such prosecution in any Court of this State against said John Craig as may be appropriate.
“Dated May 22, 1942
“By the Court:
/s/ Fred B. Wright
Judge”

The records of the District Court of Hennepin County establish that after relator had been referred to the Hennepin County attorney for such prosecution as might be appropriate he was arraigned on *162 May 22, 1942, in the municipal court of Minneapolis on a complaint charging him with robbery in the first degree. After arraignment in the municipal court as described, relator was thereupon bound over to the district court for trial. Subsequently, on May 27, 1942, upon his plea of guilty as charged in the District Court of Hennepin County, judgment of conviction of such crime was entered against him and he was sentenced to be imprisoned in the Minnesota State Reformatory at St. Cloud for a term not to exceed 5 years. The record discloses that this sentence was stayed for one year while relator was in custody at the Red Wing State Training School for Boys.

The official records of the clerk of the District Court of Hennepin County (of which this court takes judicial notice), particularly the register of actions therein, as well as the docket register of the county attorney of Hennepin County, established that during all such proceedings in the District Court of Hennepin County relator was represented by James L. Krusemark, a competent and well-qualified attorney of the state bar. They further disclose that, on December 7, 1942, upon recommendation of the superintendent of the State Training School for Boys, relator’s sentence was modified by the Honorable Vince A.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
116 N.W.2d 657, 263 Minn. 158, 1962 Minn. LEXIS 765, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-craig-v-tahash-minn-1962.