State ex rel. Keast v. District Court of the Fourth Judicial District

348 P.2d 135, 136 Mont. 367, 1959 Mont. LEXIS 125
Procedural entryThis page is a short order in State ex rel. Keast v. District Court of the Fourth Judicial District. Read the opinion of the Court — 135 Mont. 545
Montana Supreme Court·Decided December 2, 1959·No. No. 10105·Published

Opinions

MR. JUSTICE CASTLES

delivered the Opinion of the Court.

This is an original proceeding for a writ of mandamus or [369]*369other appropriate writ directed to the judge of the District Court of the Fourth Judicial District in and for the County of Missoula. An alternative writ of mandamus was issued by this court directed to the district judge, since retired, or his successor, in which the district judge was ordered to permit the filing- of certain informations charging the crime of robbery against three named defendants, Gary Skoverski, Ken Pinto and Tom Miller, or show cause why he had not done so.

The county attorney of Missoula County had filed complaints in the justice court on September 30, 1959, charging the three previously named defendants with the crime of robbery, a felony. The defendants had answered to their true names and entered pleas of “guilty” to the charge of robbery. The jusdice court set bonds in the amount of $2,500 each and bound them over to the District Court.

Following this, the county attorney filed a petition for leave to file information direct in the District Court of Missoula •County. The information was filed, again charging a crime of robbery, and the District Court thereupon appointed an attorney to represent the defendants. It was made to appear that the defendants were under the age of eighteen years, Gary Skoverski being seventeen years and the defendants Pinto and Miller being over sixteen years of age when the crime was committed. The District Court was advised that the case was being filed under R.C.M. 1947, section 10-602, and that the crime and the defendants were persons included in the definitions of that section.

Subsequently the defendants, through their court appointed counsel, filed a motion to quash the information. The District Court heard the arguments of the county attorney, the relator herein, and the defense counsel, and granted the motion to quash. The motion to quash was based on the grounds that the court did not have jurisdiction to try the defendants except in the juvenile court.

Immediately thereafter, the relator county attorney moved the [370]*370court for leave to file an additional information charging the defendants and each of them with the crime of robbery, a felony, as prescribed and outlined by R.C.M. 1947, section 10-602. This motion was denied.

The relator, the county attorney, then filed his petition before this court for a writ of mandamus or other appropriate writ to compel the District Court to permit the filing of the information.

From the information filed, and from the statements of the county attorney appearing from the record made before the District Court, it appears that the crime of robbery against the three youthful defendants came about as a result of the robbery of a lady residing in Missoula County, in which robbery the lady was tied and gagged and an amount of $39 taken from her.

On the day set by this court for return to its alternative writ, the respondent District Court filed an answer and return before this court, in which it is argued (1) that the writ of mandamus or other appropriate original proceeding writ is not proper because an appeal would lie from the order quashing the information and that therefore the original proceeding was not appropriate because an adequate remedy at law existed; and (2), the respondent court, sitting as a District Court, had no jurisdiction over a child between the ages of sixteen and eighteen who commits the crime of robbery unless he has in his possession a deadly weapon, and is carrying such deadly weapon with intent to assault allegedly as required by R.C.M. 1947, section 10-602. The answer and return also made it appear there existed no deadly weapon in the offense charged.

Therefore the questions posed for us are, first the appropriateness of the remedy and, second, a determination of the meaning of section 10-602.

This court did accept original jurisdiction in the matter, it having been made to appear that unless such proceedings were had by this court, the District Court would release the juvenile [371]*371offenders. Whether or not the release of the juvenile offenders was an absolute release or a release to the proper juvenile authorities was not made to appear. But, from the record, it is apparent that the three defendants are youths from the State of California and not residents of this state, and in the event that an appeal was taken it might be necessary to institute extradition proceedings or in some other manner return the defendants before the courts of Montana. It also appears that a jury term is in the process of being conducted in Missoula County, and that a speedy trial could be had if the matter, as to whether or not the court had criminal jurisdiction over youths between the ages of sixteen and eighteen in the crime of robbery as charged, could be determined expeditiously.

We believe that a sufficient showing has been made that original proceedings before this court are proper in this case, and we will not make an extended discussion of the reasons therefor. We do note however that the respondent court in its answer and return suggests that the discretion of the District Court must be moved before an information is filed. It is apparent from the record herein that the county attorney did satisfy the District Court that the particular offense charged in the information was one of the felony charges enumerated in R.C.M. 1947, section 10-602 (see State ex rel. Dahl v. District Court, 134 Mont. 395, 333 Pac. (2d) 495, and that he had sufficient evidence to substantiate the filing.

It appearing then that the District Court refused to allow the filing of a new information, and granted an order quashing the old information, that it did so on the sole grounds of the interpretation of section 10-602, it being the court’s belief that it did not have jurisdiction to try the youthful offenders in the juvenile court for the crime of robbery committed without the use of a deadly weapon.

R.C.M. 1947, section 10-602, so far as is material to this action, provides as follows:

“(2) The words ‘delinquent child’include: * * *
[372]*372“(b) A child who has violated any law of the state, provided, however, a child over the age of sixteen (16) years, who commits or attempts to commit murder, manslaughter, assault in the first degree, robbery, first or second degree burglary while having in his possession a deadly weapon, and carrying a deadly weapon or weapons with intent to assault, shall not be proceeded against as a juvenile delinquent but shall be prosecuted in the criminal courts in accordance with the provisions of the criminal laws of this state governing the offenses above listed. ’ ’ Emphasis supplied.

It is the respondent court’s contention that the words, “and carrying a deadly weapon or weapons with intent to assault,” is a phrase limiting and modifying the previously set out crimes of murder, manslaughter, assault in the first degree, robbery, and first or second degree burglary while having in his possession a deadly weapon.

The respondent court sets out the question as follows: ‘ ‘ However, in this subdivision, and following the last enumerated crime of first or second degree burglary while having in his possesison a deadly weapon, we find the following phrase, ‘and carrying a deadly weapon or weapons with intent to assault.’

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State ex rel. Keast v. District Court of the Fourth Judicial District, 348 P.2d 135, 136 Mont. 367, 1959 Mont. LEXIS 125 (Mo. 1959).

348 P.2d 135 (State ex rel. Keast v. District Court of the Fourth Judicial District) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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