State Ex Rel. Vance v. Clawson

465 S.W.2d 164, 1971 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1860
Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas·Decided March 31, 1971·No. 44043·Published·Cited by 113 cases

Opinion

OPINION

ONION, Presiding Judge.

This is an action seeking the issuance of Writ of Prohibition against the respondent J. F. Clawson, Jr., Judge of the 169th Judicial District Court of Bell County, Texas.

Leave to file the application for writ of prohibition was granted and the application *166 is before this court upon petition and answer supported by brief and oral argument.

The record reflects that one Johnnie Pruett was indicted in Coryell County on April 15, 1969, for the offense of sodomy alleged to have occurred “on or about” April 11, 1969.

On July 25, 1969, Pruett waived trial by jury and entered a plea of nolo contendere before the 52nd Judicial District' Court to the charge against him. His punishment was assessed at two years’ confinement in the Texas Department of Corrections. On September 3, 1969, he was formally sentenced. At such time the trial judge gave him credit on his sentence from July 25, 1969, for some of the time spent in custody prior to sentence. Notice of appeal was then given.

Pruett’s conviction was affirmed on appeal, Pruett v. State, 463 S.W.2d 191, with this court upholding the constitutionality of Article 524, Vernon’s Ann.P.C., as to forcible sodomy despite the holding in Buchanan et al. v. Batchelor et al., D.C., 308 F.Supp. 729, that such statute was “void on its face for unconstitutional overbreath.” This court relied in part upon Lawrence v. Woods, 8 Cr.L. 2084, as “recent authority to support the view that state courts are not bound by the rulings of lower Federal courts * *

After the motion for rehearing and a temporary stay of mandate at Pruett’s request the mandate of this court was issued on March 3, 1971, commanding the trial court “to observe the order of our said Court of Criminal Appeals in this behalf and in all things to have it duly recognized, obeyed and executed.”

Thereafter Pruett’s attorney filed a motion seeking credit upon such sentence for the time Pruett had lain in jail pending appeal. Such motion was presented to the respondent Clawson, Judge of the 169th Judicial District Court sitting in the 52nd Judicial District Court of Coryell County by administrative assignment.

A brief was apparently offered in support of such motion citing Articles 42.03 and 42.09, Vernon’s Ann.C.C.P.; North Carolina v. Pearce, 395 U.S. 711, 89 S.Ct. 2072, 23 L.Ed.2d 656; Robinson v. Beto, 5 Cir., 426 F.2d 797, and this court’s decision in Ex parte Griffith, Tex.Cr.App., 457 S.W.2d 60. The brief also urged Pruett be given additional credit on his sentence under the provisions of Article 5118a, Vernon’s Ann.Civ.St. Testimony was then offered in support of such motion which reflected that Pruett had been in custody under the indictment in question since April 15, 1969.

At the conclusion of the hearing the respondent Clawson noted that on the date of the hearing (March 8, 1971) Pruett was entitled to credit for or to have subtracted from his two year sentence “19 months and 14 days spent in jail pending appeal.” 1 In addition the trial court concluded Pruett was entitled to “good time credit equal to Yz of the days actually served in jail in the amount of 6 months and 24 days.” See Article 5118a, V.A.C.S.

The trial court in its order then “subtracted” the 19 months and 14 days from the original sentence leaving 4 months and 16 days on the original sentence which, “after allowing ‘good time’ credit of 6 months and 24 days” the court “considered” the original sentence “fully served.” Pruett was then ordered “released and discharged from custody.”

Nothing in the record before us reflects that at that particular time the relator objected to or protested the respondent’s actions.

*167 At the outset there can be no question but that Pruett was entitled to the pre-sentence custody credit granted him at the time of his sentence. See Article 42.-03, V.A.C.C.P.; Gremillion v. Henderson, 5 Cir., 425 F.2d 1293; Ex parte Griffith, Tex.Cr.App., 457 S.W.2d 60. And such credit is not lost by the fact that notice of appeal is given. Ex parte Griffith, supra. However, the sentencing judge having exercised his discretion to give credit for all or a part of a defendant’s pre-sentence custody, another judge, even one sitting in the same court, may not after conviction again exercise discretion as to pre-sentence custody. Ex parte Washburn, Tex.Cr.App., 459 S.W.2d 637.

And it is true that under the decision of this court in Ex parte Griffith, supra, the trial court had not only the right but the duty to grant to Pruett credit for the 18 months he had lain in jail pending appeal.

And under the provisions of Article 42.09, V.A.C.C.P., where an appeal has been taken and the defendant is in custody, the sentence begins to run on the date of the mandate. Therefore there is no question that Pruett was entitled to the 5 day credit from March 3 to March 8, 1971, even without court order.

There can be then no quarrel with the 19 months and 14 days credit granted Pruett by the respondent.

The real question presented is the trial court's authority to grant any “good time” credit under the provisions of Article 5118a, V.A.C.S., and then to order Pruett’s release.

Such statute provides:

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State Ex Rel. Vance v. Clawson, 465 S.W.2d 164, 1971 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1860 (Tex. 1971).

465 S.W.2d 164 (State Ex Rel. Vance v. Clawson) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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