State of Virginia v. Felts

133 F. 85, 1904 U.S. App. LEXIS 5100
CourtU.S. Circuit Court for the District of Western Virginia
DecidedSeptember 1, 1904
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 133 F. 85 (State of Virginia v. Felts) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Western Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State of Virginia v. Felts, 133 F. 85, 1904 U.S. App. LEXIS 5100 (circtwdva 1904).

Opinion

McDOWELL, District Judge.

T. L. Felts, having been indicted in the county court of Wythe county, Va., on a charge of murdering one Vaughn, and wounding with intent to kill one Alford, a petition for removal under section 643, Rev. St. U. S. [U. S. Comp. St. 1901, p. 521], was filed in the office of the clerk of the United States Circuit Court at Rynchburg, Va., on May 28, 1901. The petition, which was duly verified and certified by counsel, sets forth, in so far as is now material, that the petitioner was at the time of the occurrence a deputy United States marshal; that being in the town of Wytheville, Va., on official duty, he learned that two persons for whom he had warrants charging offenses against federal revenue statutes could probably be found at the town of Max Meadows; he thereupon boarded a train at Wytheville, which would take him to Max Meadows, for the purpose of attempting to arrest the persons for whom he had the warrants; that he found on the train the aforesaid Vaughn and Alford, who, on account of the previous acts of the said Felts in connection with his duties as deputy marshal, had conspired to murder the said petitioner; that while on the train he was viciously attacked by the said persons, and in defending himself ¿•••■■‘nst the said assault he found it necessary [87]*87to shoot and kill the said Vaughn and to wound the said Alford. It is further stated “that, in consequence of said assault and interference on the part of said Vaughn and Alford, he was hindered and prevented from discharging his duty as said officer, as required by the process aforesaid.”

At the last term of the court at Lynchburg a motion to remand to the state court was made, based on the fact that the petition should have been filed in the office of the clerk of this court at Harrisonburg, where a term of court was held in June, 1901, and also on the ground that no right of removal is shown by the petition.

It is unnecessary here to discuss the last question, as the opinion in the case of Virginia v. De Hart (C. C.) 119 Fed. 626, shows sufficiently my reason for overruling the motion so far as it is based on this ground. The other question will be discussed briefly hereinafter.

Nothing further was done than to overrule the motion to remand at the last term, and as numerous questions arising under section 643, Rev. St. [U. S. Comp. St. 1901, p. 521], will probably be raised in this case at the approaching term, I have prepared the following opinion touching the practice in such cases, confined mainly to criminal prosecutions for indictable offenses, which, however, is merely tentative. Nothing herein is intended as the expression of an unalterable opinion, as this paper is prepared in advance of argument, and chiefly for the purpose of directing the attention of counsel to some of the nicer questions which will probably arise.

The Petition.

It is first to be noted that a criminal prosecution has not been “commenced” in a state court until the accused has been indicted. Virginia v. Paul, 148 U. S. 107, 13 Sup. Ct. 536, 37 L. Ed. 386; Georgia v. O’Grady, Fed. Cas. No. 5,352, 3 Woods, 496; Pennsylvania v. Artman, Fed. Cas. No. 10,952, 3 Grant, Cas. 436. It is otherwise where the offense can be tried without an indictment. Com. v. Bingham (C. C.) 88 Fed. 561; Georgia v. Port (C. C.) 3 Fed. 117.

The essentials of the petition are so fully set forth in the statute that nothing need be said in this respect further than that the long and labored allegations of the existence of local prejudice against the petitioner usually found in such petitions are not essential.

In connection with section 643 [U. S. Comp. St. 1901, p. 521] should be read section 645, Rev. St. [U. S. Comp. St. 1901, p. 523], which was a part of Act March 2, 1833, c. 57, § 4 (4 Stat. 634), from which in large measure section 643 was taken. See, also, Act July 13, 1866, c. 184 (14 Stat. 171); Act Feb. 28, 1871, c. 99 (16 Stat. 439); and Act Sept. 24, 1789, c. 20 (1 Stat. 79); Act Feb. 4, 1815, c. 31 (3 Stat. 198).

At What Court to be Filed.

In this district, as in nearly all others, there are several places at which the Circuit Court holds sessions. The petition must allege that the petitioner has been indicted in the state court; but I do not think the provision that “the prosecution may be removed for trial into the circuit court next to be holden” forbids the filing of the petition in the office of the clerk of the Circuit Court at some other place of session in the district than the one at which a session is to be held next after [88]*88the finding of the indictment. It is conceivable that a federal revenue officer, indicted in a state court for an act done under color of his office, may allow several terms of the federal Circuit Court of the district to pass, either in ignorance of his right of removal, or under the belief that he can secure an impartial trial in the state court. If, however, subsequently, and before trial in the state court, he is advised of his right to remove, or comes to believe that local prejudice exists which will bias the state court against him, he should then have the right to file his petition and have the cause removed. Otherwise we do not give full weight to the words of the statute, “at any time before trial,” and the purpose of the statute would be to some extent defeated. Again, the term of the Circuit Court “next to be holden” might commence so soon after the finding of the indictment that the preparation of the petition and certificate would be impossible. I think the statute in this respect is merely directory. When the petition and certificate have been prepared, the choice of the several clerks’ offices of the federal Circuit Court in which the papers are to be filed is that one at the place where the next session of the Circuit Court is to be held. But a failure to follow this directory provision of the statute would not justify remanding the cause to the state court. In case the petition were filed at a place where no session of the court is to be held for a considerable time, the cause could, on motion, be transferred to a place where a session is to be sooner held or where the court is then in session.

The Writ to be Issued.

It will be observed that the statute makes no provision, where the prosecution is commenced by a capias or process of arrest, for any other writ than that of habeas corpus cum causa. This writ, where, as is usually the case, the petitioner has given bail and is not in actual custody, is not well adapted to the purpose in view. It is adapted to be addressed to the person who has the petitioner in his custody, ,and commands such person to bring the body of the petitioner beforé the court whose clerk issues it, and make known the cause of his caption and detention. A not unusual practice, where the petitioner is not in actual custody, is to address the writ to the marshal of the federal district, and issue a duplicate, which is served on, or left at the office of, the clerk of the state court in which the indictment is pending-.

No provision is made for the issue of a writ of certiorari in a case commenced by capias or other process of arrest. As a rule the clerk of the state court, obeying so far as he can the command of the writ of habeas corpus cum causa, sends to the federal court the original bill of indictment (which should be identified by proper certificate of the state court clerk), or certifies a copy thereof, along with a copy of the orders, if any, made by the state court in connection therewith.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
133 F. 85, 1904 U.S. App. LEXIS 5100, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-of-virginia-v-felts-circtwdva-1904.