State v. Best

614 S.W.2d 791, 1981 Tenn. LEXIS 437
CourtTennessee Supreme Court
DecidedMay 4, 1981
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 614 S.W.2d 791 (State v. Best) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Tennessee Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Best, 614 S.W.2d 791, 1981 Tenn. LEXIS 437 (Tenn. 1981).

Opinion

OPINION

FONES, Justice.

We granted the State’s TRAP 10 application for permission to appeal in this criminal case. Two issues are presented: (1) does the Court of Criminal Appeals have the authority to promulgate a ten day time limitation for filing a TRAP 10 application, no time limitation having been provided in the rule; and (2) is a defendant who was arrested without an arrest warrant, fingerprinted and photographed, then released unconditionally, entitled to a preliminary hearing before or after the return of a presentment by the grand jury.

The facts are not in dispute. On August 24, 1979, the General Sessions Court for Knox County, having received evidence that illegal gambling devices were being housed at various local establishments, issued several “Search Warrants.” These warrants commanded the proper authorities to search the specified premises and seize any illegal gambling devices found therein. The warrants further commanded the authorities “to arrest person or persons found violating the law in connection with the same, and to bring them along with the evidence obtained before me so that he may be treated as the law directs.”

That evening the authorities went to the named establishments, confiscated numerous gambling devices, and took into custody, several individuals. The record neither gives any indication as to what the circumstances were surrounding the decision by the authorities to apprehend these specific individuals, nor indicates how, why, or to what extent these individuals were determined at that time to be involved with the confiscated gambling devices. It is admitted, however, that an unspecified number of individuals were, as a result of the “raids” that evening, taken to the Tennessee Highway Patrol Station, where they were fingerprinted and photographed. They were then released unconditionally without being charged and without being taken before the magistrate, as was com[793]*793manded by the search warrants concerning “person or persons found violating the law” in connection with the gambling devices.

On September 21, 1979, one of those taken into custody, Tommy Ford, filed a written motion in Criminal Court for Knox County asking that, pursuant to T.C.A. § 40-11311 and T.R.Crim.P. 5(e), he be allowed a preliminary hearing and that any future “indictment or information” be dismissed.

On September 24, 1979, several other individuals made similar oral motions in General Sessions Court for Knox County. These motions were continued for a few days in order to give the State time to respond.

On the days of September 24, 25, and 26, 1979, the Knox County Grand Jury issued presentments as to the defendants involved herein, and on September 28,1979, the General Sessions Court denied the motions of these defendants for preliminary hearings.

On October 23, 1979, a hearing was held in Criminal Court in which the trial judge suggested that defendants were probably entitled to preliminary hearings pursuant to T.R.Crim.P. 5(e). Between October 23 and 26, 1979, defendants filed written motions demanding such hearings; these motions were granted on October 20, 1979, and the cases were ordered “transferred” to General Sessions Court for preliminary hearings.

In another hearing held on October 19, 1979, the State made an application to be allowed to appeal the interlocutory orders of the trial court pursuant to T.R.A.P. 9. This application was denied. The State then attempted an appeal as of right to the Court of Criminal Appeals. That appeal was denied on March 26, 1980, because no final order existed from which to appeal. The State then sought a petition to rehear en banc; this petition was denied on April 28, 1980. The State next sought an extraordinary appeal pursuant to T.R.A.P. 10 on June 13, 1980. The Court of Criminal Appeals held that this application was not timely filed. It is from this ruling, and the ruling of the trial court below, that the State has appealed to this Court pursuant to T.R.A.P. 10.

I.

The Court of Criminal Appeals said that, “some time limitation is required for filing an application for a Rule 10 appeal by the nature of the relief which may be sought thereunder.” The Court proceeded to “fashion” a time limitation, reasoning that Rule 10 was “akin” to Rule 9 and held a Rule 10 application must be filed within ten days from the entry of the order appealed from.

The authority to prescribe rules governing the practice and procedure in all the Courts of this State in all civil and criminal actions and proceedings is vested in the Supreme Court of Tennessee. T.C.A. § 16-3-402. Such rules, as well as amendments and modifications thereof from time-to-time, take effect after the Supreme Court reports the rule to the General Assembly and both houses thereof have adopted a resolution of approval. T.C.A. § 16-3-404. The statutory scheme of rule making contemplates that the Supreme Court will make appropriate use of the advisory commissions authorized by T.C.A. § 16-3-601. The rule making authority of all other courts of this State is limited to “additional or supplemental rules of practice and procedure not inconsistent with or in conflict with the rules prescribed by the Supreme Court.” T.C.A. § 16-3-407. It is clearly implicit in the statutes, T.C.A. §§ 16-3 — 401 —16-3-407, that no court other than the Supreme Court can make rules governing the procedure in other courts. The rule sought to be fashioned by the Court of Criminal Appeals would apply to the Court of Appeals and to this Court. Thus, the action of the Court of Criminal Appeals in amending T.R.A.P. 10 was without authority and is overruled.

[794]*794Further, it is our opinion that no oversight was involved in the failure to prescribe a time limitation for filing a T.R. A.P. 10 application, as suggested by the Court of Criminal Appeals. Most actions that give rise to T.R.A.P. 10 applications are of such a character that the application is filed and pursued immediately, lest the issue be rendered moot except for its possible viability on appeal from final judgment. T.R.A.P. 10 applications may be denied by the appellate courts, if not pursued within a reasonable time, in the particular circumstances of the case, but we do not deem it appropriate to impose a rigid time limitation on such applications.

The State’s erroneous pursuit of improper remedies prior to trying the correct and last one available is regretable and if any reasonable sanction was available, other than assessment of costs, it would be imposed. However, failing to reach the merits of the issue presented would merely continue to thwart justice and delay the ultimate disposition of this case.

II.

T.R.Crim.P. 5(e) governs preliminary hearings and reads as follows:

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
614 S.W.2d 791, 1981 Tenn. LEXIS 437, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-best-tenn-1981.