State v. Hervey

456 P.2d 953, 10 Ariz. App. 107, 1969 Ariz. App. LEXIS 534
CourtCourt of Appeals of Arizona
DecidedJuly 1, 1969
Docket1 CA-CR 186
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 456 P.2d 953 (State v. Hervey) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Arizona primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Hervey, 456 P.2d 953, 10 Ariz. App. 107, 1969 Ariz. App. LEXIS 534 (Ark. Ct. App. 1969).

Opinion

*108 DONOFRIO, Chief Judge.

This is an appeal from an order denying Maryland National Insurance Company’s motion to set aside a judgment of forfeiture of an appearance bond posted when Kenneth Mack Hervey was arrested on a fugitive complaint.

On May 23, 1967 a fugitive from justice complaint was filed in the Northwest Phoenix Precinct Justice Court charging Kenneth Mack Hervey (defendant) with being a fugitive from Texas. A warrant for his arrest was issued. He was brought before the Justice of the Peace on May 24th at which time the judge set the hearing for June 9 at 4:00 p.m., and fixed his bond in the sum of $5000. On May 29 a $5000 bond was posted for Hervey’s release: by Maryland National. The bond, a printed form with blanks filed in, was in the following terms:

“AN ORDER having been made on the (24) day of (May), A.D., 19(67) by (Stanley Kimbal) a Judge of the (N.W. J.P.) Court, of the County of (Marico-pa), State of Arizona, that
_(Dft)_
For Trial, Preliminary Hearing or to answer be held (Hearing) upon a charge of (Dft) upon which he has been admitted to bail in the sum of Five Thousand-----$5000-----) Dollars, We, (Dft), as principal, and the MARYLAND NATIONAL INSURANCE CO., a Maryland corporation, as Surety, hereby undertake that the said (Dft) will appear and answer the charge above mentioned in whatever Court it may be prosecuted, and will at all times hold (him) self amenable to the orders and process of the Court, and if convicted, will appear for judgment, and render (him) self in execution thereof, or, if he fails to perform either of these conditions that he will pay to the STATE OF ARIZONA the sum of (Five Thousand) ($5000-----) Dollars.” • ■
[The parentheses have been used to indicate the hand-written filled-in portions .of the bond].

The bond contains a notary’s certificate that the person signing for the surety appeared before the notary and acknowledged that he subscribed the name of the surety company and his own as Attorney-in-Fact. Attached to the bond also was his Power of Attorney.

Thereafter on June 12 the fugitive complaint was reset for hearing on July 12. On July 12 the hearing was reset for August 11. On August 11 the record reflects, “defendant' having failed to appear for a hearing, bench warrant issued and placed in the hands of the sheriff for service. Defendant’s bond forfeited to county.” The transcript does not show the appearance of the defendant on June 12 or July 12 when the entries were made. Judgment on the bond forfeiture was entered on August 22, 1967.

On December 18 the surety moved for a stay of execution of judgment for a period of ninety days to allow it to make arrangements to bring defendant properly before the law, alleging it was pursuing all possible steps to locate him. The State opposed the motion, alleging that the judgment was entered on August 22, 1967; that by Rule 74, Rules of Criminal Procedure, 17 A.R. 5., judgments may be set aside for good cause within twenty days after the entry; and that a period of time greatly in excess of twenty days had elapsed; further that said Rule provides the forfeiture should be set aside in the event there was no breach of the undertaking and that the motion failed to show a lack of breach. On February 15, 1968, the surety’s motion for stay was denied. Subsequently a motion to set aside the judgment was filed. The Superi- or Court denied the motion and this appeal followed.

Appellant contends that certain procedures set out in the statutes covering criminal extradition were not followed and were yiolative of. due process and therefore voided the judgment. Appellant urges that since the court did not have a hearing on the fugitive complaint, as provided in A.R. 5.. § 13-1315 within a fifteen-day period pending requisition papers, the proceedings *109 with reference to the bond forfeiture were void. Finally, that the resetting of the original hearing beyond the fifteen-day limit without Hervey’s presence rendered the court powerless to forfeit the bond for a later failure to appear.

Appellee has raised certain procedural questions to defeat the action. In view of the fact that a decision on the merits calls for an affirmance, we deem it unnecessary to rule on these procedural matters.

Although the record before us is scant, there is no dispute as to certain important facts. Hervey was charged by fugitive complaint with having committed a crime (robbery by assault) in Texas and having fled therefrom. A warrant for his arrest was issued pursuant to A.R.S. § 13-1313. When in custody he contacted the bonding company to post his bail. Following the usual procedure for posting bail for one under arrest, appellant executed the instant bond. The bond filed was one generally used for persons in custody of the law and did not contain the limiting provisions contemplated by A.R.S. § 13-1315 and § 13-1316. The undertaking provided that the accused would appear and answer the charge and at all times hold himself amenable to the orders and process of the court.

An important question to be determined is whether a person charged by fugitive complaint may post a bond with general terms as contained in the instant bond, and if posted, what is its legal effect beyond the fifteen-day period. We believe the answer is that such a bond may be posted as coming within the rules and statutes applicable to bail bonds, and that if it is posted and contains no specific time limitation it is a good continuing bond.

A bond posted under § 13-1316 would appropriately contain the condition that the person charged would appear at a time specified so that he may be available to be arrested on a governor’s warrant. Then under § 13-1317, if the accused is not arrested under a governor’s warrant by the time specified, the magistrate may discharge him or may recommit him to a further day. If the conditions as to time terminate the bond the statute provides that the magistrate may require the person charged to enter into a new bond to appear at another day.

Looking to other provisions of our law, we find that Rule 38, Rules of Criminal Procedure, defines bail as the security given for the release of a person who is in the custody of the law that he will appear before any court in which his appearance may be required. Hervey was legally in custody of the law. Under Rule 52 a person admitted to bail on a charge that the magistrate is empowered to try is subject to the orders and process of the magistrate. A fugitive complaint is a charge the magistrate is empowered to try. A.R.S. § 13-1313 provides for the charging of a fugitive from justice complaint before the magistrate and that a warrant can issue from him to take the defendant into custody. The bond herein meets all the requirements of law.

Appellant argues that it is important to a bondsman to not be forced beyond the limitations of time contemplated by A.R.S. §

Related

James v. State
1978 OK 115 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1978)
State v. Martin
252 N.W.2d 438 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1977)

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Bluebook (online)
456 P.2d 953, 10 Ariz. App. 107, 1969 Ariz. App. LEXIS 534, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-hervey-arizctapp-1969.