State v. Jackman

93 N.W.2d 425, 1958 N.D. LEXIS 102
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 21, 1958
Docket287
StatusPublished

This text of 93 N.W.2d 425 (State v. Jackman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Dakota 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. Jackman, 93 N.W.2d 425, 1958 N.D. LEXIS 102 (N.D. 1958).

Opinion

JOHNSON, Judge.

This is an appeal from an order dated June 2, 1958, denying defendant’s application to vacate a judgment of conviction and order of commitment for the crime of grand larceny.

The summary of the facts upon which this appeal is based reveals that on -May 24, 1958, the district court of Burleigh County, North Dakota, issued its order-directed to the States Attorney of Burleigh County, North Dakota, to appear on May 31, 1958, at 10 a. m. to show cause, if any he had, “why the defendant, Dallas Jackman, should not be released from the North Dakota Penitentiary and that his judgment and conviction and order of commitment herein vacated * * This order to show cause was based upon an application in the form of an affidavit sworn to by the defendant, Dallas Jackman, in which he stated:

“that on the 21st day of February, 1957, when affiant was brought to answer to a charge of feloniously taking personal property of a value in excess of $25.00, affiant, Dallas Jackman was a juvenile of the age of 20' years subject to the original jurisdiction of the juvenile court and of original jurisdiction of the juvenile court concurrent with that of the district court as provided in sections 27-1608(2) and 27-1608(3) N.D. R.C. for 1943 * *

He also claims that when he pleaded and waived his right to counsel:

. “ * * * affiant has been advised that he was entitled to assume in the absence of being specifically informed to the contrary and in the absence of a specific waiver of juvenile court jurisdiction that he was being proceeded • against under the juvenile court juris- . diction of the district court * *

On February 13, 1957, the defendant was arrested on a charge of grand larceny committed February 7, 1957. He was brought before a justice of the peace on the day of .his arrest. The criminal complaint involving the charge was read to him. He .was- informed o.f his rights to counsel, “at -every, stage of the proceedings”, and that he had a right to waive, a right to reasonable time to prepare for preliminary examination. In fact the justice court record .shows that he was completely advised of his rights. He waived his right to the aid of *428 counsel and to postponement of the preliminary hearing. After his waiver he was held to answer the charge and admitted to bail in the sum of $1,000. On February 21, 1957, a criminal information was filed against him in the district court of Bur-leigh County, North Dakota. He was given a copy thereof. It was read in his presence in open court. He was given a comprehensive explanation of his legal and constitutional rights. After a thorough explanation of these rights had been made to him and after some parties had testified in his behalf, urging leniency, and after he had entered his plea of guilty to the crime of grand larceny, the district court entered its order, February 26, 1957, deferring imposition of sentence for three years, pursuant to the terms of Chapter 12-53 NDRC 1943 as amended by the 1957 Supplement. The order deferring the imposition of sentence placed the defendant under the sponsorship of Clark Denhart of Bismark, North Dakota. It required that the defendant become employed as soon as possible. At the time of his arrest he was studying telegraphy and it appears that he had an opportunity to become a telegrapher with one of the railroads of the state. He was ordered to refrain from drinking intoxicating liquor of every kind and not to go into any bars or to associate with minors under the age of 18 years, and to obey the laws of the state including city ordinances. The order further provided under the terms of Section 12-5318 NDRC 1957 Supp., that in case he fulfilled all the conditions of his probation for the entire period he would be eligible to withdraw his plea of guilty.

On April 8, 1958, the defendant was brought before the district court for violation of the conditions imposed by the order deferring imposition of sentence. He had been convicted in Morton County, North Dakota, of “drunken driving”, and fined $100 and given a 90 days suspended jail sentence. At the hearing on the matter he admitted the violation. He was asked by the court: “You plead guilty to drunken driving.” He replied: “I had to on account of my breath.” At the conclusion of the heating, defendant was sentenced to the State Penitentiary for a term of 1 to 3 years.

The defendant raises three issues:

1. Did the district court have jurisdiction over the defendant at the time of the imposition of the order deferring the sentence upon him, February 21, 1957?

2. Was the defendant denied due process of law ?

3. By failing to object did the defendant waive his right?

In connection with the first issue, it is claimed that since district court proceeded without a waiver of the juvenile court, it had no jurisdiction since the court did not take cognizance of the age of the defendant at the time of his arraignment and since the court did not note in the record an election not to proceed as a juvenile court.

The general jurisdiction of the district courts of this state is provided for in Section 103 of the North Dakota Constitution and under Section 27-0506 NDRC 1943. It is argued that the defendant was a child and hence the district court of Burleigh County could not proceed under its general jurisdiction against the defendant without a waiver of juvenile court jurisdiction under the terms of Section 27-1613 NDRC 1943. Such section has no application to these proceedings. The juvenile law, Section 27-1607, subd. 3 NDRC 1943 provides :

“ ‘Child’ means a person less than eighteen years of age.”

While it is true that the district court did not specifically ask the defendant his age at the time of his arraignment, the clear inference of the record shows that the defendant was over the age of 18 years. In these proceedings he admits that he was over 20 years of age. At the time of his arraignment on February 21, 1957, he was 20 years, 3 months and 26 days old. At the time of the imposition of sentence upon him on April 8, 1958, for violation of the *429 conditions of the order deferring imposition of sentence, he was 21 years, 5 months and 13 days old. He was at the time of the original proceedings on February 21, 1957, an adult. Section 27-1607, subd. 4 NDRC 1943.

Under the terms of Section 27-1608 NDRC 1943, the juvenile courts of this state have original jurisdiction in all proceedings except as otherwise provided by law over any child, and concurrent jurisdiction with the district court, county court with increased jurisdiction, and the justice or police magistrate court, over any person between the ages of 18 and 21 residing within the county charged with having violated any city or village ordinance or any law of this state or of the United States. Section 27-1608, subd. 3 NDRC 1943. It is to be noted that under the foregoing section it is within the discretion of the judge to determine whether he will exercise his jurisdiction sitting as a juvenile judge or as a district court judge over persons between the ages of 18 and 21 who have violated the law.

The crime with which the defendant was charged was committed in Burleigh County, North Dakota. The defendant was arraigned in the district court of said county.

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State v. Whiteman
67 N.W.2d 599 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1954)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
93 N.W.2d 425, 1958 N.D. LEXIS 102, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-jackman-nd-1958.