State v. Van Klaveren

226 N.W. 81, 208 Iowa 867
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedJune 24, 1929
DocketNos. 39643, 39644.
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 226 N.W. 81 (State v. Van Klaveren) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Van Klaveren, 226 N.W. 81, 208 Iowa 867 (iowa 1929).

Opinion

Wagner, J.

Defendant’s attack upon the judgments in these two cases was made by the same motion, and his briefs and arguments in said eases in this court are identical. We will, therefore, dispose of the same in one opinion. The first of said cases was known in the district court as Cause No. 6114, and the second as No. 6167, and we will so speak of them in this opinion.

On March 21, 1928, in Cause No. 6114, a county attorney’s information consisting of two counts was filed. The first count charges that, on or about the 29th day of February, 1928, the defendant did use a certain building and place situated in Wapello County for the purpose of having possession of certain instruments cornmonly known as a still, intended for use and capable of being used in the manufacture of intoxicating liquor. The second count charges that, on or about the 29th day of February, 1928, the defendant did unlawfully have in his possession certain intoxicating liquors, to wit, “Moonshine Whiskey.” On April 16, 1928, the defendant, by his attorney, waived arraignment, and entered a plea of not guilty; and at the request of the defendant, the cause was continued to the next term of the district court. At said term, on September 10, 1928, the defendant appeared in court without his attorney, and stated that he did not desire his presence, and personally asked to withdraw his plea of not guilty, and entered a plea of guilty, as charged in Count 1 of the information. On motion of the county attorney, Count 2 of the information was dismissed. Thereupon, *869 the court fixed as the time for pronouncing judgment September 17th, on which date the defendant appeared in person and stated in open court “that he had nothing to say, or no reason to offer why judgment should not be pronounced;” and the court entered judgment, imposing a fine of $600 and the costs of prosecution, including an attorney’s fee of $50 to be taxed in favor of the county attorney, and ordering that defendant be committed to the county jail until such fine and costs were paid, such imprisonment to be one day for each $3.33 1/3 of said fine and costs, and further ordering that the defendant be imprisoned in the county jail for a term of six months.

In Cause No. 6167, the grand jury, on September 5, 1928, returned an indictment against the defendant, it being therein charged that, on or about the 18th day of August, 1928, the defendant did unlawfully transport and convey in a certain automobile certain intoxicating liquors, to wit, “hooch.” It is further charged in the indictment “that the defendant, Art Yan Klaveren, has been formerly convicted in the district court of Monroe County, Iowa, on the charge of maintaining a liquor nuisance; and judgment was rendered against said defendant by said court on March 14, 1928, and which is found in District Court Eecord 34, page 331, of Monroe County. ’ ’ On September 7th, the defendant appeared in court, and was there informed of his right to counsel, and made the statement that he did not desire an attorney, and was duly arraigned; and the court fixed the time for the plea for September 10, 1928, when the defendant appeared in person, and entered a plea “that he is guilty as charged in the indictment,” and September 17th was fixed as the time for pronouncing judgment. On the latter date, immediately after the pronouncement of judgment in Cause No. 6114, the court entered judgment in this case, imposing a fine of $1,000 and costs of prosecution, including an attorney’s fee of $50 in favor of,the county attorney, and ordering that he be committed to the county jail of Wapello County until said fine and costs are paid, at the rate of one day for each $3.33 1/3 of said fine and costs; and also ordering that the defendant be imprisoned in the county jail for the term of one year. As a part of the judgment, the court ordered that the imprisonment of the defendant in this case “shall begin at the expiration of the im *870 prisonm’ent imposed under the sentences pronounced in Cause No. 6114.”

Thereafter, and during the same term of court, the defendant filed his motion, which was made to apply to both judgments, asking therein for a new trial; that he be permitted to enter a new plea, and for a modification of the sentences and -fines imposed by the court. This motion was overruled. That portion of his motion asking for a new trial comes too late. Section 13943 of the Code of 1927 provides that the application for a new trial must be made before judgment. That portion of his motion asking that he be permitted to enter a new plea also comes too late. The substitution of another plea for a plea of guilty must occur before the entry of judgment. See Section 13803 of the Code.

The motion contains no grounds which are recognized by our statutory law for the arrest of judgments. it is argued by the defendant that the county a~torney `s information in Cause No. 6114 is defective, in that the minutes of the testi~nony of the witnesses do not show that the witiiesses were sworn.. Defendant's complaint at tins point is without merit. See State v. Hueser, 205 Iowa 132, where we declared:

The statute does not require that the county attorney shall attach copies of `sworn minutes' of the evidence to the information."

The defendant further argues that the minutes of the evidence of each witness are not attached to, ~r filed with, the information. We have examined the information, and find that it is sufilcient in this respect to comply with the statutory law, Section 13647 of the Code. Moreover, a failure, if any, in this respect has been waived by the defendant. See Section 13659 of the Code.

It is apparent that the only thing properly coming before us for our consideration is the punishment which was inflicted by the court, which the defendant alleges is excessive. The motion of the defendant is supported by tha affidavits of himself and wife and a physician. Their affidavits are to the effect that thÔ defendant is not in the prime of health, and that a long period of confinement in the county jail might undermine his health and lead to serious *871 consequences. It is sufficient to say that a period of confinement by way of imprisonment might weaken the condition of a healthy man, and that many men now in good health will pass into eternity before the expiration of the period of imprisonment given to the defendant; but that is not sufficient reason why the guilty should not be punished. Should conditions which would warrant the release of one imprisoned for crime, on account of bad health or any other reason, ’arise in the future, the case will then be one requiring the attention of the department whose duty it is to grant pardons and paroles. This duty rests upon another branch of our state government, and not upon this court.

The plea of guilty by the defendant was voluntary upon his part; there is no denial of his guilt; there is no showing that the plea of guilty was obtained by reason of any improper conduct on the part of the county attorney. The defendairt> *n argument, states: “The defendant does no^ contend that the county attorney intentionally and deliberately misled or misinformed the defendant.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

State v. Izzolena
609 N.W.2d 541 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 2000)
State v. Young
292 N.W.2d 432 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1980)
State v. Cornwell
189 N.W.2d 611 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1971)
State v. Whitehead
163 N.W.2d 899 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1969)
Chapman v. Graham
270 P.2d 821 (Utah Supreme Court, 1954)
State v. Anderson
60 N.W.2d 794 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1953)
State v. McKillop
42 N.W.2d 381 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1950)
State v. Kellison
4 N.W.2d 239 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1942)
Dawson v. Sisk
4 N.W.2d 272 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1942)
In re Lyons
178 Misc. 155 (New York Supreme Court, 1942)
Clark v. Ireland
246 N.W. 262 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1933)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
226 N.W. 81, 208 Iowa 867, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-van-klaveren-iowa-1929.