Thorne v. State

445 S.W.2d 481, 247 Ark. 346, 1969 Ark. LEXIS 1111
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedOctober 13, 1969
Docket5447
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 445 S.W.2d 481 (Thorne v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Thorne v. State, 445 S.W.2d 481, 247 Ark. 346, 1969 Ark. LEXIS 1111 (Ark. 1969).

Opinion

J. Fred Jones, Justice.

The petitioner, George H. Thome, has filed an original petition in this court entitled “Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus and Motion to Quash Detainer Warrant.” 'The prayer is for a “dismissal” of the warrant and for an order directed to the First Division Circuit Court of Pulaski County, Arkansas to withdraw its warrant from the warden of Arizona {State Prison.

The facts in the record are essentially these: On November 22, 1966, the prosecuting attorney of Pulaski County filed information charging the petitioner with the crimes of burglary and grand larceny, and on November 23, 1966, a bench warrant was issued for his arrest. The record is not clear whether the warrant was actually served on Thorne. The dates are filled in on the warrant return but only a check mark appears in the spaces provided for insertion of the name of the person arrested; fees of $2.15 and 15 cents are designated for service and mileage, and the return is signed by Hemp-hill, Deputy Sheriff. The warrant bears no filing date but the return recites as follows:

“I have this 23 day of Nov. A. D. 1966, duly served the within by arresting the said....................................”

In any event, it appears that Thorne was incarcerated in the Arkansas State Penitentiary on November 23, 1966, under a conviction for a different offense previously committed. On April 20, 1967, the superintendent of the state penitentiary was ordered by the Pulaski County Circuit Judge to release Thorne to the sheriff of Pulaski County for the purpose of being brought before the court for plea and arraignment on the first day of May 1967. At the foot of this order appears the handwritten notation “not at penn,” and signed “Hill.”

The record reflects that Thorne was discharged from the Arkansas State Penitentiary on. April 13, 1967, and that on October 18, 1967, he was arrested in Phoenix, Arizona and was sentenced to twenty years in' the penitentiary of that state where he is now incarcerated. Upon learning of Thorne’s incarceration in Arizona, a detainer warrant was placed against him in that state.

The record contains copies of two undated and unverified instruments addressed to the Pulaski County Circuit Court. Neither instrument bears a receipt or filing date but they were apparently prepared by, or on behalf of, petitioner Thorne. One of these undated instruments is designated “Motion for a Speedy Trial and Writ of Habeas Corpus Ad Prosequendum,” and concludes as follows:

“[T]he Petitioner prays the Honorable Court to grant his MOTION FOR A SPEEDY TRIAL AND WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS AD-PROSEQUENDUM.”

The other undated instrument is designated “Motion to Quash Detainer Warrant,” this instrument concludes as follows:

“Movant prays this Honorable Court dismiss the above numbered warrant by virtue of the information herein contained and any other supporting Authorities of which the Court may take Judicial Knowledge. ’ ’

The jurat on this instrument appears as follows:

“County of Pinal )
ss
State of Arizona )
Subscribed and sworn to before me this............day of
................................................, 1968.
Witness my hand and Seal.
NOTARY PUBLIC”

Both of these instruments are couched in legal terminology with ample citation of federal and state court decisions. It would appear that Thorne had competent advice in wording the body of the instruments, but none at all in executing them. Neither instrument appears to have been signed by Thome although his name is typed at the conclusion of both of them. The unexecuted jurat form copied above, indicates that it was prepared for execution in 1968.

An unsigned “Affidavit In Forma Pauperis” appears in the record and bears date of January 23, 1969. That was apparently the date it was prepared and there is no way to determine whether it accompanied. either of the other instruments, and if so, which one. There is no way for us to determine from the record before us, when, if ever, these instruments' were received by the Pulaski County Circuit Court. Of course; if they were sent to the Pulaski County Circuit Court, it was no fault of Thorne’s that their receipt dates were not noted.

Regardless of when, or whether, these instruments were sent to, or received by, the Pulaski County Circuit Court, the record contains a letter dated December 16, 1968, from Thome to the circuit judge of the Pulaski County Circuit Court, calling attention to the motion to quash and insisting that favorable action be taken on the petition. This letter does not indicate a willingness to return to Arkansas for trial, but, on the contrary, in speaking of his mother, Thorne says: “She will, however, fight my extradition with all her resources.” This letter was followed by one dated January 13, 1969, from Thorne to the clerk of the First Division Circuit Court stating, in part, as follows:

“According to the Post Office’s Return Receipt, your office has been in receipt of my motion to Quash and Dismiss Detainer Warrant since December 6, 1968.
As of this date I have received no word of any disposition of this motion.”

On January 20, 1969, the First Division Circuit Judge wrote to Thorne as follows:

“Dear Sir:
In Case No. 66458 showing George Henry Thorne, Leo Bryant, Jr. and David Lee Rogers as defendants in a charge of Burglary and Grand Larceny which was filed in this court 11/22/66, my docket reads as follows:
11-22-66
Rogers to State Hospital under Act 3
12-5-66
Bryant plea of Not Guilty, Jury trial May 31
12-15-66
Rogers Plea of Guilty, 5 years on Burglary, 5 years on Grand Larceny
5-1-67
Thorne passed to June 5
5- 18-67
Bryant Jury waived, court trial June 21
6- 21-67
Bond Forfeiture Alias Warrant, $2,500 on Alias Warrant on Bryant
7- 3-67
Alias Warrant, Thorne, $2,500 bond on Alias Warrant
According to the records of this Court, you are a fugitive. It is my understanding of the law that a fugitive has no standing in a court of law until he submits himself to the court for disposition of his case.

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Related

Martin v. State
527 S.W.2d 903 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1975)
McDonald v. State
484 S.W.2d 345 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1972)

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Bluebook (online)
445 S.W.2d 481, 247 Ark. 346, 1969 Ark. LEXIS 1111, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/thorne-v-state-ark-1969.