Tomlinson v. Monroe County

112 N.W. 100, 134 Iowa 608
Supreme Court of Iowa·Decided June 4, 1907·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

Deemer, J.

An indictment was found in the year 1902 by the grand jury of Monroe county against one Thomas Smith, charging him with the crime of murder in [609] the first degree. Plaintiff herein, upon a proper showing, was appointed by the court to defend Smith, and upon a trial to a jury he (Smith) was convicted of manslaughter. Upon appeal to this court the judgment was reversed, and the case remanded for a retrial. Without other formal appointment, plaintiff defended Smith upon the retrial, in which service he was engaged for eight days. Plaintiff was compensated for his services upon the original trial, and for his appearance in this court- on appeal, and by the judgment of the trial court was allowed $160 for his services on the second trial. From this judgment, defendant appeals.

For appellant it is contended first that plaintiff is not entitled to anything for his services upon the second trial, because not reappointed by the trial court; and, second, that if he is entitled to anything the statute fixes his compensation at the arbitrary sum of $10. These contentions call for a construction of sections 5313 and 5314 of the Code, which read as follows:

See. 5313. Eight of Counsel. If the defendant appears for arraignment without counsel, he must before proceeding therewith, be informed by the court of his right thereto, and be asked if he desires counsel, and if he does, and is unable to employ any, the court must allow him to select or assign him counsel, not exceeding two, who shall have free access to him at all reasonable hours.
Sec. 5314. Fee for Attorney Defending. An attorney appointed by the court to defend a person indicted for homicide or any offense the punishment of which may be life imprisonment, shall receive from the county treasurer a fee of $20.00 per day for time actually occupied in court in the trial of defendant. If the prosecution be for any other felony, he shall receive the sum of $10.00 in full for services. Such attorney need not follow the case into another county or into the Supreme Court, but if he does so shall receive an enlarged compensation on a scale corresponding to that fixed by this section. To be entitled to such compensation, the attorney must file with the court his affidavit that he has not directly or indirectly received or [610] entered into a contract to receive any compensation for. such services from any source. Only one attorney in one case shall receive such compensation.

1. Appointment op COUNSEL POR ACCUSED: compensation for second trial. As to the first contention of appellant, there are two answers. First, plaintiff was concededly properly appointed in the first instance under section 5313 of the Code, and, such being the case, we think it was his duty to follow the case to the end. Surely his appointment was not discontinued because he secured a reversal in this court. The statute makes no provision for appointment upon a retrial after reversal by this court. Manifestly this was not deemed necessary, for the reason that it was the duty of the attorney originally appointed to follow the case to the end. The first trial was a mistrial, and the ease stood after reversal, for most purposes, as if it had never been tried. Plaintiff was not compelled to, nor does the statute require that he should, make .a new showing justifying a reappointment. The appointment is to be made when defendant appears for arraignment, and that appointment continues until the case is finally disposed of. No other construction can be placed upon the language of these two statutes. That this is their spirit is plainly apparent. A defendant is entitled to counsel at every stage of the proceedings after arraignment. His counsel may follow the case to this court, and, if he succeeds in reversing it, it is for the manifest purpose of securing that to which defendant is entitled, a retrial with the aid of counsel. Surely the Legislature did not intend that an attorney should follow defendant’s case to this court, and then deprive defendant of the aid of counsel if he be successful upon the appeal. Defendant had already been arraigned and had pleaded to the indictment, and his attorney was not required to make any showing for reappointment. To be entitled to compensation, however, he was required to make the affidavit required by section 5314 of the Code. This he did in the case now before us. As this satisfied the [611] requirements of the statute, plaintiff was entitled to compensation, and this brings us to the second proposition: How much shall he receive ?

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Tomlinson v. Monroe County, 112 N.W. 100, 134 Iowa 608 (iowa 1907).

112 N.W. 100 (Tomlinson v. Monroe County) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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