Washington v. State

95 Fla. 289
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedFebruary 17, 1928
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 95 Fla. 289 (Washington v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Washington v. State, 95 Fla. 289 (Fla. 1928).

Opinion

Whitfield, P. J.

Abe Washington, a negro man, was convicted of murder in the first degree and sentenced to be hanged for the homicide of a negro woman. The judgment was affirmed. Washington v. State, 86 Fla. 519, 98 South. Rep. 603.

After the conviction and before the affirmance of the judgment the statute changed the method of capital punishment from hanging to electrocution; and owing to an organic provision it was held on habeas corpus that the accused was entitled to be hanged notwithstanding the change in the statute. Washington v. Dowling, 92 Fla. 601, 109 South. Rep. 588.

Upon leave given, Washington v. State, 92 Fla. 740, 110 South. Rep. 259, the accused applied to the Circuit Court for a writ of error coram nobis, which was denied and this writ of error was taken to the final order dismissing the petition for writ of error coram nobis. Nickels v. State, 86 Fla. 208, 98 South. Rep. 497, 502, 99 South. Rep. 121.

The petition for writ of error coram nobis alleges “that the jury which tried and convicted the petitioner, defendant as aforesaid, was composed entirely of white men, that there were no negroes, or men of African descent, on said jury and that this petitioner, defendant as aforesaid, is a negro of African descent, a colored person and a citizen and resident of the State of Florida and of the United [293]*293States and was such before and at said trial and has so remained at all times since;” that in summoning the jury in the case the officer “did purposely, knowingly and intentionally select and summon only white men to serve as jurors and did purposely, knowingly and intentionally fail, neglect and refuse to select and/or summon any negroes, colored persons or persons of African descent to serve as jurors at said trial solely because they were negroes, colored persons and persons of African descent, and in the execution of said venires did purposely, knowingly and intentionally discriminate against all colored persons, negroes and persons of African descent including this petitioner, although he had then and there full and complete opportunity to select and summon negroes, colored persons and persons of African descent, citizens of said county and fully qualified in each and every way for jury duty and service in said court.”

An affidavit of the officer who served the jury venires made a part of the petition states that he had then been a deputy sheriff over two years “and that he had never summoned a negro or person of African descent to serve as a juror in any of the courts of the county, although in his search for jurors he saw many negroes whom he believed to be qualified for jury dirty.” This is not made applicable to the jurors summoned in this call, even if the statement shows unlawful discrimination practiced by the officer.

In the petition it is alleged that such “facts have come to the knowledge of this petitioner and to the knowledge of his attorney only subsequent to said trial and conviction and subsequent to said motion for new trial and subsequent to said petition for said writ of habeas corpus, and subsequent to the taking out of said writ of error to the judgment of this Court on said petition for writ of habeas cor[294]*294pus, and long after the time allowed by law for this petitioner to make a motion for new trial herein; which said facts, acts, procedure and evidence were in existence though unknown to petitioner and his said attorney at the time of said trial, which were also unknown to this Honorable Court at the time of said trial, verdict and judgment and are not shown by the records of this said Court, and which if known-to this Honorable Court, would have prevented the rendering of the aforesaid judgment and sentence. That by the exercise of due diligence on the part of this petitioner and his attorney, either or both, neither this petitioner or his said attorney could have known of, or ascertained such facts, acts, procedure and evidence before the said judgment and sentence was rendered or before the motion for a new trial or at any time prior to the time the same first came to the knowledge of this petitioner as aforesaid. That this petitioner and his said attorney each and both, exercised all ordinary care and diligence to discover and ascertain any and all facts, matters and things, including those hereinafter set out, pertaining to the indictment, arraignment, plea, trial, verdict, judgment and sentence aforesaid of this petitioner, the issues thereof and the procedure thereof, or which could affect the same in any manner.”

The only question on this writ of error is whether the Circuit Court erred in denying a writ of error coram nobis on the petition as presented.

The functions of a writ of error coram nobis are limited to an error of fact for which the statute provides no other remedy, which fact did not appear of record or was unknown to the court when judgment was pronounced, and which, if known, would have prevented the judgment, and which was unknown and could not have been known to the party by the exercise of reasonable diligence in time [295]*295to have been otherwise presented to the court, unless he was prevented from so presenting them by duress, fear, or other sufficient cause.

The writ of error coram nolis is not intended to authorize any court to review and revise its opinions; but only to enable it to recall some adjudication made while some fact existed which, if before the court, would have prevented the rendition of the judgment, and which, without any fault-or negligence of the party, was not presented to the court. Nickels v. State, 86 Fla. 208, 98 South. Rep. 497, 502; 99 South. Rep. 121.

The function of a writ of error coram nolis is to bring the attention of the court to a specific fact or facts then existing but not shown by the record and not known by the court or by the party or counsel at the trial, and being of such vital nature that if known to the court in time would have prevented the rendition and entry of the judgment assailed.

The writ of error corarn nolis supplements, but does not supersede, the remedy provided in the statute for the granting of new trials or the correction of errors. It is not available where the facts complained of were known before the trial, and where advantage could have been taken of the alleged error at the trial; nor does it lie to correct an adjudicated issue of fact. Lamb v. State, 91 Fla. 396, 107 South. Rep. 535.

The statutory provisions of this State for selecting, summoning and empaneling jurors do not discriminate, or authorize any discrimination, against any person for jury duty because of race or color. It is the duty of the officers charged with the administration or execution of such statutory provisions, to do so without violating the Constitution of the United States, by discriminating against persons on account of race or color or by other illegal action. If- in [296]*296selecting, summoning or empaneling jurors, a discrimination is made against any citizen on account of race or color, such, action is not authorized by the statute, is illegal, and upon proper proceedings duly taken for that purpose, should be set aside and annulled in toto.

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Related

Lee v. State
173 So. 2d 520 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1965)
Herndon v. State
174 S.E. 597 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1934)

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Bluebook (online)
95 Fla. 289, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/washington-v-state-fla-1928.