Moore v. State
Moore v. State
Opinion
Appellant, Frederick Moore, filed a pro se petition for writ of habeas corpus in the circuit court of Escambia County on July 18, 1985. The petition was denied, without an evidentiary hearing, on August 20, 1985. The court determined appellant to be indigent and counsel was appointed to represent appellant on this appeal.
Appellant, an inmate at G.K. Fountain Correctional Center, was charged with fighting with a weapon in violation of Alabama Department of Corrections Administrative Rule 34. On May 15, 1985, a disciplinary committee hearing was held in which a finding of "not guilty" was rendered. On May 19, 1985, Warden J.O. Davis directed that the charge be reinstated and a new disciplinary committee appointed to rehear the charges. The warden's authority to reinstate the charge is set forth in Administrative Regulation 403-E (1)(d), which states that the reinstated proceeding "will not count as a second hearing."
In the second proceeding, appellant was found to have violated Rule 34, and was assessed "loss of six months good time and 21 days in the segregation unit." An appeal was taken to the warden, who concurred in the findings of the committee, and the appeal was denied. An appeal authorized by the regulations to Commissioner Freddie Smith was likewise denied. Appellant then petitioned the circuit court for a writ of habeas corpus, which is the proper method for challenging a decision of a state disciplinary board. Rice v. State,
Appellant's court appointed counsel has asserted four issues in brief; however, he has failed to cite any authority for his asserted propositions, and the administrative regulation he relies upon is not applicable to the issues presented to this court. The State's three-sentence brief is, likewise, of no value in reaching a determination of the merits of appellant's petition, and cites no authorities. Appellant's pro se petition for writ of habeas corpus asserts two claims for relief. Appellant first contends that the second committee hearing subjected him to double jeopardy, and, therefore, that the findings of the second committee should be voided. Appellant's second contention is that the committee hearing in which he was found guilty did *Page 916 not comply with established due process requirements.
It has been generally stated that "[t]he doctrine of double jeopardy, as developed under the common law or the Constitution, has strict application to criminal prosecution only. . . . It does not apply to other than judicial proceedings." Nunley v. United States Board of Paroles,
"It is a basic principle that the doctrine of double jeopardy, in either its constitutional or its common law sense, has a strict application to criminal prosecutions only. . . . It has been stated that the rule of double jeopardy is applicable only when the first prosecution involves a trial before a criminal court, or at least a court empowered to impose punishment by way of fine, imprisonment, or otherwise, as a deterrent to the commission of a crime; but it also has been stated that the protection against double jeopardy applies to all proceedings irrespective of whether they are denominated civil or criminal, if the outcome may be the deprivation of a person of his liberty."
In Breed v. Jones,
A criminal prosecution is defined as "[a]n action or proceeding instituted in a proper court on behalf of the public, for the purpose of securing the conviction and punishment of one accused of crime." Black's Law Dictionary, 337 (rev. 5th ed. 1979). In determining whether jeopardy attaches when prison disciplinary action is taken, we are guided by established case law. In Jenkins v. State,
"Infliction of disciplinary penalties to be endured contemporaneously with a sentence being served under a judgment of a competent court does not lengthen the court imposed sentence. Therefore, the administrative determination does not put the convict in jeopardy because the punishment is only of a harsher degree (but within the law) and not a new term."
As stated in Pagliaro v. Cox,
The State only filed a motion to dismiss, which alleged that appellant stated he desired no witnesses at the second disciplinary proceeding and that the appellant's statement to this effect was witnessed and initialed. No documents were appended to the motion which would support this claim. The record does not contain an answer or return which denies the allegations of fact in the petition. Nothing has been filed by the State to contradict those facts set out in the petition. Therefore, the unrefuted facts set out in the petition must be taken as true. Ex parte Floyd,
The circuit court erred in granting the State's motion to dismiss the petition without a hearing. The petition contains unrefuted allegations which if proven would entitle appellant to relief. Therefore, the trial court's judgment dismissing the petition is hereby set aside and vacated, and this cause is remanded to the trial court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
REVERSED AND REMANDED.
All the Judges concur.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Frederick Moore v. State.
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- 8 cases
- Status
- Published