Bass v. State
Bass v. State
Opinion
Jerome Bass appeals from the circuit court's denial of his Rule 32, Ala.R.Crim.P., petition for postconviction relief, in which he attacked his 1997 conviction for first-degree robbery. We affirmed Bass's conviction on direct appeal. Bass v. State,
On May 3, 2000, Bass filed a Rule 32 petition, challenging his robbery conviction. He alleged (1) that the United States Constitution and the Alabama Constitution required that he be granted a new trial because the trial judge had directly commented on his guilt during the jury instructions; (2) that he was denied the effective assistance of trial counsel; and (3) that the trial court was without jurisdiction to render the judgment or to impose the sentence because the evidence did not establish each of the requisite elements of first-degree robbery. The State filed an answer to the petition, and the circuit court issued an order denying the petition. That order stated, in pertinent part:
"[P]ursuant to Rule 32.2(a)(2-5) defendant is barred from raising the issues that are the basis for [the] ineffective assistance of counsel claim and lack of jurisdiction claim as these issues were either raised or addressed at trial or could have been but were not raised or addressed on appeal. After considering defendant's petition, response of the state, and a review of the record, the Court finds that the petition should be denied."
This appeal followed.
Bass argues that the circuit court improperly found that each of his claims was precluded pursuant to Rule 32.2(a)(2) through (5), Ala.R.Crim.P. Our review of the record reveals that the trial court's determination that Bass's claim number 1 above (that he was entitled to a new trial because the trial judge directly commented on his guilt during the court's charge was precluded) was correct. Because this claim was raised on direct appeal, Bass is precluded from reasserting this claim in a Rule 32 petition. See Rule 32.2(a)(4), Ala.R.Crim.P.
Bass next argues that the circuit court erred in rejecting his claim that the trial court was without jurisdiction to render the judgment or to impose the sentence because, he says, the evidence did not establish each element of first-degree robbery, namely, did not establish that he was armed with a deadly weapon. Bass argues that because this was a jurisdictional claim, the preclusion grounds set out in Rule 32.2(a) do not apply. Although Bass couches this claim in jurisdictional terms, it is, in fact, a nonjurisdictional challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence and, therefore, it is precluded by Rule 32.2(a)(3) and 32.2(a)(5). See Shoulders v. State,
Bass also argues that the circuit court improperly found that his ineffective-assistance-of-trial counsel claim was precluded pursuant to Rule 32.2(a)(5), Ala.R.Crim.P. At the time of Bass's conviction, Ex parteIngram,
Based on the foregoing, we conclude that, although some of Bass's claims are precluded from review, his claim of ineffective assistance of trial counsel is not. Accordingly, we must remand this cause to the circuit court for that court to enter a new order addressing the merits of Bass's claim that his trial counsel rendered ineffective assistance. Should the trial court deem it necessary to hold an evidentiary hearing addressing Bass's claim,1 the circuit court's return to remand shall include a transcript of those proceedings. Rule 32.9(d), Ala.R.Crim.P., requires the circuit court to "make specific findings of fact relating to each material issue of fact presented." See also Ex parte Walker,
The circuit court shall take all necessary action to see that the circuit clerk makes due return to this Court at the earliest possible time and within 56 days of the release of this opinion.
REMANDED WITH DIRECTIONS.*
McMillan, P.J., and Cobb, Baschab, and Shaw, JJ., concur.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Jerome Bass v. State.
- Cited By
- 4 cases
- Status
- Published