In re Cothran
In re Cothran
Opinion of the Court
Habeas corpus. On June 2, 1927, an information was laid before a Justice of the Peace of San Jose Judicial Township in and for Santa Clara County, charging that petitioner, Ralph Cothran, had threatened to commit an offense against the person of another, to wit, to kill and murder one E. A. Waibel. The proceeding so initiated was afterwards heard on the merits by said justice and he found that there was reason to fear the commission of such offense. Thereupon he ordered that petitioner enter into an undertaking in the sum of $2,000 to keep the peace toward the people of the state and particularly toward the said E. A. Waibel. Petitioner failed to give such undertaking, and on June 10, 1937, a commitment was issued by said justice committing petitioner to the county jail of said county “until he gives such undertaking”. All of the foregoing proceedings were had under the authority of part II, title 1, chapter 3, of the Penal Code (secs. 701-707).
During the succeeding four months petitioner instituted three separate proceedings in habeas corpus before the superior court in and for said county, and each proceeding was heard before a different judge and decided adversely to petitioner. The last of such proceedings was determined on October 11, 1937; and later on, at the end of said month, petitioner applied to this court for a writ of habeas corpus. The writ was issued and a hearing was had on the merits, at which time the parties requested and were granted permission to submit additional briefs. The final brief was filed herein on November 27, 1937; but on December 11, 1937, the sheriff of said county filed herein a supplemental return certifying that petitioner was no longer in his custody; that on the preceding day, to wit, on December 10, 1937, he had been discharged from the county jail. Obviously, therefore, all questions involved in the present proceeding became moot, and it follows that the proceeding must be dismissed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.