Ex parte Cross
Ex parte Cross
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court:
This is an application for a writ of habeas corpus, on the ground that the day set by the Criminal Court for the execution of the prisoner has passed, and that this court had no power to set another day when it postponed the execution.
In Schrub vs. Berggren, 143 U. S., 451, and in Holden vs. Minnesota, 137 U. S., 495, the Supreme Court held that the time and place of execution of a sentence of death were not parts of the judgment or sentence, unless made so by statute. It is unnecessary to refer to any other authority, but it may be added that a more explanatory statement of that rule was made by Chief Justice Parker in Howard, ex parte, 17 N. H., 548. “The judgment of the court,” he said, “consists of the sentence of death. With it is an order designating the time when the sentence is to be carried into execution. The order is not, strictly speaking, a part of the judgment, although usually entered with it.”
It is not denied on the part of the prisoner, that this is the rule at common law, but it is claimed that in this District the time of execution has been made a part of the sentence by Statute. We are referred to section 845 of the R. S. D. C., which is in the following words:
*574 “To enable any person convicted by the judgment of the court to apply for a writ of error, in. all cases when the judgment shall be death, or confinement in the penitentiary, the court shall, on application of the party accused, postpone the final execution thereof to a reasonable time beyond the next term of the court, not exceeding in any case thirty days after the end of such term. ’ ’ This section was taken from section 6 of the Act of July 7, 1838, 5 Statute at Targe, 307, which was passed before the establishment of this court. As the language of the revision is uncertain in reference to the court beyond whose next term.the execution was to be postponed, we recur to the original statute which was in the following words: “Sec, 6. * * * That, to enable a person convicted by the judgment of the said Criminal Court to apply for a writ of error, in all cases when the judgment sháll be death, or confinement in the penitentiary, the said criminal court shall, on application of the party accused, postpone the final execution thereof to a reasonable time beyond the next term of said circuit court, not exceeding in any case thirty days after the end of such term of the circuit court.”
We understand the contention, on the part of the prisoner, to be that the time fixed by this postponement is to be regarded as a time fixed by statute for the execution, and that the power of the court to set a day for execution is exhausted when such action is had;
Before we consider the effect of this provision on the power of the criminal court to meet the exigencies of a case by setting a new day, it may be remarked that it illustrates perfectly the distinction between the sentence of death'and the order fixing the time for carrying that sentence into execution. This very statute makes them separate in the case provided for. The writ of error would be taken, of course, to a judgment. Thus it was contemplated that there should first be a judgment or sentence of death or imprisonment, and then an application by the accused for a subsequent and separate order fixing a time for execution.
The contention that this setting of a postponed day constituted an absolute fixing of the time of execution, and ex
The prisoner’s contention that this proceeding exhausts the power to set a day may be tested in this way: If it should happen that a case should not be disposed of on the review before the expiration of the postponed time, the result of this contention would be that execution could not be carried out, even if the sentence should be affirmed; and then that the operation of the processes of the law would defeat the execution of the law. This result would follow if this statute cuts off the power to set a new day when the time first set has elapsed.' The unreasonableness of such a result shows that this statute was not intended to cut off the power to set a new day in case it should be necessary.
The question, then, is what was the power of the court by the common law? On this question we refer again to the opinion already cited. “There may be,” said Chief Justice Parker, 1 ‘a failure to execute the order at the time prescribed, from various causes — providential occurrences, riots, wilful default of the sheriff. Neither of these can operate as a pardon, or give the prisoner a right to be discharged. The sentence still remains in force. If it has been stayed by a
It is not material to consider whether the postponement ordered by this court pending the review amounted to an affirmative appointment of a day for execution, and whether this court had power to fix a day. It is enough that such a power still exists somewhere. We hold that the Criminal Court has ample power to make such an order. It follows that the petitioner is not entitled to a discharge
The application for a writ of habeas corpus is therefore denied.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Ex Parte WILLIAM DOUGLASS CROSS
- Status
- Published