In re Loehr
In re Loehr
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
The petitioner prays to be released, under the writ of habeas corpus, from imprisonment in the city workhouse, to which he was sentenced by the court of criminal correction for the offence of petit larceny. Among other points, it is urged in his behalf that sentence was improperly pronounced against the prisoner upon the same day upon
It appears that the prisoner was tried and convicted before Hon. Garret S. Van Wagoner, as provisional judge of the court of criminal correction, under appointment by the St. Louis Circuit Court, in the absence from the city of Hon. Charles F. Cady, the regularly constituted officer. It is not suggested that the appointment was without authority of law, or that the appointee was not duly qualified to hold the office and perform its functions. But it is objected that the record-entry of the appointment, by the circuit court, does not sot forth the fact of legal qualification in its appointee ; and hence it does not appear that the provisional judge had any proper authority to act as such. We know of no principle of law or of common sense that gives the least countenance to such an objection. The order of appointment recites the absence pf the regular judge, and his consequent inability to discharge the duties of his office. Nothing more is required by the statute to authorize the circuit court to make an appointment. The jurisdictional condition is thus shown to be fulfilled, and all presumptions are in favor of a proper exercise of the jurisdiction, in the selection of a qualified and suitable person, until the contrary shall be made to appear. There is no-need for a recital anywhere, that the court performed its duty, and was guilty of no error in making its selection.
It is further objected .that the commission, or order of appointment, of the provisional judge, was not.set out at
Some other objections to the prisoner’s commitment are raised, which, if they could be seriously considered, might be called purely technical. Nothing is shown to us which in the slightest degree impeaches the regularity and validity of the proceedings which resulted in the prisoner’s confinement under a judicial sentence. The petitioner will, therefore, be remanded to the custody of the respondent.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.