Territory of New Mexico v. Archibeque
Territory of New Mexico v. Archibeque
Opinion of the Court
This cause is before the court on an application of appellants for a rule on the clerk of the Second judicial district court to send to this court a transcript of the record in the district court in and for Bernalillo county. It appears from the application that the appellants were convicted in the district court for the crime of arson and sentenced to imprisonment in the territorial penitentiary for the period of five years each; that appellants each were granted an appeal from said judgment to this court; that the district court upon granting said appeal also further ordered as follows, “and it is further ordered that said appeal operate as a stay of proceedings in this cause.”
The clerk of the district court appears by counsel and represents that he has failed to send up the transcript for the reason that appellants have failed to pay his legal fees for the same, and the parties consent that this application may be decided as though the rule on the clerk had been granted and bis response had been filed showing the above reason for his failure to send up the transcript.
It is provided however in section 3407 of the Compiled Laws of 1897 which applies to crimes other than murder, that “No such appeal shall stay execution of such judgment unless the district court shall be of the opinion that there is probable cause for such appeal or so much doubt as to render it expedient to take the judgment of the supreme court thereof, and shall make an order expressly directing that such appeal shall operate as a stay of proceedings.”
In this case the order was -made by the district court under the foregoing section directing that the appeal should have the effect of a stay of the proceedings. It is contended by counsel for the clerk that the appeal not being in itself a stay of proceedings, as appeals in murder cases are made to be by section 3420 of the Compiled Laws, therefore this is not a case within the contemplation of section 3413 of the Compiled Laws; but we agree to this contention. It is certainly immaterial whether the appeal derived its power to stay proceedings from the statute as in murder cases or from an order of the district court, as in this .case.
It is, therefore, the duty of the clerk of the district court to send up the transcript whether the appellants pay his fees for the same or not. The rule as prayed for will be granted and made absolute.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- TERRITORY OF NEW MEXICO v. THOMAS ARCHIBEQUE and ALBERTO CEBADO
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- SYLLABUS BY THE COURtI Criminal Law — Appeal—Transcript--Duty op Clerk. — On appeal in a criminal case, where the appeal operates as a stay of proceedings, either by virtue of the statute as in murder cases or by order of the district court, it is the duty of the clerk of that court to send up the transcript whether appellant pay his fees therefor or not.