Etheridge v. Bantum
Etheridge v. Bantum
Opinion of the Court
Although petitioner is not in custody pursuant to a judgment of conviction of a state court, he seeks a federal writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C., section 2254. He contends that a prospective trial upon a manslaughter indictment would constitute double jeopardy in violation of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments of the Federal Constitution.
Petitioner was indicted in August 1976 for murder in the second degree, assault in the first degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree. The case was tried in April 1977 and resulted in a hung jury. Upon a retrial in May 1977, the jury acquitted petitioner of the murder charge; he was found guilty of the manslaughter and assault charges. Upon appeal, the Appellate Division, Second Department, reversed the conviction and ordered a new trial.
Petitioner seeks by way of this petition for a federal writ of habeas corpus to void the indictment upon his plea of double jeopardy and to stay the trial pending determination of this proceeding. The petition is premature. Federal habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C., section 2254 may be applied for when one is in custody pursuant to a state court judgment in violation of his federal constitutional rights. In the event of trial and a judgment of conviction, the petitioner must exhaust the available state remedy requirement of section 2254.
The petition for a writ of habeas corpus is dismissed. So ordered.
. Etheridge v. People, 71 A.D.2d 861, 419 N.Y.S.2d 188 (1979).
. Picard v. Conner, 404 U.S. 270, 92 S.Ct. 509, 30 L.Ed.2d 438 (1970).
. Samuels v. Mackell, 401 U.S. 66, 91 S.Ct. 764, 27 L.Ed.2d 688 (1971); Younger v. Harris, 401 U.S. 37, 91 S.Ct. 746, 27 L.Ed.2d 669 (1971).
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Gerhardt ETHERIDGE v. Otis BANTUM, Acting Warden, Rikers Island House of Detention For Men, East Elmhurst, New York
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published