Ex parte King
Decision Date | 03 March 1989 |
Citation | 547 So.2d 579 |
Parties | Ex parte Christopher Allen KING. (Re Christopher Allen King v. Robert V. Wooldridge). 87-1134. |
Court | Alabama Supreme Court |
Robert F. Prince and Jon M. Turner, Jr. of Prince, McGuire & Coogler, Tuscaloosa, for petitioner.
Robert W. Ennis IV, City Atty., and H. Burton Flanagan, Asst. City Atty., Tuscaloosa, for respondent.
We granted certiorari to consider whether the Court of Criminal Appeals erred in holding that the municipal court acted outside its authority in treating Christopher Allen King as a youthful offender pursuant to Ala.Code 1975, § 15-19-1 et seq. (the "Youthful Offender Act").
For a detailed statement of the facts, see King v. Wooldridge, 547 So.2d 576(Ala.Crim.App.1988).
Reasoning that the crime with which King was charged is a misdemeanor and, therefore, that the Youthful Offender Act had no application, the Court of Criminal Appeals held that the municipal court lacked the authority to treat King as a youthful offender. The court then concluded
We reverse and remand.
Section 15-19-1, supra, reads as follows:
King was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol in violation of Ala.Code 1975, § 32-5A-191, which provides that, upon conviction, sentence of imprisonment for up to one year may be imposed. The Court of Criminal Appeals correctly held that a violation of that section is a misdemeanor. Section 15-19-1 provides that a person charged with a "crime ... subject to a sentence of commitment for one year " (emphasis added) may be treated as a youthful offender. In addition, Ala.Code 1975, § 15-19-6(d), states that "[i]f the underlying charge is a misdemeanor, a person adjudged a youthful offender may be given correctional treatment as provided by law for such misdemeanor." Thus, the Youthful Offender Act is clearly applicable to a person charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, provided that the offense "was committed in his minority but was not disposed of in juvenile court."
Notwithstanding Ala.Code 1975, § 26-1-1, the Youthful Offender Act remains applicable to persons who have not reached 21 years of age. Section 26-1-1 reads as follows:
By including subsection (d), the Legislature intended for the Youthful Offender Act to remain available to persons under 21 years of age. The Court of Criminal Appeals expressly recognized this in Wynn v. State, 480 So.2d 1, 3 (Ala.Crim.App.1983) (). See, also, Thompson v. State, 354 So.2d 1132 (Ala.1977); Speaks v. State, 494 So.2d 112 (Ala.Crim.App.1985), reversed on other grounds, 494 So.2d 118 (Ala.1986), on remand, 494 So.2d 119 (Ala.Crim.App.1986); Norris v. State, 429 So.2d 649 (Ala.Crim.App.1982). At the time he committed the offense, King was under 21 years of age.
Finally, the reference in § 15-19-1 to the filing of an "indictment or information" cannot be read as an expression of intent on the part of the Legislature that the Youthful Offender Act is to have no application to misdemeanor traffic...
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