State v. Cerny

• Citation: 365 Mo. 732,286 S.W.2d 804
• Decision Date: 13 February 1956
• Docket Number: No. 44722,No. 2,44722,2
• Parties: STATE of Missouri, Respondent, v. Ralph Joseph CERNY, Appellant
• Court: Missouri Supreme Court

Page 804

286 S.W.2d 804

365 Mo. 732

STATE of Missouri, Respondent, v. Ralph Joseph CERNY, Appellant.

No. 44722.

Supreme Court of Missouri, Division No. 2.

Feb. 13, 1956.

Charles M. Shaw, Clayton, for appellant.

John M. Dalton, Atty. Gen., John W. Inglish, Asst. Atty. Gen., for respondent.

BOHLING, Commissioner.

Ralph Cerny appeals from an order, deemed a final judgment, overruling his motion to vacate or correct a judgment imposing a sentence of fifteen years imprisonment for burglary and larceny. 42 V.A.M.S. Supreme Court Rules 27.26, 28.03, 28.05. Our review is de novo. Rule 28.05. His conviction was affirmed in State v. Cerny, Mo., 248 S.W.2d 844.

The material portion of appellant's motion reads:

'Petition for Writ of Error Coram Nobis.

'Comes now the petitioner, Ralph J. Cerny, and respectfully prays this Honorable Court to sustain this petition for Writ of Error Coram Nobis, in the above entitled cause for the reason that new evidence, unknown to this Court, to the Prosecuting Attorney, to the petitioner and his attorney, has been discovered and obtained; said new evidence was not available at the time petitioner appeared before this Court for trial.

'Petitioner respectfully contends that said new evidence warrants that the judgment to be set aside and the sentence imposed thereunder be vacated. Petitioner will show that a gross miscarriage of justice had resulted in his conviction, and that the new evidence, pertinent to his cause, and indisputable and irrefutable, if it had all been known and available at the time petitioner was put on trial, a different and favorable verdict would have been rendered by the jury which heard petitioner's case.'

The above paragraphs are followed by a statement of appellant's conviction and sentence and, under a heading 'Authorities,' certain statements followed by citations; the statement that affidavits were attached to and made a part of the petition, and movant's signature and affidavit. The 'affidavits' attached to the motion are typewritten statements, in the form of questions and answers to the effect that James Lynch an another committed the offense, but these 'affidavits' are not signed and are not sworn to.

Supreme Court Rule 27.26, 42 V.A.M.S. p. 120, so far as material, reads (emphasis ours): 'A prisoner in custody under sentence and claiming a right to be released on the ground that such sentence was imposed in violation of the Constitution and laws of this State or the United States, or that the court imposing such sentence was without jurisdiction to do so, or that such sentence was in excess of the maximum sentence authorized by law or is otherwise subject to collateral attack, may file a motion at any time in the court which imposed such sentence to vacate, set aside or correct the same. Unless the motion and the files and records of the case show to the satisfaction of the court that the prisoner is entitled to no relief, the court shall cause notice thereof to be served on the prosecuting attorney, grant a prompt hearing thereon, determine the issues and make findings of fact and conclusions of law with respect thereto. If the court finds that the judgment was rendered without jurisdiction or that the sentence imposed was illegal or otherwise subject to collateral attack, or that there was such a denial or infringement of the constitutional rights of the prisoner as to render the judgment subject to collateral attack, the court shall vacate and set aside the judgment and shall discharge the prisoner or resentence him or grant a new trial or correct the sentence as may appear appropriate. * * *'

The above quoted portion of Rule 27.26 is in substance the same as similar provisions of 28 U.S.C.A. Sec. 2255, relating to judgments of the Federal courts. State v. Eaton, Mo., 280 S.W.2d 63, 65. Like principles are applicable to each.

The purpose of said Sec. 2255 was to minimize the defects encountered in habeas corpus proceedings instituted in the district court of the prisoner's confinement by providing a remedy for determining the legality of the detention in the court imposing the sentence where the issues could be presented more conveniently and expeditiously for determination. United States v. Hayman, 342 U.S. 205, 213, 219, 72 S.Ct. 263, 96 L.Ed. 232.

The remedy covers, broadly, situations where the sentence is 'open to collateral attack,' affording relief within the specified grounds equivalent to that accorded in a habeas corpus proceeding. United States v. Hayman, supra, 342 U.S. 205, 216-219, 72 S.Ct. 263, 96 L.Ed. 232. See generally, 4 Barron, Federal Practice and Procedure, Sec. 2306; Annotation, 20 A.L.R.2d 976.

Adams v. United States, 95 U.S.App.D.C. 354, 222 F.2d 45, 46, states: 'That section [2255] requires that a sentence be vacated when the court finds 'that the judgment was rendered without jurisdiction, or that the sentence imposed was not authorized by law or otherwise open to collateral attack, or that there has been such a denial or infringement of the constitutional rights of the prisoner as to render the judgment vulnerable to collateral attack'. As the Fourth Circuit has said--'Prisoners adjudged guilty of crime should understand that 28 U.S.C.A. Sec. 2255 does not give them the right to try over again the cases in which they have been adjudged guilty. Questions as to the sufficiency of the evidence or involving errors either of law or of fact must be raised by timely appeal from the sentence if the petitioner desires to raise them. Only where the sentence is void or otherwise subject to collateral attack may the attack be made by motion under 28 U.S.C.A. Sec. 2255, which was enacted to take the place of habeas corpus in such cases and was intended to confer no broader right of attack than might have been made in its absence by habeas corpus.' Taylor v. United States, 4 Cir., 1949, 177 F.2d 194, 195.' See, among others, Sanders v. United States, 5 Cir., 205 F.2d 399, 400; Pelley v. United States, 7 Cir., 214 F.2d 597, 598, certiorari denied 348 U.S. 915, 75 S.Ct. 296, 99 L.Ed. 718; United States v. Jonikas, 7 Cir., 197 F.2d 675, 676, certiorari denied 344 U.S. 877, 73 S.Ct. 171, 97 L.Ed. 679; Crow v. United States, 9 Cir., 186 F.2d 704, 706; Barnes v. Hunter, 10 Cir., 188 F.2d 86, 88, certiorari denied 342 U.S. 920, 72 S.Ct. 368, 96 L.Ed. 688; Kreuter v. United States, 10 Cir., 201 F.2d 33, 35.

Rule 27.26 affords a prisoner a convenient means for a direct attack on the judgment of conviction by motion in the original proceeding. The attack is governed by the general principles applicable to habeas corpus proceedings within the grounds specified in Rule 27.26, which lie only where the sentence is void or otherwise subject to collateral attack. Barnes v. Hunter, supra; Bloombaum v. United States, 4 Cir., 211 F.2d 944[1-3]; United States v. Walker, D.C., 132 F.Supp. 432, 436[4-7]; United States v. Kaplan, D.C., 101 F.Supp. 7[1, 2]; State v. Freedman, Mo., 282 S.W.2d 576, 580; State ex rel. Walker v. Dobson, 135 Mo. 1, 12, 36 S.W. 238, 240; State ex rel. Stewart v. Blair, 357 Mo. 287, 208 S.W.2d 268, 275.

Habeas corpus proceedings are, in nature, civil rather than criminal proceedings, State ex rel. Board of Education of St. Louis v. Nast, 209 Mo. 708, 731, 108 S.W. 563, 569; 39 C.J.S., Habeas Corpus, Sec. 1, p. 426; 25 Am.Jur. 151, Sec. 12, as are writs of error coram nobis, 24 C.J.S., Criminal Law, Sec. 1606, p. 143; 31 Am.Jur. 322, Sec. 799. A writ of habeas corpus, while a writ of right, is not a writ of course and properly issues only upon a showing of probable cause. Ex parte Tuvell, 301 Mo. 251, 256 S.W. 463; State ex rel. White v. Swink, 241 Mo.App. 1048, 256 S.W.2d 825, 832[12, 13]; Barrett v. Hunter, 10 Cir., 180 F.2d 510, 514, 20 A.L.R.2d 965. As to writs of error coram nobis, see State v. Wallace, 209 Mo. 358, 365, 108 S.W. 542, 543.

Appellant's motion failed to state any fact and the evidence adduced failed to establish any ground upon which the court could grant the relief prayed.

The facts essential to establish the illegality involved in the alleged ground for relief must be stated in the motion that the court in the words of Rule 27.26, may determine from an examination of 'the motion and the files and records of the case' if notice should be served on the prosecuting attorney and a hearing granted on the motion. A motion stating mere conclusions is insufficient. Ex parte Tuvell, supra; Tucker v. Kaiser, Mo., 176 S.W.2d 622, 623; Staee ex rel. Walker v. Dobson, 135 Mo. 1, 7 et seq., 36 S.W. 238, 239; United States v. Sturm, 7 Cir., 180 F.2d 413, certiorari denied 339 U.S. 986, 70 S.Ct. 1008, 94 L.Ed. 1388; United States v. Fleenor, 7 Cir., 177 F.2d 482; Walker v. United States, 7 Cir., 218 F.2d 80, 81[5, 6]; Yodock v. United States, D.C., 97 F.Supp. 307.

Groundless motions may be summarily disposed of, and trial courts may enter findings and conclusions of law to that effect. Consult Adams v. United States, 95 U.S.App.D.C. 354, 222 F.2d 45, 48, citing cases.

The gist of the appellant's motion is that 'new evidence' has been discovered. No allegation of the facts to be established by the new evidence are to be found in the motion and the statements therein to the effect that the new evidence would warrant setting aside the judgment and vacating the sentence et cetera are...