James Writesman v. Alabama Department of Corrections
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REL: 06/25/2010 Notice: T h i s o p i n i o n i s s u b j e c t t o f o r m a l r e v i s i o n b e f o r e p u b l i c a t i o n i n t h e advance s h e e t s o f Southern R e p o r t e r . R e a d e r s a r e r e q u e s t e d t o n o t i f y t h e R e p o r t e r o f D e c i s i o n s , A l a b a m a A p p e l l a t e C o u r t s , 300 D e x t e r A v e n u e , M o n t g o m e r y , A l a b a m a 3 6 1 0 4 - 3 7 4 1 ((334) 2 2 9 - 0 6 4 9 ) , o f a n y t y p o g r a p h i c a l o r o t h e r e r r o r s , i n o r d e r t h a t c o r r e c t i o n s may b e made b e f o r e t h e o p i n i o n i s p r i n t e d i n Southern R e p o r t e r . ALABAMA COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS OCTOBER TERM, 2009-2010 CR-09-0830 James W r i t e s m a n v. Alabama Department o f C o r r e c t i o n s Appeal MAIN, from E s c a m b i a C i r c u i t (CV-09-215) Court Judge. James W r i t e s m a n , Davis habeas Correctional corpus, an i n m a t e i n c a r c e r a t e d Facility, alleging a filed at Fountain/J.O. a petition miscalculation r e l e a s e d a t e b e c a u s e h e was n o t c r e d i t e d f o r a writ of o f h i s minimum f o r t h e time he spent CR-09-0830 in jail i n foreign states awaiting h i s return t o Alabama. A f t e r t h e A l a b a m a D e p a r t m e n t o f C o r r e c t i o n s ("DOC") r e s p o n d e d , the c i r c u i t c o u r t d i s m i s s e d Writesman's p e t i t i o n . This appeal followed. T h e r e c o r d i n d i c a t e s t h a t W r i t e s m a n was c o n v i c t e d o f f o u r counts of second-degree t h e f t of property concurrent terms of 18 years a n d was s e n t e n c e d t o w i t h 8 5 days of j a i l credit on each c o u n t : J e f f e r s o n County c a s e s numbered CC-198 9-2355, CC- 1989-2356, and a s t a r t date for CC-1989-2357, the sentences was p a r o l e d and CC-1989-2358, of October on O c t o b e r 2, the DOC work on December release captured and i n Tennessee on was n o t r e t u r n e d to report. on D e c e m b e r 21, 1996. September and p l a c e d I t further 1 1 2 , 1 9 9 2 , a n d was d e c l a r e d on M a r c h 1 5 , 1 9 9 3 , f o r f a i l u r e arrested 1989. injail 2000. i n Florida t o t h e DOC's shows He subsequently he e s c a p e d was he delinquent 14, 1996, a n d r e t u r n e d I t also 11, He was shows to from thereafter on S e p t e m b e r 2 8 , 2 0 0 1 , custody until January 17, 2002. We note Writesman i s s e r v i n g multiple sentences f o r multiple convictions. For purposes of sentence c a l c u l a t i o n , his concurrent sentences i n c a s e s numbered CC-1989-2355, CC-1989-2356, CC-1989-2357, a n d CC-1989-2358 c o n t r o l . See § 1 4 - 3 - 3 8 , A l a . Code 1975. 1 2 CR-09-0830 In credit was his petition, from Writesman December 14, 1996, incarcerated i n Tennessee c l a i m e d he and t o 3 months and from September 28, 2001, t o J a n u a r y prison in The petition. attached records In the Tennessee and F l o r i d a Mark and date of August Escambia and, Circuit Writesman's dismiss, i t s the DOC correctional was f o r the p e r i o d s of i n c a r c e r a t i o n i n t o Alabama and showed number o f d a y s o f " d e a d t i m e " as 12 d a y s ( 3 y e a r s , 2012. Facility Bruton, of 17, 2002, w h i l e i n dismiss to before h i s return 1 y e a r , 4 months, 18, to 15 d a y s which p r o v i d e d that Writesman f o r the t o t a l 1 month, Correctional of t o any c r e d i t moved i t s motion director, plus The DOC of affidavit the c a l c u l a t i o n 5 years, support assistant not e n t i t l e d 2 of t o D e c e m b e r 2 1 , 1 9 9 6 , w h i l e he credit Florida. i s owed 7 d a y s 9 months, 6 days), with (C. 23-25.) Court i s located where was and a minimum 6 days release 3 Fountain/J.O. the proper Davis venue We n o t e t h a t o u r c a l c u l a t i o n s show t h a t he w o u l d e n t i t l e d t o 3 months and 20 d a y s c r e d i t f o r h i s p e r i o d incarceration i n Florida. 2 for be of I n i t s b r i e f t o t h i s C o u r t , t h e DOC a p p e a r s t o c o n c e d e t h a t Writesman i s e n t i t l e d t o seven days of c r e d i t f o r the t i m e he was i n c a r c e r a t e d i n T e n n e s s e e . However, t h e DOC fails to address h i s i n c a r c e r a t i o n p e r i o d i n F l o r i d a before h i s r e t u r n t o Alabama. 3 3 CR-09-0830 Writesman's authority petition to issue Culbreth, 966 jurisdiction court's f o r habeas a writ So. 2d o f habeas 910 of h i s p e t i t i o n shall misdemeanors, have exclusive ... h a b e a s all post-conviction for a writ Court of the has circuit o f habeas o f t h e t i m e he m u s t corpus serve i n must Corr., 975 serve amendment e f f e c t i v e 398 cases."). i s t h e p r o p e r method has c o r r e c t l y i n prison. So. 2d jurisdiction and a l l f e l o n i e s , i n criminal corpus t h e DOC appellate corpus writs of habeas whether inmate 1975, See Ex p a r t e This appeal f o r a writ i t had the S e e § 1 2 - 3 - 9 , A l a . C o d e 1 9 7 5 ("The C o u r t o f C r i m i n a l Appeals test corpus. t o c o n s i d e r Writesman's denial and ( A l a . 200 6 ) . c h a l l e n g i n g t h e DOC's c a l c u l a t i o n prison. corpus, See A u s t i n ( A l a . Crim. September calculated App. including A petition by which t o the time v. Alabama 2007 ) . ofa l l an Dep't o f Before an 1, 1 9 9 9 , § 1 5 - 2 2 - 3 2 , A l a . C o d e stated: "Whenever t h e r e i s r e a s o n a b l e cause t o b e l i e v e t h a t a p r i s o n e r who h a s b e e n p a r o l e d has v i o l a t e d h i s p a r o l e , t h e B o a r d o f Pardons and P a r o l e s , a t i t s n e x t m e e t i n g , s h a l l d e c l a r e s u c h p r i s o n e r t o b e d e l i n q u e n t , a n d t i m e owed s h a l l d a t e f r o m s u c h d e l i n q u e n c y . The w a r d e n o f each p r i s o n s h a l l promptly n o t i f y t h e board o f the r e t u r n of a p a r o l e d p r i s o n e r charged w i t h violation of h i s parole. Thereupon, such b o a r d , o r a s i n g l e member o f s u c h b o a r d , s h a l l , 4 CR-09-0830 as s o o n a s p r a c t i c a b l e , h o l d a p a r o l e c o u r t a t s u c h p r i s o n o r a t s u c h o t h e r p l a c e a s i t may determine and c o n s i d e r t h e case o f such p a r o l e v i o l a t o r , who s h a l l b e g i v e n a n o p p o r t u n i t y t o appear p e r s o n a l l y o r by c o u n s e l before such board and produce w i t n e s s e s and e x p l a i n t h e c h a r g e s made a g a i n s t h i m . The b o a r d shall, w i t h i n a r e a s o n a b l e t i m e , a c t upon s u c h c h a r g e s a n d may, i f i t s e e s f i t , r e q u i r e s u c h p r i s o n e r to serve out i n p r i s o n t h e balance o f t h e term for which he was originally sentenced, c a l c u l a t e d from the date of delinquency or such p a r t t h e r e o f a s i t may d e t e r m i n e ; h o w e v e r , t h e delinquent parolee shall be deemed t o h a v e begun serving the balance of the time so required on t h e d a t e o f h i s r e a r r e s t as a delinquent parolee." (Emphasis The 1, added.) legislature 1999, t o p r o v i d e , amended § 15-22-32, i n pertinent part, effective as September follows: "(a) Whenever t h e r e i s reasonable cause t o b e l i e v e t h a t a p r i s o n e r who h a s b e e n p a r o l e d h a s v i o l a t e d h i s or h e r p a r o l e , t h e Board o f Pardons and Paroles, a t i t s next meeting, shall declare the p r i s o n e r t o b e d e l i n q u e n t , a n d t i m e owed s h a l l d a t e from the delinquency. The w a r d e n o f e a c h p r i s o n s h a l l promptly n o t i f y the board of the return of a paroled p r i s o n e r charged with v i o l a t i o n of h i s or her p a r o l e . T h e r e u p o n , t h e b o a r d , a s i n g l e member of t h e board, a p a r o l e r e v o c a t i o n h e a r i n g officer, or a d e s i g n a t e d p a r o l e o f f i c e r s h a l l , as soon as practicable, hold a parole court at the prison or at a n o t h e r p l a c e a s i t may d e t e r m i n e a n d c o n s i d e r t h e c a s e o f t h e p a r o l e v i o l a t o r , who s h a l l b e g i v e n a n opportunity t o appear p e r s o n a l l y o r by counsel b e f o r e t h e board or t h e p a r o l e c o u r t and produce w i t n e s s e s a n d e x p l a i n t h e c h a r g e s made a g a i n s t h i m or her. The b o a r d member, p a r o l e r e v o c a t i o n h e a r i n g 5 CR-09-0830 o f f i c e r , o r a d e s i g n a t e d p a r o l e o f f i c e r , a c t i n g as a parole court, s h a l l , within a reasonable time, conduct the p a r o l e r e v o c a t i o n h e a r i n g to determine g u i l t o r i n n o c e n c e o f t h e c h a r g e s a n d may r e c o m m e n d to the board r e v o c a t i o n or r e i n s t a t e m e n t of p a r o l e . U p o n r e v o c a t i o n o f p a r o l e , t h e b o a r d may r e q u i r e t h e p r i s o n e r to serve out i n p r i s o n the b a l a n c e of the t e r m f o r w h i c h he o r s h e was o r i g i n a l l y sentenced, c a l c u l a t e d from the date of d e l i n q u e n c y or the p a r t t h e r e o f a s i t may d e t e r m i n e . The d e l i n q u e n t p a r o l e e s h a l l be d e e m e d t o h a v e b e g u n s e r v i n g t h e b a l a n c e o f t h e t i m e r e q u i r e d on t h e d a t e o f h i s o r h e r r e a r r e s t as a d e l i n q u e n t p a r o l e e . " (Emphasis added.) C r i m . App. 2009) the DOC the on Likewise, (addressing a similar seven days between t h e d a t e he was he was entitled "dead as date he and that sentence. Accordingly, we judgment and remand t h i s case 3d 43 (Ala. holding that time"). entitled was to credit imprisoned r e t u r n e d t o t h e DOC t h e d a t e he was cannot be reverse in i n Alabama. f o r time between the T h e r e f o r e , t h e DOC "dead t i m e " this time the So. c l a i m and as to c r e d i t incarcerated in Florida Alabama a u t h o r i t i e s . this T h o m a s , 13 t h e f o r e g o i n g , W r i t e s m a n was T e n n e s s e e and he was S u n d b e r g v. i m p r o p e r l y designated time Based for See date returned to improperly designated credited the for proceedings against his circuit court's consistent with opinion. R E V E R S E D AND REMANDED. W i s e , P . J . , and W e l c h , Windom, and K e l l u m , J J . , c o n c u r . 6
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