Carl Brad Ward v. State of Alabama

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REL: 07/29/11 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 be 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, 2010-2011 CR-08-1131 Carl Brad Ward v. S t a t e o f Alabama Appeal from Lawrence C i r c u i t C o u r t (CC-91-105.63) On Remand f r o m KELLUM, t h e A l a b a m a Supreme Court Judge. The a p p e l l a n t , C a r l B r a d Ward, a p p e a l e d f r o m t h e c i r c u i t court's denial of h i s p e t i t i o n f o rpostconviction r e l i e f filed p u r s u a n t t o R u l e 32, A l a . R. C r i m . P., i n w h i c h he c h a l l e n g e d his 1 9 9 1 c o n v i c t i o n f o r murder and t h e r e s u l t i n g sentence o f CR-08-1131 life imprisonment. discovered Specifically, that newly that e x c l u d e d h i m as a p e r s o n who h a d h a n d l e d a c i g a r e t t e b u t t that been used f a c t s -- r e p o r t s alleged of forensic tests had material Ward at t r i a l to link him t o the crime r e q u i r e d t h a t h i s c o n v i c t i o n be v a c a t e d . by unpublished memorandum, d e n y i n g Ward's p e t i t i o n t h a t Ward f a i l e d discovered insufficiently (Ala. t o meet s e v e r a l circuit affirmed, court's judgment o f the c r i t e r i a under P., t o w a r r a n t evidence pleaded. C r i m . App. This Court -¬ f o r p o s t c o n v i c t i o n r e l i e f on t h e b a s i s 3 2 . 1 ( e ) , A l a . R. C r i m . newly the scene and that Rule r e l i e f on a c l a i m o f Ward's See Ward v . S t a t e , petition was 57 So. 3d 210 2009)(table). Ward p e t i t i o n e d t h e A l a b a m a Supreme C o u r t f o r c e r t i o r a r i review, arguing, burden of p l e a d i n g that order among things, newly d i s c o v e r e d he was e n t i t l e d to satisfy other he h a d met h i s material facts, an o p p o r t u n i t y h i s burden that to present of proof. The and thus, evidence i n Supreme Court g r a n t e d c e r t i o r a r i r e v i e w , a n d on J u n e 3, 2 0 1 1 , r e v e r s e d Court's judgment, h o l d i n g a claim entitled t h a t Ward h a d s u f f i c i e n t l y o f newly d i s c o v e r e d t o an o p p o r t u n i t y material f a c t s and t h a t this pleaded he was t o prove h i s a l l e g a t i o n s i n l i g h t 2 CR-08-1131 of t h e newly d i s c o v e r e d butt f o r e n s i c t e s t r e s u l t s on t h e c i g a r e t t e f o u n d a t t h e c r i m e s c e n e . Ex p a r t e June 3, 2011] So. 3d , Ward, [Ms. 1090132, ( A l a . 2011) . I n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h t h e Supreme C o u r t ' s o p i n i o n , we remand this case t o t h e c i r c u i t evidentiary hearing court f o rthat court on Ward's a l l e g a t i o n o f n e w l y e v i d e n c e . I n l i e u o f an e v i d e n t i a r y h e a r i n g , may t a k e e v i d e n c e b y a f f i d a v i t s , depositions, t o c o n d u c t an as p r o v i d e d discovered the c i r c u i t court written interrogatories, or i n R u l e 32.9, A l a . R. C r i m . P. A f t e r r e c e i v i n g and c o n s i d e r i n g t h e e v i d e n c e p r e s e n t e d , t h e c i r c u i t court s h a l l issue s p e c i f i c written findings of fact regarding Ward's c l a i m i n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h R u l e 3 2 . 9 ( d ) , A l a . R. C r i m . P. The c i r c u i t c o u r t s h a l l t a k e a l l n e c e s s a r y a c t i o n t o s e e t h a t t h e c i r c u i t c l e r k makes due r e t u r n t o t h i s earliest possible this opinion. of t i m e a n d w i t h i n 56 d a y s o f t h e r e l e a s e o f The r e t u r n t o remand s h a l l i n c l u d e a t r a n s c r i p t t h e remand p r o c e e d i n g s together with Court a t the conducted the c i r c u i t court's REMANDED WITH by t h e c i r c u i t court, written findings of fact. INSTRUCTIONS. W e l c h , P . J . , a n d Windom, B u r k e , a n d J o i n e r , J J . , c o n c u r . 3

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