Case Title: State v. Westbrook

Citation: 191 S.E.2d 68, 281 N.C. 748

Docket Number: 

State: north-carolina

Court: North Carolina Supreme Court

Date: 1972-08-31T00:00:00Z

Document:
191 S.E.2d 68 (1972) 281 N.C. 748 STATE of North Carolina v. James Nathaniel WESTBROOK, Jr. No. 130. Supreme Court of North Carolina. August 31, 1972. HUSKINS, Justice: At the 2 November 1970 Criminal Session of the Superior Court of Mecklenburg County defendant was tried and convicted of the crime of murder in the first degree and sentenced to death. Upon defendant's appeal this Court found no error in the verdict and judgment of the superior court. State v. Westbrook, 279 N.C. 18, 181 S.E.2d 572 (1971). Defendant then filed a petition for writ of certiorari to the Supreme Court of the United States, and on 29 July 1972 this Court received from the Supreme Court of the United States the following mandate: The opinion in Stewart v. Massachusetts, referred to in the foregoing mandate, is as follows: "Per Curiam. The appellant in this case was sentenced to death. The imposition and carrying out of that death penalty constitutes cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments. Furman v. Georgia, 408 U.S. 238, 92 S. Ct. 2726, 33 L. Ed. 2d 346 (1972). The motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis is granted. The judgment is therefore vacated insofar as it leaves undisturbed the death penalty imposed, and the case is remanded for further proceedings." *70 Pursuant to the foregoing mandate of the Supreme Court of the United States vacating the death penalty imposed upon defendant, this cause is remanded to the Superior Court of Mecklenburg County with directions to proceed as follows: 1. The presiding judge of the Superior Court of Mecklenburg County will cause to be served on the defendant, James Nathaniel Westbrook, Jr., and on his attorneys of record, notice to appear during a session of said superior court at a designated time, not less than ten days from the date of the order, at which time, in open court, the defendant, being present in person and being represented by his attorneys, the presiding judge, based on the verdict of guilty of murder in the first degree returned by the jury at the trial at the 2 November 1970 Criminal Session, will pronounce judgment that defendant be imprisoned for life in the State's prison. 2. The presiding judge of the Superior Court of Mecklenburg County will issue a writ of habeas corpus to the official having custody of the defendant, James Nathaniel Westbrook, Jr., to produce him in open court at the time and for the purpose of being present when the judgment imposing life imprisonment is pronounced. The foregoing accords with our previous orders entered in the following cases: State v. Hill, 279 N.C. 371, 183 S.E.2d 97; State v. Atkinson, 279 N.C. 385, 183 S.E.2d 105; State v. Atkinson, 279 N.C. 386, 183 S.E.2d 106; State v. Williams, 279 N.C. 388, 183 S.E.2d 106; State v. Sanders, 279 N.C. 389, 183 S.E.2d 107; State v. Roseboro, 279 N.C. 391, 183 S.E.2d 108 (1971); State v. Childs, 280 N.C. 576, 187 S.E.2d 78 (1972). Remanded for judgment.