Case Title: Kearse v. Paulk

Citation: 264 Ga. 509

Docket Number: S94A0965

State: georgia

Court: Georgia Supreme Court

Date: 1994-10-03T00:00:00Z

Document:
264 Ga. 509 (1994) KEARSE v. PAULK. S94A0965. Supreme Court of Georgia. Decided October 3, 1994. James Kearse, pro se. H. Lamar Cole, District Attorney, J. David Miller, Bradford M. Shealy, Assistant District Attorneys, for appellee. CARLEY, Justice. After appellant had been indicted for several offenses, but prior to his trial, he filed a pro se petition for habeas corpus. The habeas court dismissed appellant's petition and he appeals. "A writ of habeas corpus looks only to the lawfulness of the present confinement. It does not deal with the lawfulness of a possible future imprisonment.... [Cit.]' [Cits.]" Mullennix v. Balkcom, 213 Ga. 490 (99 SE2d 832) (1957), overruled on other grounds, Hollis v. Allen, 235 Ga. 211 (219 SE2d 108) (1975). In his pro se petition, appellant did not purport to state a claim for habeas corpus relief based upon the asserted illegality of his current pre-trial detention, but alleged *510 only that his counsel's current representation pending trial has not been effective. Harris v. Whittle, 190 Ga. 850 (1) (10 SE2d 926) (1940). Jackson v. Lowry, 170 Ga. 755, 756-757 (154 SE 228) (1930). It follows that the habeas court correctly dismissed appellant's petition for pre-trial habeas corpus relief. Judgment affirmed. All the Justices concur.