Case Title: Sims v. Smith

Citation: 571 P.2d 586

Docket Number: 

State: utah

Court: Utah Supreme Court

Date: 1977-10-26T00:00:00Z

Document:
571 P.2d 586 (1977) Loren Craig SIMS, Plaintiff and Appellant, v. Samuel W. SMITH, Warden, Utah State Prison, Defendant and Respondent. No. 15253. Supreme Court of Utah. October 26, 1977. *587 Bruce C. Lubeck, of Salt Lake Legal Defender Assn., Salt Lake City, for plaintiff and appellant. Robert B. Hansen, Atty. Gen., William W. Barrett, Asst. Atty. Gen., Salt Lake City, for defendant and respondent. ELLETT, Chief Justice: Mr. Sims appeals from a denial of his petition for a writ of habeas corpus. He was convicted in 1971 of the crime of murder in the first degree with a recommendation of leniency and was sentenced pursuant to statute to life imprisonment.[1] The basis for this appeal is the claim that the case of Furman v. Georgia[2] invalidated the penalty set forth by our statute (Note 1 supra) and since there is no penalty for the crime of murder in the first degree, his incarceration is unlawful and he must be set free. Mr. Sims relies on the case of State v. Winkle[3] for his position. That was a case where the trial court failed to allow the jury to consider the matter of a recommendation of leniency, and this Court reversed, saying: The above case squarely holds against the position taken by Mr. Sims. Even if it be assumed that the death penalty is held unconstitutional by Furman (which it now appears from subsequent cases that it does not[4]), Mr. Sims cannot challenge the statute since he received a recommendation of leniency from the jury and did not receive the death penalty. The law of this state was set forth in the case of Pride Club v. State[5] as follows: The trial court properly denied the petition, and we affirm its ruling. No costs are awarded. CROCKETT, J., concurs. WILKINS and MAUGHAN, JJ., and HENRIOD, J., Retired, concur in result. HALL, J., having disqualified himself, does not participate herein. [1] U.C.A. 1953, 76-30-4. [2] 408 U.S. 238, 92 S. Ct. 2726, 33 L. Ed. 2d 346 (1972). [3] Utah, 528 P.2d 467 (1974), reh. Utah, 535 P.2d 82 (1975). [4] Gregg v. Georgia, 428 U.S. 153, 96 S. Ct. 2909, 49 L. Ed. 2d 859 (1976); Proffit v. Florida, 428 U.S. 242, 96 S. Ct. 2960, 49 L. Ed. 2d 913 (1976); Jurek v. Texas, 428 U.S. 262, 96 S. Ct. 2950, 49 L. Ed. 2d 929 (1976). [5] 25 Utah 2d 333, 481 P.2d 669 (1971).