Title: Bowman v. Washington (order)

State: virginia

Issuer: Virginia Supreme Court

Document:

VIRGINIA: 
 
 
In the Supreme Court of Virginia held at the Supreme Court 
Building in the City of Richmond, on Friday, the 3rd day of 
December 2004. 
 
Alexander F. Bowman, 
 
 
 
 
Appellant, 
 
  against  
 
Record No. 040213 
 
 
 
 
Circuit Court No. CL03000360 
 
Gerald K. Washington, Warden, 
 
 
 
Appellee. 
 
 
 
 
Upon an appeal from a judgment rendered by the Circuit 
Court of Stafford County. 
 
 
 
Upon consideration of the record, the briefs, and the argument 
of counsel, the Court is of opinion that there is merit in the 
petitioner’s procedural argument. 
 
The petition for a writ of habeas corpus alleged that 
petitioner was denied the effective assistance of counsel for 
several reasons, including that his counsel was ineffective for 
failing to file a timely petition for appeal to the Court of 
Appeals.  The petition also alleged various other errors. 
 
In his "Memorandum in Opposition to Motion to Dismiss" filed in 
the circuit court, the petitioner asked the circuit court to allow 
him to file a belated appeal to the Court of Appeals, and to dismiss 
his remaining claims without prejudice. The warden agreed that the 
petitioner through no fault of his own was denied his right of 
appeal to the Court of Appeals, but requested that the petitioner's 
 
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remaining claims be dismissed with prejudice. The circuit court 
entered a final order directing the Commonwealth to request that the 
Court of Appeals grant petitioner leave to pursue a belated appeal 
from his criminal conviction in the circuit court.  However, the 
circuit court also dismissed the petitioner’s remaining claims with 
prejudice. 
 
The circuit court’s dismissal of these remaining claims with 
prejudice was an abuse of the court’s discretion.  Although Code 
§ 8.01-654 bars a petitioner from raising new claims in a subsequent 
petition for habeas corpus, Dorsey v. Angelone, 261 Va. 601, 604, 
544 S.E.2d 350, 352 (2001), the statute does not prevent a 
petitioner from reasserting claims that have been dismissed without 
prejudice in a prior proceeding.  See Daniels v. Warden, 266 Va. 
399, 403, 588 S.E.2d 382, 384 (2003).  Had the circuit court granted 
the petitioner’s request to have his remaining claims dismissed 
without prejudice, he would have been able to pursue and conclude 
his direct appeal and obtain any appropriate relief before 
litigating the merits of his collateral action. 
 
Accordingly, the part of the circuit court’s order addressing 
the petitioner’s belated appeal to the Court of Appeals is affirmed, 
and the part of the circuit court’s order dismissing the 
petitioner’s remaining claims with prejudice is reversed.  The cause 
is remanded to the circuit court for entry of an order dismissing 
the petitioner’s remaining habeas corpus claims without prejudice. 
 
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It is ordered that the Circuit Court of Stafford County allow 
counsel for the appellant a fee of $725 for services rendered the 
appellant on this appeal, in addition to counsel’s costs and 
necessary direct out-of-pocket expenses. 
 
This order shall be certified to the Circuit Court of Stafford 
County and shall be published in the Virginia Reports. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A Copy, 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Teste: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Patricia H. Kreuger, Clerk