Case Name: PEOPLE v. CROSS
Court: Michigan Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Michigan
Decision Date: 1971-11-09
Citations: 386 Mich. 237
Docket Number: No. 52; Docket No. 53,284
Parties: PEOPLE v. CROSS
Judges: T. M. Kavanagh, C. J., and Adams, T. G. Kavanagh, and Williams, JJ., concurred.
Reporter: Michigan Reports
Volume: 386
Pages: 237–243

Head Matter:
PEOPLE v. CROSS
Opinion of the Court
1. Majority opinion of People v. Cross (1971), 30 Mich App 326, adopted, see headnotes 1 through 13 in that case.
Dissenting Opinion
Black, T. E. Brennan, and Swainson, JJ.
2. Constitutional Law—Appeal and Error—Criminal Law—Appeal of Right—Time Limit.
Michigan, in the absence of any overriding decision of the United States Supreme Court, is free to set, as it has done, a fair time limit upon each and every constitutionally provided appeal as a matter of right (Const 1963, art 1, § %0).
3. Criminal Law—Appeal and Error—Transcripts—Records of Case—Appeal of Right—Delayed Appeal.
Defendant, having not complied with the General Court Buies nor having cited any case in the United States Supreme Court directly in point requiring the state to furnish transcripts and records to a convicted defendant, was not entitled to free copies of the circuit court records of his case where he filed his petition for free records 90 days after sentencing, but failed to show that the delay in filing was not due to his culpable negligence and failed to show that he had a meritorious basis for either post-conviction motions or an appeal when he had been informed by the trial court at sentencing of his constitutional right to appellate review, free counsel and records to perfect such appeal if indigent, that such petition must be filed within 60 days to be timely and failure to timely file would result in loss of the right to timely appeal, free counsel and records, which rights defendant stated he understood.
References for Points in Headnotes
1] (no reference)
2, 6] 4 Am Jur 2d, Appeal and Error § 292 et seq.
3, 5, 7] 21 Am Jur 2d, Criminal Law § 233.
4] 14 Am Jur 2d, Certiorari § 75.
4. Certiorari—Dental—Merits op Case.
Denial of certiorari by the United States Supreme Court imports no expression of opinion upon the merits of the case.
5. Criminal Law-—Indigent Convict—Records op Case—Public Expense.
Until the Michigan Supreme Court is told otherwise, there is no good reason why it should decree that a procrastinating indigent convict may, without design of exposition aimed either at the merits or proffer of excuse for delay, receive at public expense the free delivery of copies of records pertaining to his conviction.
6. Appeal and Error—Delated Appeal—Indigent Appellant.
The rich must resort to the court rule concerning delayed appeal for relief after having failed to review on time and so must the indigent; the only obligation of the Michigan Supreme Court is to see that both are treated alike without regard for the availability of cash (GCR 1963, 806.2 et seq.J.
7. Criminal Law—Constitutional Law—Indigent Dependants— Records op Case—Delated Appeal—Merit in Appeal—Lack op Culpable Negligence.
A defendant alleging indigency was denied no constitutional right by the denial of his delayed petition for free circuit court records of his case for he, no more than the dallying millionaire, may put public officers and. employees to work preparing copies of those records solely for his whim as both must show merit and no culpable negligence as required by court rules (GCR 1963, 806.3, 806.4).
Appeal from Court of Appeals, Division 2, Lesinski, C. J., and Holbrook and T. M. Burns, JJ., granting superintending control over Genesee, Elza H. Papp, J.
Submitted September 17, 1971.
(No. 52
June Term 1971,
Docket No. 53,284.)
Decided November 9, 1971.
30 Mich App 326 affirmed.
Everett Y. Cross was convicted, on Ms plea of guilty, of unlawfully driving away an automoMle. Defendant’s motion for free records of the case and free transcripts of his trial to perfect a delayed appeal denied. Defendant filed a complaint for writ of habeas corpus in the Court of Appeals. Defendant’s complaint treated as a complaint for a writ of superintending control ordering the granting of free records and transcripts. Superintending control granted. The people appeal.
Affirmed.
Frank J. Kelley, Attorney General, Robert A. Derengoski, Solicitor General, Robert F. Leonard, Prosecuting Attorney, and Donald A. Kuebler, Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, for the people.
Everett Y. Cross, in propria persona.

Opinion:
Per Curiam.
We hereby adopt the opinion of Chief Judge Lesinski in this case (reported at 30 Mich App 326, 330-347 [1971]) as the opinion of this Court.
Affirmed.
T. M. Kavanagh, C. J., and Adams, T. G. Kavanagh, and Williams, JJ., concurred.