Title: Specht v. Tinsley
Citation: 385 P.2d 423
Docket Number: 20703
State: Colorado
Issuer: Colorado Supreme Court
Date: September 30, 1963

385 P.2d 423 (1963) Francis Eddie SPECHT, Plaintiff in Error, v. Harry C. TINSLEY, Warden of the Colorado State Penitentiary, Defendant in Error. No. 20703. Supreme Court of Colorado, En Banc. September 30, 1963. Francis Eddie Specht, pro se. Duke W. Dunbar, Atty. Gen., Frank E. Hickey, Deputy Atty. Gen., John E. Bush, Asst. Atty. Gen., Denver, for defendant in error. *424 McWILLIAMS, Justice. In his petition for a writ of habeas corpus Specht alleged that he was being "illegally and unlawfully detained by respondent [Tinsley] at the Colorado State Penitentiary * * * in violation of his rights pursuant to the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of Colorado" and sought issuance of the writ on the following grounds: At the outset it should be noted that C.R. S. '53, 65-1-1 provides inter alia that "[t]he court or judge to whom the application is made shall forthwith award the writ of habeas corpus, unless it shall appear from the petition itself, or from the documents annexed, that the party can neither be discharged nor admitted to bail, nor in any other manner relieved." Here, however, the trial court in the first instance neither issued the writ nor denied the issuance thereof, but rather chose to order the respondent, Warden Tinsley, to show cause "why a writ of Habeas Corpus should not issue." In due time the respondent in response to the order to show cause filed an answer and the petitioner a reply thereto, whereupon the trial court then denied the petition and refused to issue the writ. By writ of error Specht now seeks reversal of the judgment. Habeas corpus is not intended to take the place of review by writ of error, and the fact that one may be improperly or unlawfully confined "for any criminal or supposed criminal matter" does not, ipso facto, entitle him to be "discharged" or "admitted to bail" or in "any other manner relieved" through the use of habeas corpus. In Colorado, habeas corpus historically has been available to one who has been committed in a criminal proceeding only when one or more of the following situations exist: See Lowe v. People, 139 Colo. 578, 342 P.2d 631; Freeman v. Tinsley, 135 Colo. 62, 308 P.2d 220 and Stilley v. Tinsley, Colo., 385 P.2d 677. Applying this test to the instant case, it is clear that Specht in a habeas corpus proceeding may not successfully raise the procedural issue that he was not sentenced in conformity with C.R.S. '53, 39-19-5, in that he was not "arraigned" under that statute prior to sentence. Disregarding the fact that this alleged procedural defect may not be raised by habeas corpus, the contention itself is deemed to be without merit. The record affirmatively discloses that Specht, along with his counsel, was present in open court when sentence was imposed and such is compliance with the statutory requirement that he be "arraigned" at the time of sentence under C.R.S. '53, 39-19-1, et seq. We deem it unnecessary to comment on certain other procedural errors allegedly committed by the trial court in its handling of this matter, none of which would in anywise justify the granting of the relief prayed for in the petition. Rather, the remaining and overriding issue posed by this writ of error concerns the constitutionality of C.R.S. '53, 39-19-1, et seq. pertaining to the sentencing of so-called sex offenders. Specht contends that C.R.S. '53, 39-19-1, et seq. is unconstitutional and therefore the sentence imposed was not within the statutory limits prescribed in C.R.S. '53, 40-2-32, i. e. not more than ten years in the state penitentiary. Specht's several contentions pertaining to the alleged unconstitutionality of this statute have heretofore been considered and rejected by this Court. See Trueblood v. Tinsley, 148 Colo. 503, 366 P.2d 655, where this very statute was held to be constitutional. Specht argues, however, that Trueblood v. Tinsley, supra, is "erroneous" in that it "misconstrues" certain of the cases cited therein. Suffice it to say that we adhere to our holding in the Trueblood case and conclude that C.R.S. '53, 39-19-1, et seq. is not subject to the several constitutional infirmities suggested by Specht. Such being the situation, the trial court under the circumstances committed no error in refusing to issue the writ and denying the petition. Judgment affirmed.