Title: Caldwell v. State
Citation: 564 So. 2d 1371
Docket Number: 07-KA-59441
State: Mississippi
Issuer: Mississippi Supreme Court
Date: May 16, 1990

564 So. 2d 1371 (1990) Harvey CALDWELL, Jr. v. STATE of Mississippi. No. 07-KA-59441. Supreme Court of Mississippi. May 16, 1990. Rehearing Denied August 15, 1990. Roy J. Perilloux, Kenneth S. Womack, Jackson, for appellant. Mike C. Moore, Atty. Gen., Wayne M. Snuggs, Asst. Atty. Gen., Jackson, for appellee. Before DAN M. LEE, P.J., and SULLIVAN and ANDERSON, JJ. DAN M. LEE, Presiding Justice, for the Court: Harvey Caldwell, Jr. pleaded guilty to burglary in 1979. His 1988 Petition for Expungement was denied by the sentencing court. He appeals from that denial, asking this Court to enunciate the power of a Circuit Court to expunge a criminal record. There is a statute granting Circuit Courts the power to expunge criminal records resulting from guilty pleas if certain conditions are met. A thorough reading of that statute, along with the record in this case, reveals no error; accordingly, we affirm. On September 25, 1979, twenty-two (22) year old Harry Caldwell, Jr. [Caldwell] was indicted by a Rankin County Grand Jury for burglary of a drugstore pursuant to § 97-17-33 Miss. Code Ann. Caldwell pleaded guilty on October 9, 1979. On November 2, 1979, Caldwell was sentenced by the Rankin County Circuit Court to a term of seven (7) years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, suspended, five (5) years probation, ordered to make restitution and perform public service work for the city of Pearl, Mississippi, each Saturday for six (6) months. A Petition for Termination of Probation was filed with the Rankin County Circuit Clerk on November 2, 1984. An Order terminating Caldwell's probation was entered November 2, 1984. Caldwell filed a Petition for Expungement of Criminal Record with the Circuit Clerk of Rankin County on August 1, 1988. The Petition requested the court to enter an Order requiring the following: On August 11, 1988, the Circuit Court of Rankin County entered its Order denying the Petition. The Order reads: Caldwell filed his Notice of Appeal September 9, 1988. Records of criminal offenses are kept pursuant to statute: The legislature of Mississippi has specifically authorized expungement of criminal offender records in limited cases: youth court cases §§ 43-21-159 and 43-21-265; first offense misdemeanor convictions occurring prior to age 23, § 99-19-71; and drug possession convictions occurring prior to age 26, § 41-29-150; purchase of alcoholic beverages by one under age 21, § 67-3-70; municipal court convictions, § 21-23-7. Expungement of felony convictions which arose pursuant to guilty pleas are governed by § 99-15-57, which became effective March 20, 1986. That section reads: (emphasis added). Section 99-15-26 reads: (emphasis added). Under the immediately preceding statutes, a circuit court has the power to expunge a felony conviction pursuant to a guilty plea under certain conditions. Accordingly, we find that the Circuit Court of Rankin County had the power to order the expungement of Caldwell's record if, after hearing, the court found that Caldwell met the conditions set forth in those sections. Caldwell might have been eligible for relief pursuant to §§ 99-15-57 and 99-15-26 if his guilty plea had occurred on or after October 1, 1982, that being the earliest date to satisfy the within six (6) months immediately prior to March 31, 1983, requirement of § 95-15-57. However, Caldwell pleaded guilty to the felony of burglary on October 9, 1979, three (3) years prior to October 1, 1982. Additionally, Caldwell admits that he does not fall within the criterion in any of the foregoing statutes authorizing expungement. Upon a careful review of the facts presented, in light of the provisions of §§ 99-15-57 and 99-15-26 and Caldwell's admission, we find that the trial court did not err in denying Caldwell's petition for expungement and therefore, this assignment is without merit. Caldwell presents as his second assignment of error "Whether the Denial of Expungement to the Petitioner Violates His Right to Equal Protection Under the Fourteenth Amendment." However, Caldwell *1374 presents no authority or argument on this assignment, saying only "that there is no rational basis for this unequal treatment and the petitioner should therefore be granted his expungement." Accordingly, we find this assignment to be without merit. See Miss.Sup.Ct.Rule 28(a); Read v. Southern Pine Elec. Power Ass'n., 515 So. 2d 916 (Miss. 1987); Brown v. State, 534 So. 2d 1019 (Miss. 1988). The August 9, 1988 Order of the Circuit Court of Rankin County denying Caldwell's Petition for Expungement is affirmed. AFFIRMED. ROY NOBLE LEE, C.J., HAWKINS, P.J., and PRATHER, ROBERTSON, SULLIVAN, ANDERSON, PITTMAN and BLASS, JJ., concur.