Opinion ID: 1711340
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: does double jeopardy apply?

Text: ¶ 8. The double jeopardy clause of the United States Constitution, found in the fifth amendment, provides: nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb.... The Mississippi Constitution, Article 3, § 22, provides likewise: no person's life or liberty shall be twice placed in jeopardy for the same offense; but there must be an actual acquittal or conviction on the merits to bar another prosecution. Gray v. State, 605 So.2d 791, 792 n. 1 (Miss.1992). The three primary purposes of the Double Jeopardy Clause are that (1) it protects against a second prosecution for the same offense after an acquittal, (2) it protects against a second prosecution for the same offense after a conviction, and (3) it protects against multiple punishments for the same offense. Ohio v. Johnson, 467 U.S. 493, 498, 104 S.Ct. 2536, 2540, 81 L.Ed.2d 425 (1984); Whalen v. United States, 445 U.S. 684, 100 S.Ct. 1432, 63 L.Ed.2d 715 (1980); North Carolina v. Pearce, 395 U.S. 711, 717-18, 89 S.Ct. 2072, 2076-77, 23 L.Ed.2d 656, 664-65 (1969). ¶ 9. The fact that the defendant pled guilty to the charge does not waive his double jeopardy claim. Menna v. New York, 423 U.S. 61, 62, 96 S.Ct. 241, 46 L.Ed.2d 195 (1975); Blackledge v. Perry, 417 U.S. 21, 30, 94 S.Ct. 2098, 40 L.Ed.2d 628 (1974); Willie v. State, 738 So.2d 217 (Miss.1999); Matlock v. State, 732 So.2d 168, 170-71 (Miss.1999). ¶ 10. Rush contends that the prosecution in Lowndes County of charges already disposed of in another county violates the double jeopardy clause. If Rush pleaded guilty to one charge in Monroe County in exchange for dropping of other charges in Lowndes County pursuant to a valid plea bargain and the charge pled to is in fact identical, resolution of the case at bar is a simple matter,the subsequent prosecution in Lowndes County would clearly be barred by double jeopardy. If a plea bargain allows a defendant facing multiple charges to plead to one charge in exchange for having the other charges dismissed or remanded, the remanded charges are barred from further prosecution. Santobello v. New York, 404 U.S. 257, 262, 92 S.Ct. 495, 499, 30 L.Ed.2d 427 (1971); State v. Comstock, 168 Wis.2d 915, 485 N.W.2d 354, 367 (1992) (principles of fairness, finality, and repose prohibit prosecutor from re-prosecuting charges that court dismissed as result of plea agreement); Nelson v. State, 53 Wis.2d 769, 193 N.W.2d 704 (1972) (subsequent reprosecution of a charge dismissed as a result of a plea bargain is barred by elementary due process). ¶ 11. The prosecution denies that Rush is entitled to relief because there is no proof that he ever pled guilty to the charges in Monroe County. The prosecution submitted an affidavit by Billy Holley who stated that he had called the Circuit Clerk's office in Monroe County to request a search for any prior convictions of William Rush. The circuit clerk's office reported that they could find no convictions of a William A. Rush having the same date of birth and social security number as Rush. The prosecution contends that without a formal adjudication, there can be no double jeopardy. ¶ 12. However, in the case at bar, Rush's situation is quite different than that of the defendant in Comstock. Fagan's letter to Robert Prather, claims that a plea bargain was agreed on by the parties and that Rush fulfilled his part of the bargain (restitution, waiver of extradition). However, Rush never fulfilled all requirements of the alleged plea bargain. Fagan's letter to Judge Howard, however, also notes that Rush never pleaded guilty to any of the charges in Monroe County. Therein lies Rush's problem with his double jeopardy claim. Without a conviction on the two charges in Monroe County, however, Rush lacks a necessary element of his double jeopardy claiman actual acquittal or conviction. Rush clearly can not meet either required element. The record indicates that Rush never pleaded guilty to any charges in Monroe County and no judgment was ever entered by the circuit court. He only paid restitution on two checks for which he was indicted in Monroe County, and these two charges are not the same as the Lowndes County charge. ¶ 13. This restitution agreement was not the product of a judgment by the court. In fact, no plea or judgment was ever entered in Monroe County and the two charges were retired to the files. In Monroe County, he paid restitution on two checks which he had forged; check no. 0111, and check no. 0158. ¶ 14. Rush argues that the charge in Lowndes County is a violation of his fifth amendment right against double jeopardy. However, his conviction in Lowndes County was the first and only conviction imposed in either Monroe or Lowndes counties. This lone conviction was in regards to a third forged check that Rush signed and clearly uttered in Lowndes County. In Lowndes County, Rush was convicted on forgery charges for defrauding Dallas Slatton, et al. regarding the uttering of a forged check in Lowndes County. The name Dallas Slatton was never even mentioned in the indictment from Monroe County, but rather was only listed in the Lowndes County indictment. These were separate charges brought against Rush for different uttering forgery acts in different counties and in different circuit court districts. Also, there was no plea of guilty or judgment entered on any charges in Monroe County, only on the one charge in Lowndes County. Therefore, Rush has no claim that his fifth amendment right against double jeopardy has been violated. ¶ 15. Rush's agreement that he would pay restitution on the two Monroe County checks for which he was indicted and return to Michigan was apparently made with the sheriff's office. There is no evidence that this agreement was ever endorsed officially by the district attorney of either Monroe County which is the 1st Circuit Court District or Lowndes County which is the 16th Circuit Court District. [1] There was never a guilty plea or a judgment of guilt entered or a similar substitute, such as forfeited bail. Also, even if Monroe County officials thought they could make a legitimate plea bargain offer (which this was not) they still did not have jurisdiction over a forgery that clearly occurred in Lowndes County. [2] The Monroe County case with its two indictments on two uttering forgery charges was merely passed to the file. The Lowndes County charge is a totally separate case with sole jurisdiction in the 16th Circuit Court District. This issue is without merit.