Opinion ID: 378107
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: First In Time, First Time to Serve?

Text: 7 Causey argues that the Zerbst rule should not apply because, at the time he was handed over from the state to the federal government, he was not serving a state sentence. In fact, he had not even stood trial on the state charges. Moreover, he was already convicted and sentenced in federal court. Causey would say that the loan was from the federal government to the state and not vice versa. Thus, after the state trial, he should have been returned to the federal government whose jurisdiction preceded that of the state. First of all, in order for the rule of Zerbst to apply, it is not necessary that a state conviction and sentence have been attained. In Bullock, supra, state proceedings had gotten no further than the arresting stage. Moreover, while Zerbst would apply in reverse, to require a state to return to federal authorities a prisoner on loan to the state, Causey's argument is founded on an erroneous interpretation of the facts. After the federal conviction, he was out on bail when he was arrested in Florida. It was the federal, not the state government which received Causey pursuant to a writ of habeas corpus ad prosequendum. 3 8 Perhaps the federal government had the power to require that Causey's federal sentence be served first, immediately after the state prosecution was completed, but it did not choose to do so. This is evidenced by its issue of a detainer to the Florida Department of Corrections instructing that department to notify the United States Marshall Service when Causey was released permanently from state custody, so that his federal sentence could then be served. And in view of the clear language in the writ of habeas corpus ad prosequendum ordering the return of Causey to state officials after federal sentencing, the state court judge was correct in assuming that the state sentence should be served first. 9 Essentially, Causey contends that his return to state authorities after the federal revocation hearing should only have been for purposes of trial and conviction, and that we should create a rule that a prisoner is entitled to serve first the sentence arising from the first conviction. 10 This contention is not supported by case law. Although not on all fours with the case before us, there are cases in this Circuit in which a state sentence, imposed after a federal sentence, was nevertheless served first. Lamb v. Heritage, 310 F.2d 71 (5th Cir. 1962); Harrell v. Shuttleworth, 200 F.2d 490 (5th Cir. 1952). In both of these cases the petitioners were serving state sentences. Subsequently imposed federal sentences were ordered to commence as soon as the state sentences were completed. In the meantime, the prisoners were convicted of additional state crimes, committed while they were in prison. Instead of delivering the prisoners to the federal authorities at the conclusion of the first state sentences, as had been ordered originally, the states kept the prisoners to serve the additional state sentences. In each case we held that the federal sentence began to run, not after the first, but after all of the state sentences were completed, even though the later state sentences were imposed prior to the federal sentences. 11 Moreover, the federal government and a state are perfectly free to make any agreement between themselves concerning which of their sentences will be served first, as long as the prisoner is not compelled unnecessarily to serve his sentences in a piecemeal fashion. A person who has violated the criminal statutes of both the Federal and State Governments may not complain of the order in which he is tried or punished for such offenses. Gunton v. Squier, 185 F.2d 470, 471 (9th Cir. 1950). See Ponzi v. Fessenden, 258 U.S. 254, 42 S.Ct. 309, 66 L.Ed. 607 (1922). Service of the state sentence first did not hinder Causey from pursuing his federal appeal. It was dismissed on his own motion. He cannot now seek through collateral attack a remedy he failed to pursue on direct appeal. 12