Court Opinion

ID: 9633277
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 11:41:18.129207+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:08:32.336911
License: Public Domain

CARTER, J.
I dissent.
While it may be true that defendant has failed to allege sufficient facts to show due diligence—why he did not discover sooner the basis for his attack on the judgment and proceed accordingly, yet the demurrer to his petition should not have been sustained without leave to amend. He may be able to allege facts which woxild show diligence and should be given the opportunity to do so. Those comments are also applicable to the other alleged defects in the petition and affidavits of petitioner. But in addition to the foregoing, I do not believe it is the function of this court to pass upon the credibility and “sincerity” of petitioner’s pleadings. Likewise, the trial court should not do so in ruling on a demurrer.
This court is merely reviewing the action of the trial court in sustaining a demurrer interposed by the People. In so doing it must give full weight to the trial court’s determination the same as in any other case. The majority opinion gives no reason and cites no authority for the unique proposition that a different rule applies to the pleadings in a coram nolis proceeding than that applicable to pleadings in other proceedings. The majority opinion is replete with statements that the allegations cannot be believed, that they are not sincere, that they are mere conclusions and the like. On demurrer all the pleaded facts must be taken as true—must be believed. That is especially true where the demurrer is general. Moreover, they must be liberally construed. (Hudson v. Craft, 33 Cal.2d 654 [204 P.2d 1].) Certainly when a man’s life is in the balance and constitutional issues are raised, the rule of *340liberal construction is even more imperative than in the ordinary ease. It is said in People v. Long, 346 Ill. 646 [178 N.E. 918, 919]: “The facts set out were sufficiently definite to raise the issue of whether the plea of guilty was entered through an excusable mistake or ignorance of the accused, and whether he was deprived of a substantial defense which he might have urged on his trial. Under such circumstances, the trial court could not arbitrarily refuse a full hearing upon the petition. The allegations of a petition need be only prima facie sufficient for the granting of such a hearing.” (See, also, Howie v. State, 121 Miss. 197 [83 So. 158, 10 A.L.R. 205].)
If the facts stated in the petition and affidavits, taken at their face value, are insufficient as a matter of law to constitute a ground or basis for relief, the demurrer should have been sustained, and, in the absence of an amendment setting forth further facts, that should be the end of the story. The discussion in the majority opinion relative to the good faith and sincerity of petitioner and his counsel in making the statements contained in the petition and affidavits, goes entirely beyond the scope of the review which this court is called upon to make in deciding the issue presented by this appeal.
I would reverse the judgment and direct the trial court to permit petitioner to amend his petition if he be so advised.