Court Opinion

ID: 9854869
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 06:15:47.091633+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:23:32.601800
License: Public Domain

Jordan, Justice,
dissenting.
I would affirm the habeas court because we have consistently held that the trial court is not required to subpoena witnesses for a prisoner in a habeas corpus proceeding. See Krist v. Caldwell, 230 Ga. 536 (198 SE2d 161) (1973); Snell v. Smith, 228 Ga. 249 (184 SE2d 645) (1971); and Johnson v. Smith, 227 Ga. 611 (182 SE2d 101) (1971). Neither is the state required to produce prisoners at a post-conviction habeas proceeding for use as witnesses by the applicant.
In 1956 when Code Ann. § 38-2001 was enacted the General Assembly could not have possibly foreseen the tremendous upsurge in the use of the writ of habeas corpus as a post-conviction remedy. At that time use of the writ in a post-conviction proceeding was generally considered to be a quasi-criminal proceeding. It was not until 1969 that this court clearly held that a habeas corpus proceeding "is not a criminal prosecution.” Croker v. Smith, 225 Ga. 529 (169 SE2d 787) (1969). As late as *731970 this court was still not sure exactly how to categorize such a proceeding for we said, "Whatever may be the nature of a habeas corpus proceeding, it is not, strictly speaking, a criminal proceeding . . .” Cash v. Smith, 226 Ga. 318 (175 SE2d 10) (1970). We have continued to hold that a post-conviction habeas is "not a criminal proceeding.” Sims v. Caldwell, 231 Ga. 377 (202 SE2d 70) (1973); Hopkins v. Hopper, 234 Ga. 236 (215 SE2d 241) (1975) and many other cases. We have clearly said what it was not but have never clearly said what it was. It seems to be in the nature of a hybrid, sort of like a mule.
In any event the enactment of Code Ann. § 38-2001 antedated the extensive use of the writ of habeas corpus as a post-conviction remedy. A careful reading of this Code section shows that Subsection (b) relates only to a "criminal proceeding,” thus eliminating a post-conviction habeas proceeding. Subsection (c) provides for the production of a prisoner as a witness "by the defendant in a criminal proceeding, or by either party to a civil proceeding, . . .” (Emphasis supplied.) The use of the term "civil proceeding” in this statute could not have been intended to include a post-conviction habeas corpus proceeding.
A review of the history and language of Code Ann. § 38-2001 leads clearly to the conclusion that the General Assembly did not intend for the provisions of this Code section to be available to an applicant for the writ of habeas corpus in a post-conviction proceeding.
I respectfully dissent.