Court Opinion

ID: 9898755
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-11-15 00:08:24.520055+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:17:05.894239
License: Public Domain

OillGINAL                                     11/14/2023

          IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA                               Case Number: OP 23-0637

                                       OP 23-0637
                                                                 FLIED
 WAYNE LEAS,                                                     NOV 14 2023
                                                               Bowen Greenwood
                                                             Cler:(    n•  Cnurt
                                                                Stir,to
              Petitioner,

 v.                                                                ORDER

 JIM SALMONSEN, WARDEN,

              Respondent.

       Wayne Leas, representing himself, asserts that his sentence is illegal and that he
should be released from prison. Leas contends that the charging documents to commence
his prosecution or "these informations, of every kind, are confined by the Constitutional
law to mere misdemeanors only[.]" Citing to Blackstone's Commentaries and 19th century
case law, Leas claims that his conviction is void and that "the 'King's Bench' [now] is
codified Constitutional law out of the United States Supreme Court, and in use in the
Colony(s) which [later] became the United States of America." He requests his immediate
release from prison due to illegal incarceration because the State of Montana commenced
his criminal prosecution via an Information in the Fourth Judicial District Court, Missoula
County.
      In July 2018, the State commenced prosecution of Leas by seeking leave to file an
Information, charging Leas with felony burglary and misdemeanor sexual assault. On
June 25, 2019, the District Court sentenced Leas to the Department of Health and Human
Services for a twenty-year term and dismissed the misdemeanor offense. Leas did not
appeal.
       Leas cites § 1-1-105, MCA, as a basis for his arguments. That section reads: "The
organic law is the constitution of government and is altogether written. Other written laws
are denominated statutes. The written law of this state is therefore contained in its
constitution and statutes and in the constitution and statutes of the United States." Within
that same title and chapter, a statute provides that Montana law should take precedence.
"In this state there is no common law in any case where the law is declared by statute."
Section 1-1-108, MCA. Under § 1-1-109, MCA, "[t]he common law of England . . . is the
rule of decision in all the courts of this state[,]" as long as it is not "inconsistent with" the
laws of constitution of this State.
       Montana's Legislature has declared by statute that an information is one method to
charge an offender with a felony criminal offense. Section 46-11-101(3), MCA. This
Court has held that Montana statutes offer four methods to commence a prosecution in this
state, one of which is "an information after leave of court has been granted[.]" State v.
Montgomery, 2015 MT 151, ¶ 11, 379 Mont. 353, 350 P.3d 77; § 46-11-101(3), MCA.
‘" [A] defendant is not entitled to any specific procedure." Montgomery, ¶ 11 (citing State
v. Haller, 2013 MT 199, ¶ 8, 371 Mont. 86, 306 P.3d 338) (internal citation omitted). If
the State commences prosecution by filing an application and an affidavit that identifies
supporting evidence demonstrating probable cause, the district court has subject matter
jurisdiction to proceed "over the felonies as stated in Mont. Const. art. VII, § 4(1) and
§ 3-5-302(1)(a), MCA[.]" Montgomery,¶ 11.
       Leas is not entitled to a writ of habeas corpus. The State of Montana commenced
his felony prosecution according to Montana's Constitution and statutes by filing an
application and supporting affidavit for leave of court to charge Leas by information.
Section 46-11-201(2), MCA (2017). See also Montgomery, vi 9-11; Mont. Const. art. II,
§ 20(1); §§ 46-11-101(3), and 46-11-102(1), MCA. The District Court had subject matter
jurisdiction, and the Judgment is not void. Leas has not demonstrated illegal incarceration.
Section 46-22-101(1), MCA. Accordingly,

                                               2
      IT IS ORDERED that Leas's Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus is DENIED and
DISMISSED.
      IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that this case is CLOSED as of this Order's date.
      The Clerk is directed to provide a copy of this Order to counsel of record and to
Wayne Leas personally
      DATED this I Li    day of November, 2023.

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                                                           Chief Justice

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