Court Opinion

ID: 9597425
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 00:58:32.566264+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T11:08:43.494639
License: Public Domain

Opinion by
Justice WINTERSHEIMER
Concurring in Part and Dissenting in Part.
I concur with that part of the majority opinion entitled “Appointment of Special Justices.” However, I must respectfully dissent from the balance of the majority opinion. I join with the dissenting part of Justice Cooper’s opinion, but wish to state my views separately.
*409It is my position that the power to pardon has never been granted to conduct prior to an indictment or conviction and because pardons only operate to prevent punishment for a certain crime, a pardon cannot be legally effective until the crimes attempted to be pardoned are made certain through indictment. I definitely agree with the statement of Justice Cooper in his dissent to the effect that pre-indictment pardon would never have occurred to the delegates to the 1892 Constitutional Convention that a valid pardon could be issued before indictment or conviction. If a completely general pardon may be granted, it might lead to extensive abuses. See Leonard B. Boudin, The Presidential Pardons of James R. Hojfa and Richard M. Nixon: Have the Limitations of the Pardon Power Been Exceeded?, 48 U. Col. L.Rev. 1, 32-33 (1976). Clearly, a pardon must apply to a specific crime, not to one uncharged or vague.
Again, as correctly noted by the dissenting opinion of Justice Cooper, a quotation from Constitutional Convention delegate Burnham is particularly relevant. It is to the effect that “but whatever the result of the vote may be, let us all hope that the commonwealth will not suffer wrong — ‘ne quid detrimentum respublica capiat’.” This Latin phrase is shortened from a more common caveat or warning to the effect: caveant cónsules ne quid detrimen-tum respublica capiat, which translated means beware consuls that no harm comes to the state. Consuls, of course, refers to the consulate of the Ancient Roman Senate. See generally, William Smith, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, 408 (1870).
As noted by Justice Graves in his concurring opinion, the entire issue of a pardon in this case may well be a nullity. Nevertheless, I do not support the belief that a pardon issued by the governor may be valid when it is issued prior to any criminal charges coming from a grand jury.
I also disagree with the analysis provided by the majority that the governor has the authority to write a general amnesty. Such power rests in the legislative branch and not the executive. The pardons in question are written as a general amnesty to certain individuals. Amnesty absolves a class of individuals, not named individuals.
Finally, I specifically and vigorously object to any assertion which would allow the executive branch to interfere with the workings of a duly constituted grand jury. Contrary to some views expressed in this case, the grand jury is not a legal fiction, but an integral and independent part of the concept of due process. A party retains the right to request instructions. However, once the circuit judge reaches a decision, the work of the grand jury should not be interfered with by the executive branch. We should not direct the grand jury or the circuit judge otherwise.
COOPER, J., joins.