Public-domain · open source
OpenJurist

388 P.2d 875

Dalton v. State

Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma

Decided January 15, 1964

Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma · decided 1964-01-15

Cited by 4 later decisions — most recently January 1977

4 state decisions

Key passage — most relied on by later courts

““An inmate of the state reformatory at Granite, in Greer County, Oklahoma, who escapes while he is a trusty, is properly charged with escape in the district court of Greer County, since he was still constructively an inmate of the reformatory in such county even though he was temporarily out of the reformatory as a - trusty working in such county or in any other county when he made his escape. Title 21, O.S.A. § 443.””

quoted by 1 later decision, including Kimbro v. State

““ * * * even though he [defendant] was temporarily out of the penitentiary as a trusty working in Pittsburg County, or any other county, he was still constructively an inmate of the State Penitentiary at McAlester in Pittsburg County, and any escape while thus an inmate should be prosecuted in Pittsburg County.” (Emphasis added.)”

quoted by 1 later decision, including Baledge v. State

Relies on 83 Okla. Crim. 1 - Sweden v. State

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1964-01-15

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

NIX, Judge.

¶1 This is an original proceedings for a writ of Habeas Corpus by the petitioner, Leonard W. Dalton, an inmate of the State Penitentiary, in which he seeks his release alleging that the judgment and sentence under which he was confined is invalid.

¶2 It appears from the record before us that while the petitioner was serving as a trusty at the State Reformatory at Granite, he was playing with the prison band, and ran away from custody while on a trip to Mt. View, Oklahoma. He was charged with Escaping from Prison in the District Court of Greer County, Oklahoma, and upon entering a plea of guilty, was sentenced to Two (2) years in the State Penitentiary.

¶3 Petitioner alleges that since he did not escape in Greer County, that they did not have jurisdiction to sentence him.

¶4 However, this Court held in the case of Sweden v. State, 83 Okl.Cr. 1, 172 P.2d 432, that:

“An inmate of the state penitentiary at McAlester, in Pittsburg County, who escapes while he is a trusty, is properly charged with escape in the district court of Pittsburg county, since he was still constructively an inmate of the penitentiary in such county even though he was temporarily out of the .penitentiary as a trusty working in such county or in any other county when he made his escape.” 21 O.S.1941 § 443.

¶5 The same rule would apply in this case. The petitioner was serving his sentence at the State Reformatory at Granite, Oklahoma in Greer County. And the fact that he had temporarily left the reformatory while a trusty and escaped while in another county, still places the jurisdiction in Greer County, Oklahoma.

¶6 The Writ is, accordingly, denied.

JOHNSON, P. J., and BUSSEY, J., concur.
/388/p2d/875 · .json · Public domain