THOMAS J. KELLY, SHERIFF OF DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, APPELLANT,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA EX REL. FRANK LARRY ROSENTHAL, APPELLEE

Fla. 3d DCA | 1963-01-29
No. 62-346
Before HORTON, BARKDULL and HENDRY, JJ.
149 So. 2d 85 Florida District Court of Appeal, Third District (1963) Positive Treatment
Cited by 4 cases

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Synopsis

This case addresses the sufficiency of an extradition (rendition) warrant issued by the Governor of Florida. The court held that a rendition warrant must either recite the substance of jurisdictional facts authorizing its issuance or have annexed documents from the demanding state clearly establishing those facts; a bare warrant failing to do so violates the arrestee's right to know the grounds for arrest and detention.


Holding

A rendition warrant is constitutionally insufficient when it fails to demonstrate the essential jurisdictional facts on its face and does not have annexed to it the accompanying documents from the demanding state establishing those facts. The warrant must either recite the substance of the jurisdictional facts or have the supporting documents annexed to it so that the arrestee is fully apprised of the reasons and grounds for arrest and incarceration.


Key Quotes

“a rendition warrant must either recite the substance of the jurisdictional facts which authorize its issuance and execution, or must have annexed to it the accompanying documents from the demanding state which clearly establish the jurisdictional facts which will authorize the issuance of said rendition warrant.”

This statement establishes the core holding regarding the sufficiency requirements for rendition warrants.

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Facts & Procedural History

Rosenthal was taken into custody pursuant to a rendition warrant issued by the Governor of Florida. The trial judge found the warrant insufficient und…

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Opinion of the Court
BARKDULL, Judge.

BARKDULL, Judge.

By this appeal, the appellant seeks review of an order discharging the appellee, petitioner in a habeas corpus proceedings.

The record discloses that the appellee-petitioner was taken into custody upon a rendition warrant issued by the Governor of the State of Florida. The trial judge found “as a matter of law that the said executive rendition warrant is insufficient under the laws of the United States and the Constitution of the United States in that said rendition warrant fails to show upon its face facts that warrant its sufficiency and therefore said petition for writ of habeas corpus be and the same is hereby granted and the petitioner be and he is hereby discharged from custody on the aforesaid executive rendition warrant”.

The appellant urges error in the entry of said order and of necessity contends that the warrant was sufficient as a matter of law. The appellee replies that the actions of the trial judge were correct as the warrant was insufficient in law in two particulars: First, it failed to affirmatively allege that it was issued upon “an indictment found or an affidavit made before a magistrate”, [Ex parte Powell, 20 Fla. 806; State ex rel. Peck v. Chase, 91 Fla. 413, 107 So. 541], Secondly, it failed to set forth the date when the alleged offense was committed in the demanding state. The appellant answers and urges on this appeal that any deficiencies in the warrant may be established by the demanding papers which were actually before the chief executive of the asylum state, and points out in this appeal that it sought to tender into evidence before the trial judge such documents which clearly established any alleged deficiencies in the rendition warrant, both as to the affidavit which caused the issuance of the warrant in the demanding state and as to the date of the alleged offense.

However, it is apparent that these documents were neither recited in full or in substance in the rendition warrant nor annexed thereto and, with the warrant itself failing to demonstrate the essential jurisdictional’ facts to authorize the issuance of same and failing to have annexed thereto the documents of the demanding state [which might have cured the deficiencies], the petitioner [at the time he was apprehended under the rendition warrant] could not have been fully apprised of the reasons and grounds for his arrest and incarceration and, therefore, he was unlawfully being detained under such rendition warrant and was entitled to a discharge upon the writ of habeas corpus. See: State ex rel. Peck v. Chase, supra.

In order that there be no misunderstanding as to the tenor and effect of this opinion, we merely hold that a rendition warrant must either recite the substance of the jurisdictional facts which authorize its issuance and execution, or must have annexed to it the accompanying documents from the demanding state which clearly establish the jurisdictional facts which will authorize the issuance of said rendition warrant.

Therefore, for the reasons stated, the action of the trial judge in discharging the appellee-petitioner be and the same is hereby affirmed.

Affirmed.


Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus


Citator

Cited By

  • State of Fla. ex rel. Robert Shirley Owens v. Boyer, 207 So. 2d 29 (Fla. 2d DCA 1968)
    …d that the fact that such documents appeared in the record as of the time of the proceedings was sufficient. The sufficiency of a rendition warrant must be determined as of the time of the arrest. See Kelly v. State ex rel. Rosenthal, Fla.App.1963, 149 So. 2d 85, 86, cert. denied mem., Fla.1963, 155 So. 2d 616. It must either recite the substance of the jurisdictional facts which authorize its execution and issuance or must have annexed to it the documents from the demanding State which clearly establish su…
  • State of Fla. ex rel. Kenneth G. Burnstine v. Purdy, 219 So. 2d 95 (Fla. 3d DCA 1969)
    …ot supported by the annexed papers and was therefore deficient in that it failed to place the appellant on notice of the crime with which he was charged. See: State v. Chase, 91 Fla. 413, 107 So. 541; Kelly v. State ex rel. Rosenthal, Fla.App. 1963, 149 So. 2d 85. The order here under review is hereby reversed with directions to discharge the appellant-relator. Reversed and remanded with directions.…

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