James Sheridan Knight v. State of Alabama

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REL: 03/23/2012 Notice: T h i s o p i n i o n i s s u b j e c t t o f o r m a l r e v i s i o n b e f o r e p u b l i c a t i o n i n t h e advance s h e e t s o f Southern R e p o r t e r . R e a d e r s a r e r e q u e s t e d t o n o t i f y t h e R e p o r t e r o f D e c i s i o n s , A l a b a m a A p p e l l a t e C o u r t s , 300 D e x t e r A v e n u e , M o n t g o m e r y , A l a b a m a 3 6 1 0 4 - 3 7 4 1 ((334) 2 2 9 - 0 6 4 9 ) , o f a n y t y p o g r a p h i c a l o r o t h e r e r r o r s , i n o r d e r t h a t c o r r e c t i o n s may b e made b e f o r e t h e o p i n i o n i s p r i n t e d i n Southern R e p o r t e r . ALABAMA COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS OCTOBER TERM, 2011-2012 CR-08-1681 James Sheridan Knight v. S t a t e o f Alabama Appeal from Montgomery C i r c u i t Court (CC-91-2270) A f t e r Remand f r o m The A l a b a m a Supreme BURKE, J u d g e . Court 1 T h i s c a s e was o r i g i n a l l y a s s i g n e d t o a n o t h e r member o f t h i s C o u r t ; i t was r e a s s i g n e d t o Judge B u r k e on F e b r u a r y 19, 2011. 1 CR-08-1681 I n Ex p a r t e K n i g h t , 3d [Ms. 1090540, June 17, 2011] So. ( A l a . 2 0 1 1 ) , t h e A l a b a m a Supreme C o u r t r e v e r s e d this C o u r t ' s j u d g m e n t a f f i r m i n g t h e c i r c u i t c o u r t ' s summary d e n i a l o f James S h e r i d a n sentence Knight's pursuant to § motion f o r r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n of h i s 13A-5-9.1, Ala. Supreme C o u r t d e t e r m i n e d t h a t a J u l y 25, order of the Montgomery C i r c u i t Court Code 1975. 2007, a d m i n i s t r a t i v e d i d not constitute v a l i d j u d i c i a l a p p o i n t m e n t u n d e r § 13A-5-9.1 b e c a u s e t h e allowed motions The 2 a order the c i r c u i t c l e r k to e x e r c i s e d i s c r e t i o n i n a s s i g n i n g for Specifically, sentence the reconsideration Alabama to Supreme C o u r t various concluded judges. that the m o t i o n was not t h e a c t o f t h e p r e s i d i n g j u d g e as r e q u i r e d by t h e s t a t u t e and, s e l e c t i o n of the c i r c u i t judge to hear K n i g h t ' s consequently, that circuit decide Knight's motion. o u r j u d g m e n t and judge Therefore, remanded t h e d i d not have authority t h e Supreme C o u r t case to t h i s to reversed Court. Section 13A-5-9.1, A l a . Code 1975, provides: "The p r o v i s i o n s o f S e c t i o n 13A-5-9 s h a l l be a p p l i e d r e t r o a c t i v e l y by t h e s e n t e n c i n g j u d g e o r , i f t h e s e n t e n c i n g j u d g e i s no l o n g e r i n o f f i c e , by any c i r c u i t j u d g e a p p o i n t e d by the p r e s i d i n g judge, f o r c o n s i d e r a t i o n of e a r l y p a r o l e of each n o n v i o l e n t c o n v i c t e d o f f e n d e r b a s e d on e v a l u a t i o n s p e r f o r m e d by t h e D e p a r t m e n t o f C o r r e c t i o n s and a p p r o v e d by t h e B o a r d o f P a r d o n s and P a r o l e s and s u b m i t t e d t o t h e c o u r t . " 2 2 CR-08-1681 I n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h t h e A l a b a m a Supreme C o u r t ' s we reverse the reconsideration circuit summary denial o f h i s sentence court f o r further of Knight's decision, motion a n d remand t h e c a s e proceedings consistent for to the w i t h the o p i n i o n o f t h e Supreme C o u r t . REVERSED AND REMANDED. Windom, P . J . , a n d W e l c h , K e l l u m , a n d J o i n e r , J J . , c o n c u r . 3

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