No. 83-263 | Vt. | Jun 8, 1984
The petitioner appeals an order of the Orange Superior Court granting the State’s motion to dismiss his petition for post-conviction relief.
In 1971, petitioner pled nolo contendere to one count of kidnapping. 13 V.S.A. § 2401. In 1974, he was sentenced to a term of not less than three nor more than ten years. He completed serving this sentence sometime prior to 1980. He is currently serving a sentence in a federal penal institution for crimes committed subsequent to the kidnapping.
As grounds for this appeal, petitioner asserts: (1) that under Chapter I, Article 10 of the Vermont Constitution, and V.R.Cr.P. 23(a), the trial court was barred from accepting his plea of nolo, and thereby waiving a jury trial to which he was entitled, since kidnapping is an offense punishable by imprisonment; and (2) that the order dismissing his petition is void because the dismissal involved a question of law and the assistant judges, who have no legal training, participated in the hearing and signed the court’s order. See State v. Dunkerley, 134 Vt. 523" court="Vt." date_filed="1976-10-05" href="https://app.midpage.ai/document/state-v-dunkerley-1498190?utm_source=webapp" opinion_id="1498190">134 Vt. 523, 365 A.2d 131 (1976).
In order for the petitioner to invoke post-conviction review, he must be “in custody” under the sentence that is asserted to be improper or void. 13 V.S.A. § 7131. We have previously held that an individual need not actually be incarcerated under the conditions of the attacked sentence in order to satisfy the “in custody” requirement of 13 V.S.A. § 7131. See State v. McMann, 133 Vt. 288" court="Vt." date_filed="1975-04-01" href="https://app.midpage.ai/document/state-v-mcmann-2263722?utm_source=webapp" opinion_id="2263722">133 Vt. 288, 291-92, 336 A.2d 190" court="Vt." date_filed="1975-04-01" href="https://app.midpage.ai/document/state-v-mcmann-2263722?utm_source=webapp" opinion_id="2263722">336 A.2d 190, 192 (1975); Magoon v. Smith, 130 Vt. 603" court="Vt." date_filed="1972-12-05" href="https://app.midpage.ai/document/magoon-v-smith-2289204?utm_source=webapp" opinion_id="2289204">130 Vt. 603, 604, 298 A.2d 820, 821 (1972). In In re Stewart, 140 Vt. 353, 438 A.2d 1106" court="Vt." date_filed="1981-11-03" href="https://app.midpage.ai/document/in-re-stewart-1900351?utm_source=webapp" opinion_id="1900351">438 A.2d 1106
In view of our disposition of this cause on jurisdictional grounds, we do not reach the issues alleged as error on appeal.
Affirmed.