In this habeas corpus proceeding we are asked to grant the writ and discharge the relator from further confinement on the ground that he was denied effective assistance of counsel on appeal.
In 1972, relator was found guilty by a jury of the crime of armed robbery. He had obtained approximately $10,000 at gunpoint by forcing a coal company paymaster and his family from their home to the company office where the money was obtained from a safe.
There is no dispute that after the trial, relator instructed his attorney to take an appeal. Approximately nine and one-half months later, when the appeal had not been taken, relator filed an application for a writ of habeas corpus, which this Court granted on April 30, 1973, returnable to Logan County. That court held a hearing on the writ on May 24, 1973, and the State confessed error as no trial transcript had been prepared.
*784 The circuit court resentenced relator in order to extend the appeal period and reappointed his trial counsel to perfect the appeal. Relator was also given credit on the new sentence for the time previously served on the original sentence. Thereafter, on July 11, 1973, the trial transcript was filed in the circuit clerk’s office, but still no appeal was prosecuted.
On June 22, 1977, relator filed in this Court another application for writ of habeas corpus. The writ was issued returnable to this Court on Septemer 13, 1977, at which time the case was fully argued and submitted.
An indigent criminal defendant in this State has a right to appeal his conviction.
West Virginia Constitution,
Article III, Sections 10 and 17;
Linger v. Jennings,
A companion right, springing from the fact that an appeal is rather meaningless unless the indigent defendant has access to counsel, is that an indigent must be furnished court-appointed counsel to assist him on appeal. In the initial development of this doctrine, the United States Supreme Court considered the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses to be the constitutional bases for such right.
Douglas v. California,
Inherent in the concept of the right to counsel is that counsel be effective, and within this concept is the requirement that appointed counsel support his client’s appeal to the best of his ability. 1 Anders v. California, supra.
This Court recognized in
State ex rel. Bradley v. Johnson,
. a convicted defendant can not be denied his right to appeal, either by the trial judge or by one outside the judicial system. Such denial constitutes a violation of the due process clauses of the state and federal constitutions and the judgment imposing sentence is void and unenforceable.”
From the foregoing principles, it is clear that this Court is committed to the concept that effective assistance of counsel on appeal is guaranteed through the Due Process Clause of the West Virginia Constitution, Article III, Section 10.
It is not disputed that relator has been twice denied his right to appeal. In the first instance the denial oc-cured because the State failed to furnish a trial transcript before the appeal period expired. The present violation centers on the failure of court-appointed counsel to perfect an appeal within the appeal period allowed following resentencing.
The issue that now must be addressed is the form of relief which should be awarded. We are considering the writ of habeas corpus
ad subjiciendum.
When issued, this writ commands one who detains another to bring such person before the court. Where the term “habeas corpus” is used alone, it is understood to mean the writ of habeas corpus
ad subjiciendum. Click v. Click,
Much has been written about the origins of this writ and for those interested in its evolution, reference is made to
Click v. Click, supra; Fay v. Noia,
*787 In addition to its common law roots, the writ of habeas corpus acquired constitutional dimensions in the sense that its privilege cannot be suspended by the Federal government except in certain extreme cases. United States Constitution, Article I, § 9, cl. 2. 3 In this State the privilege of the writ is even more absolute as “the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended.” West Virginia Constitution, Article III, Section 4. Finally, under Chapter 53, Article 4A, Section 1 et seq. of the West Virginia Code of 1931, as amended, certain procedural modifications have been made in regard to the courts’ jurisdiction of the writ. 4
The United States Supreme Court has made it clear that the writ of habeas corpus, because of its broad availability to challenge confinement contrary to the Constitution, cannot be limited to a particular form of remedial relief.
Prieser v. Rodriguez, supra;
5
Peyton v. Rowe,
We begin with the proposition that an unconditional discharge from confinement upon the issuance of a writ
*788
of habeas corpus does not ordinarily operate to bar further prosecution under principles of double jeopardy.
United States v. Tateo,
The federal rule is that relief will be accorded as the ends of justice may require.
7
Generally the United States Supreme Court has looked to the nature of the fundamental or constitutional error in order to determine what relief will be granted to correct it. In
Ex Parte Lange,
In
Rogers v. Richmond,
In
Pate v. Robinson,
In
Whiteley v. Warden of Wyoming Penitentiary,
The same type of tailored relief is granted in the Federal Courts of Appeals. 8
*790
In this State, as pointed out in
State ex rel. Johnson v. McKenzie,
_ W. Va. _,
In those cases where the constitutional error substantially affects the underlying trial, the relief is a discharge of the relator.
State ex rel. Browning v. Boles,
Johnson, supra, dealt extensively with the situation where the discharge is not immediate, but rather conditioned on the right of the state to correct the fundamental or constitutional error. This type of relief is particularly suited to those cases where there has been a denial of an appeal.
Johnson, supra,
announced a rule that requires those circuit courts confronted with a writ of habeas corpus on the failure to provide a transcript or record for appeal to order that a transcript be provided within thirty days from the issuance of the writ. If the record is not provided within that period, the prisoner is entitled to be discharged from confinement. Consistent with its rule,
Johnson
ordered that the prisoner be “... discharged but such discharge is delayed for a period of thirty days in order to provide the State with an opportunity to deliver the transcript ...”
It is apparent under Johnson that if the State did not furnish a transcript within the thirty-day period, the prisoner would be freed from confinement. However, the State still could have tried him on the original criminal offense since a retrial would not offend double jeopardy principles. Johnson was concerned only with the problem of the denial of a timely appeal by reason of the lack of a transcript. By placing a limit on the time in which the State is required to act to correct the deficiencies that prevent a criminal defendant from taking an appeal, Johnson gives the State two alternatives. The first is to act within the prescribed time period by furnishing a transcript so that the appeal will not be further delayed. Secondly, if the time period is not complied with, the relator will have the effect of a successful appeal, in that he will be discharged from custody but the State will have the right to retry him.
*792
Carter v. Bordenkircher,
_ W. Va. _,
The decision of the circuit court to allow resentencing was affirmed. The Court, in Syllabus Point 2, stated this general rule:
“In determining appropriate relief in habeas corpus for ineffective assistance of counsel in not prosecuting a timely appeal, the court should consider whether there is a probability of actual injury as a result of such denial, or alternatively whether the injury is entirely speculative or theoretical, and where the denial of a timely appeal was probably harmless, except in the case of extraordinary dereliction on the part of the State the appropriate remedy is not discharge but such remedial steps as will permit the effective prosecution of an appeal.”
The test formulated by Carter must be read in the context of its facts. The crucial issue was the failure to have counsel for the appeal. A record of the trial proceedings was available to this Court, and on the surface it did not appear to contain reversible prejudicial error. This weighed against a showing of actual prejudice to the relator by the delay in obtaining the appeal. 9 Although this Court correctly found that the lack of prejudice could not preclude him from exercising his constitu *793 tional right to an appeal, it would have an effect on the relief granted. Similarly, the lack of any extraordinary dereliction on the part of the State in denying appeal was a second factor which precluded unconditional discharge.
Carter’s
rule of extraordinary dereliction was applied in
Johnson v.
McKenzie, _ W. Va. _,
Carter did not elaborate on what may constitute extraordinary dereliction sufficient to warrant unconditional release in a habeas corpus proceeding. This will largely depend on the facts of the individual case. Factors which are relevant include the following: the clarity and diligence with which the relator has moved to assert his right of appeal; the length of time that has been served on the underlying sentence measured against the time remaining to be served; whether prior writs have been filed or granted involving the right of appeal; and the related question of whether resentencing has occurred in order to extend the appeal period. While ex *794 traordinary dereliction on the part of the State does not require a showing of malice or ill will toward the relator, certainly if such is shown it would be a significant factor.
Finally, as in all attempts to categorize such a complex subject as the nature of the relief to be awarded on a writ of habeas corpus, we recognize that there may exist such extreme abuses on the part of the State as against the constitutional rights of an individual that the only appropriate remedy would be an unconditional discharge coupled with an injunction against further prosecution of the underlying criminal action. 12
Turning from these general principles to the facts of the case at hand, we find that the relief sought in this writ of habeas corpus relates solely to the relator’s inability to perfect a timely appeal. The State does not dispute that his constitutional rights in this regard have been infringed.
It is the State’s position that there are not sufficient facts to warrant the application of the extraordinary dereliction rule announced in Carter. We are constrained to agree, although the relator’s position is not without some merit. He has already served five years on his 25-year sentence. In May of 1973, he was resentenced and counsel was reappointed to perfect an appeal. The trial transcript was made available to counsel on July 11, 1973. At this point, the State had moved with requisite diligence to correct the constitutional error in connection with the appeal.
So far as the record indicates, the sole reason for the denial of relator’s right to appeal was counsel’s failure *795 to perfect the appeal. The only step taken by counsel was to file the notice of intent to appeal on the 24th day of May, 1973.
However, relator does not contend that he has corresponded with his counsel as to what action was being taken on his appeal or that he has informed the Circuit Court of Logan County that no appeal was filed by counsel. After his initial conviction, relator sent a letter to the Circuit Court dated August 7, 1972. This letter reveals that relator possesses more than a cursory knowledge of his legal rights:
“As I am indigent I move the Court to appoint counsel to prosecute the appeal in my behalf. I further move the Court to order the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Logan County, Logan, West Virginia, to furnish appointed counsel a free copy of the transcript of my trial and all records pertinent thereto, for the purpose of perfecting my appeal.
“As this notice is filed within the sixty (60) day time limit as required by statute law, § 58-5-4, West Virginia Code, the Court is obligated to abide by § 51-7-7, West Virginia and furnish the required transcript.”
We cannot condone the actions of relator’s court-appointed counsel in failing to perfect the appeal. On the other hand, we must recognize that relator, who is knowledgeable of his rights, took no positive action to notify any court that his counsel was not pursuing his appeal until he filed the present writ of habeas corpus before this Court on June 22, 1977, some four years after counsel was appointed to take the appeal.
Although the State is constitutionally obliged to appoint effective counsel to assist an indigent criminal in his appeal, once this has been done there rests some responsibility on the indigent criminal to make known to the court counsel’s inaction. This case is different from Johnson (1977), where the appeal rights were frustrated by the long delay in the State’s filing of a trial tran *796 script. There, State involvement and dereliction were much more direct and pronounced.
It should be emphasized that the constitutional right to appeal cannot be destroyed by counsel’s inaction or by a criminal defendant’s delay in bringing such to the attention of the court, but such delay on the part of the defendant may affect the relief granted.
It is therefore the judgement of this Court that the relator is entitled to relief as follows: The relator is entitled to be discharged from custody, but such discharge is stayed for a period of thirty days in order to give the State an opportunity to resentence relator with credit for time previously served and to appoint new counsel to perfect the appeal.
Writ as moulded awarded.
Notes
There is nothing in the record before us that indicates why relator’s court-appointed counsel did not pursue the appeal. An-ders, however, makes it clear that it is not the role of counsel to determine whether the appeal is frivolous. That case holds that the decision to allow counsel to withdraw is the appellate court’s. An-ders sets out the following rule which counsel is required to follow since it is constitutionally mandated under the Sixth Amendment of the United States Constitution and made mandatory on the states through the Fourteenth Amendment:
“Of course, if counsel finds his case to be wholly frivolous, after a conscientious examination of it, he should so advise the court and request permission to withdraw. That request must, however, be accompanied by a brief referring to anything in the record that might arguably support the appeal. A copy of counsel’s brief should be furnished the indigent and time allowed him to raise any points that he chooses; the court — not counsel — then proceeds, after a full examination of all the proceedings, to decide whether the case is wholly frivolous. If it so finds it may grant counsel’s request to withdraw and dismiss the appeal insofar as federal requirements are concerned, or proceed to a decision on the merits, if state law so requires. On the other hand, if it finds any of the legal points arguable on their merits (and therefore not frivolous) it must, prior to decision, afford the indigent the assistance of counsel to argue the appeal.” [386 U.S. at 744 ,18 L. Ed. 2d at 498 ,87 S. Ct. at 1400 .]
For various comment on history of federal habeas corpus, compare: Hart, Foreword: The Time Chart of the Justices, 73 Harv. L. Rev. 84 (1959); Reitz, Federal Habeas Corpus: Impact of an Abortive *787 State Proceeding, 74 Harv. L. Rev. 1315 (1961); Brennan, Federal Habeas Corpus and State Prisoners: An Exercise in Federalism, 7 Utah L. Rev. 423 (1961); Bator, Finality in Criminal Law and Federal Habeas Corpus for State Prisoners, 76 Harv. L. Rev. 441, 468 (1963); Oaks, Legal History in the High Court — Habeas Corpus, 64 Mich L. Rev. 451 (1966); Friendly, Is Innocence Irrelevant? Collateral Attack on Criminal Judgments, 38 U. Chi. L. Rev. 142, 170-171 (1970); and Developments in the Law — Federal Habeas Corpus, 83 Harv. L. Rev. 1038 (1970).
“The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.”
As the subsequent portion of this opinion demonstrates, the statute has not expanded the type of relief afforded by the writ at common law.
As Preiser v. Rodriguez points out, there are a number of situations where the writ of habeas corpus can be utilized where release from custody is not sought, as it is available to attack future confinement or the manner in which current custody is administered. Here, we are concerned only with the type relief where the writ of habeas corpus seeks present relief from custody.
Tateo, supra,
does suggest that where the prosecution
or
judiciary deliberately seeks a mistrial because of fear that the jury would likely acquit the defendant, different considerations as to the applicability of double jeopardy would obtain. (Note 3,
While the United States Supreme Court has cited the language of the federal habeas corpus statute to support its disposing of the matter “as law and justice require”, 28 U.S.C. § 2243, it is clear that under its interpretation of the common law scope of the writ of habeas corpus its power to grant relief would be the same regardless of the statutory language.
Fay v. Noia,
Thomas v. Wyrick,
In those instances where the court has before it the trial court record and the application for the writ of habeas corpus centers on the failure to have counsel perfect appeal, the court, if it finds constitutional errors on the face of the record, is warranted in finding that the prejudice to the prisoner is so plain that it should issue the writ discharging the prisoner, subject of course to the right of the state to retry.
See, e.g., Bowers v. Coiner,
Herein called Johnson (1977), so as not to confuse it with the earlier case of Johnson v. McKenzie.
Johnson would still be subject to retrial since retrial would not infringe upon the constitutional protection against double jeopardy. On a retrial and in the event of a subsequent conviction, the defendant would be entitled to the time spent incarcerated under his prior conviction from which he was discharged by the writ of habeas corpus.
See, Patton v. State of North Carolina,
It is settled law the equitable principles are applicable in habe-as corpus proceedings.
Fay v. Noia, supra,
