medley argued decided march britton henry wise garnett berry petitioner teller respondents miller application james medley writ habeas corpus object relieve imprisonment held lamping warden state penitentiary state colorado petitioner held prisoner sentence death pronounced district second district state colorado county arapahoe petition prisoner sets forth indictment murder ellen medley found grand jury arapahoe county day june indictment charges petitioner murder took place day may year tried said district day september thereafter found guilty jury murder first degree day november sentenced remanded custody sheriff arapahoe county within hours taken said sheriff delivered warden state penitentiary kept solitary confinement fourth week month december thereafter upon day hour designated warden taken said place confinement place execution within confines penitentiary hanged neck dead copies indictment verdict jury sentence annexed petition exhibits petitioner sets forth sentenced statute colorado approved april went effect july repealed acts parts former acts inconsistent therewith without saving clause crime account sentence passed charged actually committed day may year petitioner enumerates variances statute force time crime committed sentenced punishment present case claimed changes prejudice injury therefore ex post facto within meaning section art copstitution declares state shall pass bill attainder ex post facto law petitioner applies directly writ habeas corpus instead circuit alleges similar case involving points decided adversely petitioner upon examining petition accompanying exbibits order made writ issue returnable forthwith arrangement parties counsel agreed prisoner need person brought washington case therefore heard documents transcripts record presented question argued us whether act april constitution state colorado became operative day july thereafter sentence complained posed district ex post facto law void provision constitution subject respect violation constitutional provision statute found session laws stat colorado follows act relative time place manner infliction death penalty provide means infliction penalty making misdemeanor punishable fine imprisonment disclose publish proceedings relation thereto enacted general assembly state colorado section commissioners state penitentiary expense state colorado shall provide suitable room place inclosed public view within walls penitentiary therein erect construct times preparation necessary scaffolding drops appliances requisite carrying execution death penalty punishment death must every case death sentence pronounced state inflicted warden said state penitentiary room place appliances provided aforesaid hanging convict neck shall dead sec whenever person convicted crime punishment whereof death convicted person sentenced suffer penalty death judge passing sentence shall appoint designate warrant conviction week time within sentence must executed week appointed shall less two four weeks day passing sentence said warrant shall directed warden state penitentiary state commanding said warden execution sentence imposed aforesaid upon day within week time designated said warrant shall delivered sheriff county wherein conviction shall within hours thereafter proceed said penitentiary deliver convicted person together warrant aforesaid said warden shall keep convict solitary confinement infliction death penalty person shall allowed access said convict except attendants counsel physician spiritual adviser selection members family accordance prison regulations sec particular day hour execution said sentence within week specified said warrant shall fixed said warden shall invite present thereat sheriff county wherein conviction chaplain physician penitentiary one practicing surgeon resident state spiritual adviser convict six reputable citizens state full age said warden may also appoint three deputies guards assist executing said sentence said warden shall permit person persons present execution except provided section time fixed said warden said execution shall kept secret manner divulged except privately persons invited present aforesaid persons invited shall divulge invitation person persons whomsoever manner disclose time execution persons present execution shall keep whatever may transpire thereat secret inviolate save except facts certified hereinafter provided account details execution beyond statement fact convict day question duly executed according law state penitentiary shall manner published state sec upon receiving notice said warden execution shall duty said sheriff present witness execution shall receive cause certified transcript record said execution hereinafter specified filed within ten days said execution office clerk said conviction said clerk shall record said transcript length records said case case disability illness sufficient cause said warden said sheriff present execution shall duty respective deputies acting place stead execute said warrant perform duties connection therewith act imposed upon principals sec said warden shall keep book record known executions shall entered length reports hereinafter specified immediately said execution post moitem examination body convict shall made attending physician surgeon shall enter said book record nature extent examination sign certify said warden shall also immediately make enter said book report setting forth time execution convict naming executed conformity sentence specified warrant naming directed accordance provisions act shall insert said report names persons present witnessed said execution shall procure every persons sign said report full name place residence leaving place execution said warden shall thereupon attach certificate said report certifying truth correctness thereof shall immediately deliver certified transcript said record entry said sheriff sec person shall violate omit comply section act shall guilty misdemeanor upon conviction thereof punished fine less imprisonment county jail less thirty days six months sec warden person acting stead performs duties imposed upon act shall paid services moneys provided maintenance said state penitentiary sum fifty dollars said sheriff shall paid services county conviction sum dollars together mileage fees provided law sec acts parts acts inconsistent provisions act hereby repealed approved april section article constitution state colorado amended november follows act general assembly shall take effect ninety days passage unless case emergency shall expressed preamble body act general assembly shall vote members elected house otherwise direct bill except general appropriation expenses government introduced either house general assembly first thirty days session shall become law think follows provision neither repealing clause part act force prior july crime committed may year governed particulars trial punishment law force except far legislature power apply principles trial punishment crime conducted administered law became law commission offense provisions far applied case prisoner invasions rights properly called ex post facto laws void unnecessary examine points according argument plaintiff new statute expost facto therefore shall notice appear us mot deserving attention shall compare new statute one superseded repealed first perhaps important declares warden shall keep convict solitary confinement infliction death penalty former law act contained provision declared every person convicted murder first degree suffer death every person convicted murder second degree suffer imprisonment penitentiary term less years might extend life declared manner inflicting punishment death hanging person convicted neck death time direct less days time sentence pronounced unless good cause governor might prolong time prisoner kept county jail control sheriff county officer charged execution sentence solitary confinement neither authorized former statute practice use regard prisoners awaiting punishment death matter solitary confinement seems supposed counsel suggested able opinion statute furnished us brief counsel state judge hayt case tyson pac mere unimportant regulation prisoner relieved objectionable features qualifying language person shall allowed access said convict except attendants counsel physician spiritual adviser selection members family accordance prison regulations solitary confinement punishment crime interesting history almost countries imprisonment one means punishment exhaustive article subject american encyclopedia vol word history given article said first plan adopted public attention called evils congregating persons masses without employment solitary prison connected hospital san michele rome little known prior experiment penitentiary philadelphia peculiarities system complete isolation prisoner human society confinement cell considerable size arranged direct intercourse sight human employment instruction prisons plan less liberal size cells perfection appliances erected massachusetts new jersey maryland experience demonstrated serious objections considerable number prisoners fell even short confinement fatuous condition next impossible arouse others became violently insane others still committed suicide stood ordeal better generally reformed cases recover sufficient mental activity subsequent service community became evident changes must made system separate system originated philadelphia society ameliorating miseries public prisons founded article gives great variety instances system somewhat modified within memory many persons interested prison discipline years ago whole subject attracted general public attention main feature solitary confinement found severe mode imprio nment phrase confinement applied nearly instances used means exclusion human associations intended mitigate statutory enactment regulations persons authority express exceptions modifications original principle confinement statute colorado undoubtedly framed idea instead confinement ordinary county prison place friends reside may control sheriff see visit sheriff attendants must see religious adviser legal counsel may often visit without hindrance law subject convict transferred place imprisonment always implies disgrace judicially decided ex parte wilson sup mackin sup parkinson sup de walt sup infamous punishment kept confinement primary meaning phrase already explained qualifying phrase statute small mitigation solitary confinement expressly declares one shall allowed access convict except certain persons admissible unless access prisoner accordance prison regulations prescribed board commissioners penitentiary section general statutes colorado force since section declares board commissioners penitentiary shall make rules regulations government discipline police penitentiary punishment persons confined inconsistent law deem expedient may particular time unknown far may permit access counsel physicians spiritual adviser members family matter discretion exercise general rules may altered time exclude persons thus prisoner left worst form solitary confinement even statutory amelioration limited one words attendants statute evidently meant officers prison subordinates must necessarily furnish food clothing make inspection every day still exists may forbidden prison regulations however holding conversation attendance counsel casual interviews one two perhaps death physician unless sick require spiritual adviser selection members family dependent opportunities seeing prisoner upon regulations prison solitary confinement meant statute remains essential character mode prison life originally prescribed carried mark examples punishment worst crimes human race brief counsel prisoner furnishes us statutory history solitary confinement english law act geo ii entitled act better preventing horrid crime murder preceded following preamble horrid crime murder late frequently perpetrated formerly whereas thereby become necessary terror peculiar mark infamy added punishment death law inflicted shall guilty said heinous offense follow certain enactments sixth sectiono reads follows enacted conviction judgment given thereupon jailer keeper criminal shall delivered safe custody shall confine prisoner cell separate apart prisoners person persons whatsoever except jailer keeper servants shall access prisoner without license first obtained statute pertinent case us understood solitary confinement day second considered additional punishment severe kind spoken preamble terror peculiar makr infamy added punishment death great britain countries public sentiment revolted severity statute wm iv additional punishment solitary confinement repealed term post facto law found provision constitution state shall pass bill attainder ex post facto law law impairing obligation contracts held apply criminal laws alone often subject construction without making extracts decisions may said law passed commission offense party tried ex post facto law inflicts greater punishment law annexed crime time committed calder bull dall kring missouri sup fletcher peck cranch alters situation accused disadvantage one criminally punished country except according law prescribed government sovereign authority imputed offense committed law passed afterwards punishment increased seems us considerations suggested show solitary confinement prisoner subjected statute colorado judgment pursuance statute additional punishment important painful character therefore forbidden provision constitution another provision statute supposed liable objection ex post facto character found section particular day hour execution sentence within week specified warrant shall fixed warden shall invite present certain persons named chaplain physician surgeon spiritual adviser convict six reputable citizens state full age time fixed said warden exeuction shall kept secret manner divulged except privately said persons invited present aforesaid persons shall divulge invitation person persons whomsoever manner disclose time execution section provides person shall violate omit comply requirements section act shall punished fine imprisonment understand meaning section within one week mentioned judgment warden charged power fixing precise day hour prisoner shall executed forbidden communicate time prisoner persons directed invite present execution forbidden communicate time fact prisoner kept utter ignorance day hour mortal life shall terminated hanging moment rives act done objections made provision departure law stood additional punishment prisoner therefore ex post facto obvious confers upon warden penitentiary power heretofore solely confided therefore departure law stood crime committed withhold conviction proposition prisoner sentenced death confined penitentiary awaiting execution sentence one horrible feelings subjected time uncertainty whole may exist period four weeks precise time execution shall take place notwithstanding argument former systems administering capital punishment officer appointed execute right select time day done new power fixing day hour period week execution new important power conferred officer departure law existed time offense committed secrecy must accompanied immense mental anxiety amounting great increase offender punishment provisions statute pointed argument counsel alleged subject objection think two mentioned quite sufficient show constitution violated statute applied crimes committed came force considerations render duty order release prisoner custody warden penitentiary colorado held judgment order question suggests however little embarrassing presented counsel argument case consideration arises fact seem record us error proceedings trial verdict jury party convicted murder first degree sentence judgment upon verdict entered error proceedings commences language judgment prisoner ordered warden penitentiary solitary confinement day execution knowledge day hour execution statute withheld constitution violated additional punishments inflicted reason direction statute seen ex post facto law respects void forbidden constitution writ error colorado kring case writ error missouri duty plain namely reverse judgment error found remand case state proceedings case us duty reverse judgment remand case deal prisoner face fact verdict guilty valid legal remains unenforced writ habeas corpus anything else discharge prisoner wrongful confinement penitentiary statute colorado invalid case language act congress however seems contemplated emergency kind us section revised statutes declares justice judge prisoner may brought writ habeas corpus shall proceed ina summary way determine facts case hearing testimony argument thereupon dispose party law justice require disposition shall make prisoner entitled discharge custody warden penitentiary order judgment within language section custody violation constitution nevertheless guilty record us shows crime murder first degree think authorized remand prisoner custody sheriff proper county proceeded colorado condemned manner may think proper apparent statute held custody ex post facto law regard offense repeals former law might otherwise punished advised whether possesses power deal prisoner question us acted upon neither inclination duty decide may may regard case stands upon whole due deliberation come conclusion attorney general state colorado shall notified warden penitentiary precise time release prisoner custody present sentence warrant least days beforehand time shall discharge prisoner custody order consideration application discharge petitioner james medley writ habeas corpus directing lamping warden state penitentiary state colorado canon city fremont county state colorado produce body said james medley certify cause detention imprisonment duly issued served said lamping warden aforesaid certified said james medley detained custody virtue writ issued district arapahoe county state colorado cause said imprisonment duly inquired upon return said writ habeas corpus heretofore issued herein counsel heretofore heard due consideration ordered imprisonment said james medley said writ issued district arapahoe county state colorado without authority law violation constituion said james medley entitled liberty whereupon hereby ordered said james medley hereby discharged said imprisonment ordered said lamping warden aforesaid notify attorney general state colorado day hour day discharge said james medley imprisonment notice given least days release prisoner brewer dissenting dissent opinion judgment declared substantial punishment imposed statute death hanging differences two manner sentence death shall carried execution trifling old law execution must within days day sentence new within days old ment prior execution county jail new penitentiary old sheriff hangman new warden old one right access condemned except counsel though sheriff might discretion permit one see new attendants counsel physician spiritual adviser members family right access one else permitted see old confinement might absolutely solitary discretion sheriff single interruption new access given matter right permitted see true access subject prison regulations jail single authorized access counsel subject jail regulations assumed either regulations unreasonable operate prevent access proper time surely see condemned right access subject regulations prison seems misnomer call confinement harsh sense phrase sometimes used meant condemned murderer shall permitted hold anything like public reception gaping crowd shall excluded presence old law sheriff fixes hour within prescribed day new warden fixes hour day within named week differences find two statutes worthy mention ever case maxim minimis non curat lex wholesome application yet account differences convicted murderer escape death deserves turned loose society authorized say justice bradley concurs dissent