Frank G. Francia v. Felix Rodriguez, Acting Warden, New Mexico State Penitentiary

In 1952, appellant Francia was committed to the state penitentiary at Santa Fe, New Mexico, to serve a sentence of not less than 90 years or more than 99 years for the crime of second degree murder. Sentence was pronounced orally by the then presiding Judge of the District Court of Torrance County, New Mexico, but the records of that court do not contain a judgment and sentence signed by him. In a habeas corpus proceeding brought by Francia in the Supreme Court of the State of New Mexico, the court received in evidence an unsigned minute entry from the records of the Torrance County District…