People v. Shorts

This case presents initially the following question: In a death penalty case, after the judgment of conviction has been reviewed and affirmed on appeal and has been thereafter attacked in the trial court by motion to vacate (in the nature of coram nobis), which motion has been denied, does the right of the defendant to appeal from the order of denial carry with it as of course a right to stay of execution?

We conclude that the right is not absolute; that the final judgment which has been affirmed after review on appeal is possessed of strong presumptions of regularity and validity in every…