Artukovic v. Boyle

107 F. Supp. 11, 1952 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3724, 1952 WL 47584
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. California
DecidedJuly 14, 1952
DocketCiv. 13467
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 107 F. Supp. 11 (Artukovic v. Boyle) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Artukovic v. Boyle, 107 F. Supp. 11, 1952 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3724, 1952 WL 47584 (S.D. Cal. 1952).

Opinion

HALL, District Judge.

On August 29, 1951, the petitioner, An-drija Artukovic, was arrested in Los An-geles pursuant to a warrant of arrest issued by the United States Commissioner of this district and division, Howard V. Cal-verley, upon a complaint filed that day for extradition to the country now known as Yugoslavia.

The complaint was signed by one Rafo Ivancevic who described himself as “Consul General of the Federal People’s Republic of Yugoslavia.” The complaint did not directly charge the petitioner herein with any offense but alleged that the complainant Ivancevic was “informed through Yugoslavian Consular channels” that the petitioner herein was duly charged in Yugoslavia with “having murdered and caused to be murdered” several persons named in the complaint, during the years 1941 and 1942, and that a warrant had been issued in Yugoslavia for his arrest.

Extradition was and is sought under the provisions of Title 18 U.S.C. §§ 3181, 3184, 3188, 3189, 3190, 3195, 1 and the *13 Treaty of Extradition with the Kingdom of Serbia of May 17, 1902, 32 Stat. 1890. 2

*14 Section 3141 of Title 18 U.S.C. 3 does not permit bail to be taken by a Commissioner-in a capital case and accordingly it was refused by the Commissioner, whereupon the petitioner filed the petition for a writ of habeas corpus on September 12, 1951, wherein his release was then sought on bail pending the hearing on the com *15 plaint for extradition before the Commissioner.

At the time of the return to the writ on September 17, 1951, the United States Marshal, Honorable James J. Boyle, appeared by the United States Attorney, and the Yugoslavian Government appeared by its counsel, Ronald L. Walker, Esq., both in opposition to the granting of the writ.

On that hearing it became apparent from arguments of counsel that the petitioner desired to and was in fact, attacking the legal merits of the extradition complaint on grounds not stated in the then pending petition. Accordingly, the petitioner, upon motion, was allowed to amend by adding to the petition challenges to the legal merits of the proceedings on the grounds of noncompliance with applicable statutes, nonexistence of an extradition treaty with Yugoslavia, and that the complaint showed on its face that the alleged crimes were “political offenses,” that is, that the complaint on its face did not allege facts which, if true, would entitle the Yugoslavian government to extradite the petitioner either under the statutes or under the treaty depended upon by the Yugoslavian government. The amended petition was filed September 19, 1951.

The petition as thus amended, together with the response filed by the Marshal and by the Yugoslavian Government raised serious questions which would not permit of a precipitous or hurried decision. The parties desired to brief and to argue the legal points raised. Accordingly the matter was continued to October 8, 1951.

In the exercise of the undoubted power and jurisdiction of the court on the filing of the petition for a writ of habeas corpus to enlarge a petitioner on bail pending the determination of the merits of the writ, Barth v. Clise, 1871, 12 Wall. 400, 402, 79 U.S. 400, 401, 402, 20 L.Ed. 393; Wright v. Henkel, 1903, 190 U.S. 40, 23 S.Ct. 781, 47 L.Ed. 948; In re Mitchell, D.C.1909, 171 F. 289; Fernandez v. Phillips, 1925, 268 U.S. 311, 45 S.Ct. 541, 69 L.Ed. 970; In re Gannon, D.C.1928, 27 F.2d 362; In re Klein, D.C.1930, 46 F.2d 85, the petitioner was enlarged on bail pending the final hearing and decision on the petition for writ of habeas corpus. Although petitioner had been enlarged on bail in the sum of $1,000 in the deportation proceeding against him, his bail herein was fixed at $50,000, with his consent, and corporate bail was not allowed. 4

*16 On October 8, 1951, counsel for Yugoslavia indicated that he desired to file an amended complaint before the Gommission-

er. Accordingly, after further testimony and argument on that day, the matter was again continued to October 22, 1951. In *17 the meanwhile and on October 15, 1951, the Yugoslavian government filed with the Commissioner an amended complaint, a part of which consisted of authenticated copies of an English translation of a “warrant” issued by the “County Court of Zagreb” of the “People’s Republic of Croatia” on September 6, 1951, and an “indictment” which was filed with that court on the same day. This complaint on its face showed that no charge had been filed in any court in Yugoslavia on the date of the filing of the original complaint (August 29, 1951) and was not filed until some days thereafter, (September 4, or 5, or 6, 1951.) That deficiency and others as existed in the original complaint and as are not present in the amended one were remedied by the amended complaint. Mishimura Ekiu v. United States, 1892, 142 U.S. 651, 12 S.Ct. 336, 35 L.Ed. 1146; Iasigi v. Van De Carr, 1897, 166 U.S. 391, 17 S.Ct. 595, 41 L.Ed. 1045.

The parties stipulated that the warrant and the bond on the original petition for a writ of habeas corpus should stand as against the new complaint. On October 22, 1951, the matter was continued to November 5, 1951, for further briefing, which had not then been finished by either party, and on that date it was continued to January 14, 1952, in order that counsel for the various parties might complete their research and file briefs, many documents and materials upon which the parties rely being either out of print or not available in this community, and available only in the State Department or the Library of Congress. On November 5, 1951, the parties were given thirty days to file their briefs and supporting materials,- but the petitioner’s was not received until January 11, 1952, and the Yugoslavian briefs were not filed until the morning of the hearing on January 14th, 1952.

In recognition of the difficulties of research, the seriousness of the questions involved and the consequences of any judgment of this court, the parties have thus been allowed full opportunity for research, briefing and hearing.

In consideration of the petition for the writ filed, as it was, prior to the hearing before the Commissioner, this Court is limited in its inquiry to whether the Commissioner has jurisdiction. Wright v. Henkel, 1903, 190 U.S. 40, 23 S.Ct. 781, 47 L.Ed. 948; In re Mitchell, D.C. 1909, 171 F.

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Bluebook (online)
107 F. Supp. 11, 1952 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3724, 1952 WL 47584, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/artukovic-v-boyle-casd-1952.