Ash v. Reilly

354 F. Supp. 2d 1
CourtDistrict Court, District of Columbia
DecidedMarch 25, 2007
DocketCivil Action 03-2007 (RMU)(AK)
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 354 F. Supp. 2d 1 (Ash v. Reilly) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, District of Columbia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ash v. Reilly, 354 F. Supp. 2d 1 (D.D.C. 2007).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM ORDER

ALAN KAY, United States Magistrate Judge.

Before the Court is the Petitioner’s Amended Petition for a Writ of Habeas Corpus [5] brought under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 and 2243, the Respondent’s Opposition [8] and the Petitioner’s Reply [9] and the Respondent’s Response to the Petitioner’s Reply [11]. The Petitioner is challenging his present detention on the basis that his rights were violated at an August 13, 2003 parole revocation hearing at which time his parole was revoked and his current sentence of 102 months was imposed.

I. FACTUAL BACKGROUND

The Petitioner, Wilbur Ash 1 is currently being incarcerated at the Lee United *3 States Penitentiary in Bennington Gap, Virginia. Ash first petitioned for habeas relief on September 26, 2003 at which time he was being incarcerated at the Central Treatment Facility in Washington, D.C. An Amended Writ of Habeas relief was filed on September 3, 2004.

Wilbur Ash was sentenced on March 3, 1995 in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia to 5-to-15 years for possession with intent to distribute cocaine. On March 8, 2001, Mr. Ash was released on parole. On April 4, 2002, Ash was charged, in Baltimore, Maryland, with attempted murder, assault in the first and second degree, and carrying a dangerous and deadly weapon. The charges against him arose from events that are alleged to have occurred on April 1, 2002. Although all of the charges against Mr. Ash were dismissed on June 12, 2003 by the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Mr. Ash was detained by the Parole Commission for alleged violations of his parole. A probable cause hearing was held on June 20, 2003, at which time the hearing examiner made a no probable cause finding on technical violations and the attempted murder charge, but found probable cause with regard to the three assault counts. A parole revocation hearing was thus scheduled.

At the August 13, 2003 parole revocation hearing, Officer Ronald Shepke, the author of the police report of the incident, appeared as the sole witness to testify against Mr. Ash for the Commission. Jerome Simms, a witness for the Petitioner, and the alleged crime victim, did not appear at the hearing despite having been subpoenaed to testify. The only witnesses who testified at the parole revocation hearing were Mohammed Gassama, the Petitioners Court Supervision Officer, and Officer Shepke.

Officer Shepke testified that he had no personal knowledge of what had happened. (Tr. at 21, 23, 27, and 28.) The Officer did testify to having seen the Petitioner leaving the residence where the incident was alleged to have taken place, and that he saw the Petitioner make a throwing motion and apparently toss an object over a fence. (Tr. at 18.) After the Petitioner was apprehended, Officer Shepke retrieved a box cutter from the vicinity. (Id.)

The only evidence presented at the parole revocation hearing regarding the alleged ‘cutting’ was based on Officer Shepke’s police report, which was based solely on hearsay statements made by four or five alleged witnesses to the officer following the incident. (Tr. at 20, 22.) These witnesses were not brought to testify at the parole hearing and there is a dispute between the parties as to whether their identities were shared with the Petitioner and his counsel in advance of the hearing. Additionally, the Parole Commission admitted to the Defendant that there were two other adverse witnesses but that the Commission was not calling them to testify at the revocation hearing. (Motion at 19.) There was not a good cause finding made as to why these two witnesses were not called to testify.

Prior to, and immediately following Officer Shepke’s testimony, defense counsel objected to the officer’s testimony regarding facts about which he did not have personal knowledge, and based' solely on statements told to him by eyewitnesses not present at the revocation hearing. Ash’s counsel claimed that the officer’s testimony violated Mr. Ash’s Sixth and Fourteenth Amendment right to confront and cross-examine adverse witnesses. (Tr. at 34-35, 44.)

The hearing officer found against Mr. Ash on all counts. This decision was based on the testimony of Officer Shepke, the arrest report (which contained the hearsay statements, of alleged eyewitnesses), and hospital records relating to *4 treatment of the victim to the incident. (See Petition at 9.) Based on these findings, the hearing officer recommended that Mr. Ash be incarcerated until the expiration of his sentence, approximately 102 months. (Tr. at 52.)

The recommendation of the hearing officer resulted in the revocation of Mr. Ash’s parole on September 4, 2003 and he was sentenced as recommended.

II. LEGAL ANALYSIS

A. Jurisdictional Analysis

Before this Court can consider the merits of the Petitioner’s claim, the Court must determine whether it has jurisdiction to entertain said petition. Ex Parte McCardle, 74 U.S. (7 Wall.) 506, 19 L.Ed. 264 (1868). The current action has been brought under 28 U.S.C. §§ 2241 and 2243. 28 U.S.C. § 2241(a) states that “[wjrits of habeas corpus may be granted by ... the district courts and any circuit judge within their respective jurisdiction.” The Respondent argues that the present petition should have been brought under 28 U.S.C. § 2254, the habeas provision applicable to criminal defendants detained pursuant to a judgement of a state court. (Opposition at 1.) § 2254 states that relief may be sought by “a person in custody pursuant to the judgment of a State court only on the ground that he is in custody in violation of the constitution or laws or treaties of the United States.” There is no dispute that the district court would have jurisdiction over this case if filed under § 2254. Thus, the Respondent’s claims are based on a pure technicality. The Respondent does not contest the court’s jurisdiction to consider Mr. Ash’s habeas claim, it is only contesting the statutory provision used by the Petitioner to invoke this Court’s jurisdiction. Although a technicality, this argument warrants careful consideration. The Respondent cites Madley v. United States Parole Commission, 278 F.3d 1306 (D.C.Cir.2002) for its assertion that a prisoner held pursuant to a 'state court action, if he wishes to seek relief in the federal courts, must do so pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254, not §§ 2241 nor 2243. The government’s reliance on Madley for this broad assertion is incorrect. In Madley,

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Bluebook (online)
354 F. Supp. 2d 1, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ash-v-reilly-dcd-2007.