Cammack v. New York

457 F. Supp. 1190, 1978 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15628
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. New York
DecidedSeptember 11, 1978
DocketNo. 78 C 581
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 457 F. Supp. 1190 (Cammack v. New York) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cammack v. New York, 457 F. Supp. 1190, 1978 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15628 (E.D.N.Y. 1978).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM ORDER

NEAHER, District Judge.

Louis Cammack, a prisoner at New York State’s Clinton Correctional Facility,1 has [1192]*1192petitioned the court pro se for a writ of habeas corpus, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254. The Attorney General for the State of New York, as Attorney for the respondent, has filed an affidavit in opposition to the petition, and has provided the court with transcripts of the various State court proceedings here in issue.

On June 6, 1963, petitioner and a co-defendant Jesse Smalls, pleaded not guilty in New York State Supreme Court, Kings County, to an indictment charging them with first degree murder. Thereafter, on August 1, 1963, both withdrew their previous pleas, and petitioner, who was then represented by counsel, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the first degree, unarmed. See former New York Penal Law § 1050, amended, 1965. The record of that proceeding reflects the following exchange between petitioner and the State court judge, Justice Helfand, after counsel had indicated petitioner’s intention to change his plea and before the plea was accepted by the court:

“THE COURT: Now, Louis Cammack, did you hear and understand what Mr. Ashmead [one of petitioner’s attorneys] said?
“THE DEFENDANT: Yes, sir.
“THE COURT: You have, I take it, conferred with Mr. Ashmead and Mr. Kammel, your lawyers, on a number of occasions, concerning this matter?
“THE DEFENDANT: Yes, sir, I have.
“THE COURT: You know, do you not, that they in turn have consulted and conferred with the District Attorney and the Court?
“THE DEFENDANT: Yes, sir.
“THE COURT: And you are satisfied that they offer this plea on your behalf?
“THE DEFENDANT: Yes, sir.
“THE COURT: And that is what you wish to do, withdraw your prior plea of not guilty, and you want to plead guilty to the felony charge of manslaughter in the first degree, unarmed, to cover the indictment . . . which charges you with the crime of murder in the first degree? Is that what you wish to do?
“THE DEFENDANT: Yes, sir.
“THE COURT: And are you, Louis A. Cammack, pleading guilty to manslaughter in the first degree, unarmed, because you are guilty, that on or about April 25, 1963, here in Brooklyn, acting together with your co-defendant, you shot and killed one, Prince Edward Green, and as a result of which he died thereafter; is that what you are pleading guilty to?
“THE DEFENDANT: Yes, sir.
“THE COURT: Just as I said to your codefendant, has anyone promised you in advance as to what the [sentence] would be in this case which has influenced you to offer this plea of guilty?
“THE DEFENDANT: No, sir.
“THE COURT: In other words, no promises or threats of any kind have been made which have made you take this plea?
“THE DEFENDANT: No, sir.
“THE COURT: You are doing this voluntarily and of your own free will; is that right?
“THE DEFENDANT: Yes, sir.
“THE COURT: Now, just as I told Smalls, the Court makes no promise with respect to sentence; is that clear?
“THE DEFENDANT: Yes, sir.
“THE COURT: Except that we will make a complete investigation by the Probation Department, not only of the facts surrounding the case, but you and your background, and then determine what sentence should be imposed based on the information that I will have before me at the time of the sentence; is that clear?
“THE DEFENDANT: Yes, sir.”

Plea Minutes (8/1/63), at 4-6. Justice Helfand then directed the clerk to take the guilty pleas of petitioner and his codefendant.

[1193]*1193Cammack and Smalls, again represented by counsel, appeared before Justice Helfand for sentencing on November 1, 1963. Smalls was to be sentenced first, and his attorney asked to speak “in connection with the case itself.” Justice Helfand denied this request, noting that his knowledge of the case was complete by virtue of his having conferred with counsel and the district attorney prior to accepting the pleas to the reduced charge and having read the “full and complete” report of the Probation Department. See Sentencing Minutes (11/1/63), at 3-4. The State judge then launched into a fairly detailed account of the offense, relying, apparently, on facts supplied in large measure by Smalls and Cammack. See id. at 4-6. Neither Smalls nor his attorney expressed any disagreement with Justice Helfand’s account.

After sentencing Smalls to a 10-to-20-year term of imprisonment, the court turned its attention to petitioner. After certain preliminary matters had been resolved, petitioner was advised of his right to address the court, and indicated a desire to have his lawyers speak on his behalf. See id. at 7. Mr. Ashmead, who spoke first, observed that the court had before it “a full probation report, complete in all respects,” and asked “the court to give what leniency is possible in view of all the circumstances.” Id. Co-counsel, Arthur Kamell, then addressed the court. Mr. Kamell, who pointed out that he had been present during Smalls’ sentencing, emphasized that Cammack did not have a felony record and sought to impress upon the court “one or two factors which may not appear in the [probation] report”: Cammack’s high intelligence, evidenced by a college scholarship, and his great prospects for “rehabilitation.” See id. at 8.

Plainly, Justice Helfanrd"was not moved by the argument of counsel. He noted that Cammack had “been in and out of the courts all over” and stressed the seriousness of his role in the killing for which he was about to be sentenced. Kamell conceded that petitioner’s part in the unfortunate incident was not in dispute, but again urged the court to consider “the possibility of rehabilitation in this case — .” Id. at 8-9. Bringing the colloquy to an end, Justice Helfand offered a brief comment on petitioner’s culpability and the leniency of the plea arrangement, and imposed a sentence of 10 to 20 years imprisonment. The record contains no indication that petitioner or his attorneys were precluded from apprising the court of any other matter pertinent to sentencing. No appeal was at that time taken from the judgment of conviction and sentence.

In 1970, after making several unsuccessful applications for a writ of error cor-am nobis,2 petitioner and Smalls, pursuant to a procedure approved by the New York Court of Appeals in People v. Montgomery, 24 N.Y.2d 130, 299 N.Y.S.2d 156, 247 N.E.2d 130 (1969), moved before Justice Helfand for resentencing, in order to reinstate their time to appeal their convictions.3

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
457 F. Supp. 1190, 1978 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15628, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cammack-v-new-york-nyed-1978.