Conroy v. United States

296 F. Supp. 693, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10455
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Oklahoma
DecidedJanuary 20, 1969
DocketCiv. No. 68-C-258
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 296 F. Supp. 693 (Conroy v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Conroy v. United States, 296 F. Supp. 693, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10455 (N.D. Okla. 1969).

Opinion

ORDER

DAUGHERTY, District Judge.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, on December 7, 1968, transferred to this Court a document signed by the above Petitioner and described as being in the nature of a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus. Accordingly, it has been filed in this Court under the above caption. The records of this Court reveal that the Petitioner above named was transferred from this judicial district to the United States Penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kansas, on November 15, 1968. He has not been in this judicial district since that date. An examination of the said Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus indicates that the complaints raised therein are such as may be considered by a Motion under Title 28, United States Code, Section 2255, and, accordingly, the Court will treat the document as a Motion under Section 2255.

The document discloses the following complaints:

1. Refusal of this Court to allow the Petitioner to appeal in forma pauperis from convictions in three criminal eases in this Court1 and sentences pronounced thereon on pleas of guilty by the Petitioner and a denial of an appeal from the Order denying the said appeals in forma pauperis.

2. Refusal of this Court to appoint counsel in connection with the desired appeals above mentioned.

3. Petitioner was not allowed to be present at every stage of the proceedings [695]*695against him in the three criminal cases, with particular reference to proceedings alleged to have been had in this Court on July 30, 1968, August 27, 1968, September 3, 1968 and October 15, 1968.

4. Denial of this Court to appoint substitute counsel in place of counsel previously appointed by the Court to represent the Petitioner in the three criminal cases at Government expense.

5. Failure of the Court to grant the Petitioner speedy trials in the three criminal cases above mentioned, and,

6. Failure of the Court to inform Petitioner as to Court dates and appearances whereby Petitioner could. prepare his defense and also subpoena witnesses.

The Court finds and concludes that the six complaints above set out are each without merit or validity and, therefore, the Motion under Title 28, Section 2255, should be denied and dismissed without an evidentiary hearing. This conclusion is reached because the files and records of the cases conclusively show that the Petitioner is not entitled to relief under Section 2255, supra, on any of said complaints.

With reference to complaint 1, regarding a denial of the right to appeal in forma pauperis from his convictions and sentences on pleas of guilty in the three criminal cases, the Court refers to the Orders entered in said cases on November 19, 1968, and December 6, 1968, copies of which are attached hereto as Exhibits A and B for the purpose of reiterating the reasons why the Petitioner was and is not entitled to such appeals on the ground that the same were frivolous as a matter of law.

With reference to complaint 2, concerning the Court’s refusal to appoint counsel to conduct Petitioner’s appeals in forma pauperis mentioned immediately above, the same reasons that compelled the Court to deny leave to proceed in forma pauperis negated the appointment of counsel, namely, that such appeals were and are frivolous as a matter of law, as determined in the Court’s Orders attached hereto as Exhibits A and B.

With reference to complaint 3, that the Petitioner was not permitted to be present at proceedings had in this Court on July 30, 1968, August 27, 1968, September 3, 1968, and October 15, 1968, the records and files of this Court conclusively show that no Court proceedings were had on any of said dates involving any of the three criminal cases against the Petitioner.

With reference to complaint 4, about the Court denying Petitioner the right to substitute counsel, the Court appointed competent counsel for the Petitioner who represented him throughout the proceedings before this Court in all three cases. The Petitioner did state on October 14, 1968, that he would like to remove his court-appointed attorney as he did not feel that he needed an attorney and wanted to enter a plea of guilty in all three cases. The attorney appointed for the Petitioner was a competent criminal attorney and was representing the Petitioner in a proper and capable fashion. The Court refused to remove the attorney from the cases. The Petitioner’s right to counsel does not carry with it the right to select a particular lawyer as his court-appointed attorney. United States v. Burkeen, 355 F.2d 241 (Sixth Cir. 1966). Nor is the Court required to set aside the prior appointment of counsel and appoint new counsel in the absence of a showing of good cause. United States v. Burkeen, supra. Petitioner claims in his Motion, “that adequate representation was not to be had with counsel of record * * * ” This is a bare conclusion and is not the requisite showing of good cause. Moreover, this was not the reason given to the Court according to the files and records of the cases, as shown by Exhibit C hereto.

With reference to complaint 5, that the Petitioner was denied a speedy trial, the Court finds this complaint to be wholly and conclusively without merit according to the files and records in the cases. The Petitioner was arrested by the FBI on July 18, 1968, on the charge which eventually became Case No. 68-[696]*696CR-91 in this Court. On the same date he was taken before a United States Commissioner. On July 19, 1968, he again appeared before the United States Commissioner, waived counsel in writing, waived a preliminary hearing and was committed by the Commissioner for further proceedings before the United States District Court. On July 19, 1968, the same day, Judge Barrow of this Court appointed Mr. John D. Harris to represent the Petitioner. A Grand Jury was not in session at that time, but a session was called to start on September 4, 1968. This Court received Case No. 68-CR-84, on August 12, 1968, on a signed, consent to transfer the case from the District of Kansas under Rule 20, F.R. Crim.P. This Court received Case No. 68-CR-90, on September 3, 1968, on an Information from the District of Oregon transferred under Rule 20, F.R.Crim.P. This Court entertained Case No. 68-CR-91, on September 5, 1968, on a Waiver of Indictment to the charge in this Court. At the same time (on September 5, 1968) the Petitioner was also before the Court for the purpose of arraignment in all three criminal cases. As Petitioner was being arraigned on the first case above mentioned, he requested that he be granted a mental examination. Further proceedings in the nature of arraignments were then halted and this request was granted. The written Application for Psychiatric Examination, Order of the Court granting same, the mental examination and Doctor’s Report required approximately a month. On October 14, 1968, the Petitioner was again brought before the Court on the three criminal cases at which time the Court found the Petitioner to be mentally competent to stand trial based on the report of the examining psychiatrist. Following this finding, the Court started again to arraign the Petitioner on the three criminal cases during which proceeding the Petitioner requested that he be permitted to confer further with his counsel.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
296 F. Supp. 693, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10455, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/conroy-v-united-states-oknd-1969.