Conroy v. United States

296 F. Supp. 693, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10455
District Court, N.D. Oklahoma·Decided January 20, 1969·No. Civ. No. 68-C-258·Published·Cited by 6 cases

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] against 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.

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

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