Davenport v. United States

274 F. Supp. 944, 1967 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8162
CourtDistrict Court, C.D. California
DecidedOctober 10, 1967
DocketCiv. No. 67-1088
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 274 F. Supp. 944 (Davenport v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, C.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Davenport v. United States, 274 F. Supp. 944, 1967 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8162 (C.D. Cal. 1967).

Opinion

HAUK, District Judge.

Petitioner, Ernest M. Davenport, a Federal prisoner, is here upon motion to vacate his j'udgment of conviction for bank robbery, pursuant to Section 2255 of Title 28 United States Code.1 He [946]*946appears in propria persona, which no appearance by respondent United States.

Allowed to proceed in forma pauperis, Davenport seeks to vacate the judgment of conviction upon the following grounds: (1) that he was not taken before a United States Commissioner, or any such officer similarly empowered, for arraignment as required by Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, Rule 5(a), 18 U.S.C., R.F.Crim.P., Rule 5(a);2 (2) that he was denied representation of counsel in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 3006A; 3 and the Sixth Amendment to the Federal Constitution;4 and (3) that for these reasons [947]*947—failure to bring him before a Commissioner and alleged denial of counsel — his plea of guilty was given under duress.

FACTS AND PROCEEDINGS CONCLUSIVELY SHOWN BY FILES AND RECORDS

In a Complaint filed with the United States Commissioner by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on November 22, 1966, petitioner Davenport was charged along with one other defendant, Tommy Louis Lee Brown, with robbery of a national bank by use of a revolver, a dangerous weapon and device, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a) and (d).5 The Commissioner issued warrants of arrest, one of which was executed by the arrest of Brown on the same day the Complaint was filed, November 22, 1966, and he was brought before the Commissioner immediately, on the day of the arrest. However, Davenport could not be found and his warrant of arrest was returned and filed unexecuted one month later, on December 22, 1966.

In the meantime and in fact the day before Davenport’s warrant of arrest was returned and filed unexecuted, an Indictment was returned by the Federal Grand Jury on December 21, 1966, charging Davenport and Brown with the same crime of bank robbery by use of a revolver, 6 and a bench warrant for Davenport was issued forthwith the same day.

On December 29, 1966, petitioner was located in the Los Angeles County Jail where he was serving a State sentence for traffic violations, and the bench warrant issued on the Indictment was served upon him and returned executed.

Petitioner remained in the County Jail under commitment of the United States Marshal and was brought before this Court on January 16, 1967, at which time the Court notified petitioner of his rights in the following proceedings:

“LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, MONDAY, JANUARY 16, 1967, 10:00 A.M.
“THE COURT: All right. During the proceedings here this morning most of the defendants are going to be asked to respond to certain questions that will be posed by or asked by the court clerk here who sits in front of me. In order that they may be of record and comply with the law, particularly with respect to the appointment of attorneys for those who cannot afford attorneys, [948]*948the defendants are going to be asked to answer these questions under oath.
“At this time I am going to ask the clerk to have all the defendants stand and be sworn to testify truly under oath with respect to these matters of appointment of attorneys.
“THE CLERK: All defendants in the court room, will you please raise your right hand, that is, all defendants.
“You do solemnly swear that you will answer all questions truthfully that may be asked of you by the court? If you do, say T do.’
“THE DEFENDANTS: I do.
“THE COURT: All right, you may be seated.
“Every person who is up here as a defendant and against whom a charge has been made is entitled to have an •attorney represent him at all stages of the proceedings. If he wants to have his own attorney and can afford to hire him, that’s fine, and he may be so, or she may do so. If he or she does not have an attorney and cannot afford one, just answer the questions truthfully, and if that be the situation, an attorney will be appointed for you from a panel approved by the Los Angeles Bar Association, a group of attorneys, all high type and qualified, who will assist you in your defense.
“I might add, it is foolish to try to be your own lawyer. The procedures are not terribly complicated, but they are complicated enough so if you can’t afford one, speak up and one will be appointed.
“First of all, to make sure that ■everyone is represented, then, we will go through the calendar and the clerk will call those cases where it is clear at the moment, or seems to be clear, that there is no attorney appointed. So when your name is called, please stand right where your are, it is not necessary for you to come to the lectern where ordinarily defendants will come for pleas, and you can answer the questions from right where you are. All right.
“THE CLERK: No. 1 on the calendar.
“(Other court matters.)
“THE CLERK: 58 on the calendar. 144 — Criminal, United States of America vs. Ernest Manfred Davenport.
“Mr. Davenport, did you take the oath this morning?
“DEFENDANT DAVENPORT: Yes.
“THE CLERK: Do you have an attorney ?
“DEFENDANT DAVENPORT: No, I don’t.
“THE CLERK: Do you have the money or means with which to employ an attorney?
“DEFENDANT DAVENPORT: No, I don’t.
“THE CLERK: Do you wish the court to appoint an attorney for you ?
“DEFENDANT DAVENPORT: Yes, I do.
“THE COURT: Mr. Jaffe, please represent Mr. Davenport.” (Rep. Tr., Jan 16, 1967, pp. 3-5.)

The Court thereby appointed Sheldon M. Jaffe, Esq., a member of the State Bar of California, a graduate of Harvard Law School, and a highly qualified member of the Central District’s Federal Indigent Defense Panel supplied by the Los Angeles County Bar Association, to represent the petitioner.

Following the appointment of Mr. Jaffe, the Court continued to notify the petitioner and the other defendants present in the courtroom of his and their rights as follows:

“It is my duty now, and I am going to inform you of your Constitutional rights, which the law requires that I do as part of your arraignment here this morning.
“At the time that your respective matters are called you will be asked whether or not you heard these statements, so please listen carefully.

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Related

Billy Mason Eskridge v. United States
443 F.2d 440 (Tenth Circuit, 1971)
Davenport v. United States
301 F. Supp. 1033 (C.D. California, 1969)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
274 F. Supp. 944, 1967 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8162, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/davenport-v-united-states-cacd-1967.