Fugate v. Gaffney

313 F. Supp. 128, 1970 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11802
CourtDistrict Court, D. Nebraska
DecidedMay 7, 1970
DocketNo. 1307 L
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 313 F. Supp. 128 (Fugate v. Gaffney) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Nebraska primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fugate v. Gaffney, 313 F. Supp. 128, 1970 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11802 (D. Neb. 1970).

Opinion

FINDINGS AND OPINION

ELMO B. HUNTER, District Judge.

Caril Ann Fugate, who is incarcerated in the Women’s Reformatory at York, Nebraska, filed on December 5, 1967, in District Court for the District of Nebraska a petition for a writ of habeas corpus. In her petition she contends she suffered in the Nebraska state court a conviction and life sentence for first degree murder that should be invalidated and set aside because her conviction was obtained in violation of certain of her constitutional rights as will be later detailed and discussed. Eventually, both of the federal district court judges of Nebraska disqualified themselves, and on January 19, 1970, the undersigned judge was designated and authorized to process and decide this case.

On February 6, 1970, a full evidentiary hearing was accorded petitioner and respondent. At that hearing Miss Fugate and her counsel, John McArthur, testified. Additionally, the entire transcripts and records of the prior state court actions were introduced in evidence.

An examination of the record in the instant case convinces that there has been substantial exhaustion of all state court remedies and it is in the public interest, as all parties concede, that this post-conviction remedy action be entertained and decided by the undersigned court.

Background

There is no serious dispute concerning much of the factual background leading up to the present case. Miss Fugate, who was then fourteen years old, was a companion of and stayed and traveled with Charles Starkweather for a nine [131]*131day period during a series of heinous killings, some eleven in number, that took place in and around Lincoln, Nebraska, in January, 1958. She accompanied Starkweather in his efforts to elude the authorities. They were eventually apprehended in Wyoming on January 29, 1958.1 She was charged in a two count indictment, the second count alleging that she did unlawfully, feloniously, and purposely in the perpetration of a robbery, kill Robert William Jensen. Her conviction on Count II and life sentence thereon is the subject of her present post-conviction challenge.2

Petitioner’s Current Contentions

In this case petitioner renews certain contentions of alleged constitutional error that she presented in her state post-conviction action and in her other various state court actions.3 These present contentions which she claims, violated her fifth, sixth and fourteenth amendment rights are:

1. That at her trial for first degree murder she was wrongfully deprived of the services of counsel of her selection; namely, Mr. Merril R. Reller, now deceased.
2. That a juror made a pretrial bet that she would receive the death penalty, thereby depriving her of a fair and impartial jury as guaranteed by the sixth amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
3. That the news media publicity deprived her of a fair trial.
4. That certain incriminating admissions and confessions used against her at her trial were obtained from her by duress, and in the absence of her having counsel to represent her.
5. That she was wrongfully induced to waive her extradition rights and to return to the State of Nebraska from the State of Wyoming.
6. That she was required to be arraigned and to enter a plea without assistance of counsel.
7. That she was induced by trickery and deceit to write a letter for law enforcement officers to be used by them to induce a witness to testify against her.
8. That the state knowingly used perjured testimony in the trial.
9. That the totality of all the circumstances was such that she was wrongfully deprived of her constitutional rights, of due process of law and of a fair trial.

Federal Standards of Review

The federal standards of review in post-conviction actions concerning state criminal cases are articulated in the trilogy and in more recent federal cases such as Kaufman v. United States, 394 U.S. 217, 89 S.Ct. 1068, 22 [132]*132L.Ed.2d 227 (1969).4 Broadly stated, the inquiry is whether the state prisoner is in custody in violation of the Constitution or laws or treaties of the United States. See, 28 U.S.C. Section 2254(a) and 28 U.S.C. Section 2254(d) as amended. The more particular inquiries will be discussed as each of petitioner’s contentions are examined. It is the duty of the reviewing federal court to make its own independent determination on federal questions. See, In Matter of Parker, 423 F.2d 1021 (8th C.C.A. 1970); Doerflein v. Bennett, 405 F.2d 171 (8th Cir. 1969).

In a federal habeas corpus proceeding under 28 U.S.C. Section 2254(d) as amended it is provided that the state court determination of a factual issue “shall be presumed to be correct” unless the applicant establishes a circumstance, therein enumerated, which proves the unreliability of the state proceeding. See, In the Matter of Parker, supra, and its numerous citations on this point. Of course, the presumptive correctness of the state court’s finding is always rebuttable. See, Brown v. Crouse, 399 F.2d 311 (10th Cir. 1968), and the Triology cases.

Contention of Deprivation of Counsel of Own Selection

First to be examined is petitioner’s contention that she was deprived of the full services of counsel of her own choice.5 The facts involved are relatively undisputed.

The record discloses that about the time of petitioner’s arraignment, it being apparent that she needed an attorney to represent her, she filed a motion and affidavit under oath stating that she was without funds or resources to obtain, employ and pay counsel and requested the court to appoint an attorney to defend her. She did not suggest the name of any particular attorney but left the selection to the court.

Pursuant to her written request, Nebraska District Court Judge Harry A. Spencer (now Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Nebraska) by written order appointed John H. McArthur, of the Lincoln, Nebraska bar, to represent her. Mr. McArthur has represented petitioner from that time to and including the present time. At the time of his appointment Mr. McArthur had been an active practicing attorney for some twenty-three years and was then forty-eight years old. He was experienced in both civil and criminal matters. He immediately began preparation of petitioner’s defense and from then on worked diligently on her case.

Officing with Mr. McArthur was another lawyer, Mr. Merril R. Reller, now deceased. Mr. McArthur and Mr. Reller were not partners but with varying frequency occasionally assisted each other in some legal matters and in some cases, [133]*133making a separate arrangement each time as to whether it was just an informal exchange of services or on a fee-sharing or pay basis. Each had his own independent practice. Mr.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Utt v. State
443 A.2d 582 (Court of Appeals of Maryland, 1982)
Sánchez Ayala v. Rodríguez Fortier
104 P.R. Dec. 862 (Supreme Court of Puerto Rico, 1976)
Caril Ann Fugate v. Madolyn Gaffney
453 F.2d 362 (Eighth Circuit, 1972)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
313 F. Supp. 128, 1970 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11802, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fugate-v-gaffney-ned-1970.