Gaymon v. Warden, State Prison, No. Cv96-032 42 62 S (Jul. 18, 2000)

2000 Conn. Super. Ct. 8528
CourtConnecticut Superior Court
DecidedJuly 18, 2000
DocketNo. CV96-032 42 62 S
StatusUnpublished

This text of 2000 Conn. Super. Ct. 8528 (Gaymon v. Warden, State Prison, No. Cv96-032 42 62 S (Jul. 18, 2000)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Connecticut Superior Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gaymon v. Warden, State Prison, No. Cv96-032 42 62 S (Jul. 18, 2000), 2000 Conn. Super. Ct. 8528 (Colo. Ct. App. 2000).

Opinion

[EDITOR'S NOTE: This case is unpublished as indicated by the issuing court.]

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION RE: PETITION FOR CERTIFICATION
In this Petition for Certification, the petitioner, Joseph Gaymon, seeks approval to appeal the decision of this Court on June 12, 2000 to dismiss his ineffective assistance of counsel claim. The petitioner, who represented himself pro se, appeared before this Court on May 24, 2000 and was heard on his motion to subpoena certain witnesses in connection with the criminal case underlying the petitioner's habeas petition. See, Exhibit 1 attached (Transcript May 24, 2000). At that time, the Court heard the petitioner's arguments and denied his motion without prejudice to its renewal. Id. at 11. The habeas claim was then scheduled for trial on June 12, 2000 and the petitioner, on the record in open court, indicated that he would refuse to go forward with the trial on the scheduled date. Id. at 12.

On June 12, 2000 the petitioner was present in the courtroom as well as CT Page 8529 counsel for the respondent, who was ready to proceed. In addition, there was a witness present, i.e., plaintiffs trial counsel in the underlying criminal action. See, Exhibit 2 attached (Transcript June 12, 2000).* In lieu of proceeding to trial, the petitioner moved to withdraw the petition without prejudice or, in the alternative, to stay the proceeding for sixty days to determine if the Supreme Court would grant a writ of certiorari in another case which petitioner claims is related to the trial matter. This Court refused to allow the habeas petition to be withdrawn without prejudice or to stay the proceedings, and dismissed the petition based on the petitioner's refusal to offer any evidence in support of the petition. Id.

In his Petition for Certification, the petitioner asserts that this Court abused its discretion in denying the motion to withdraw the petition without prejudice; in refusing to grant the motion for a continuance or a sixty day stay of the trial and in dismissing the petition based on the petitioner's failure to proceed with any evidence.

The Petition for Certification was timely filed, pursuant to General Statutes § 52-470(b), hence the question before this Court is whether such certification should be granted because there is a question involved in the decision of this case which ought to be reviewed by the Appellate Court.

As has been noted in other Superior Court decisions (see Donald W. Utzv. Warden, C.C.I. Somers, 1991 Ct. Sup. 6882, CV90-0107820-S, Judicial District of Stamford, August 8, 1991), the current authority requires this Court in considering a Petition for Certification to do more than simply "rubber stamp" the certification issue. Rather, a "searching inquiry" should be made by the Court to determine whether there is a question involved in the decision of this Court which ought to be reviewed by the Appellate Court.

In the matter of Copas v. Commissioner of Correction, 234 Conn. 139,150-51 (1995), the Connecticut Supreme Court held that "[i]n enacting § 52-470(b), the legislature intended to discourage frivolous habeas appeals." See also, Simms v. Warden, 230 Conn. 608, 616. "A habeas appeal that satisfies one of the criteria set forth in Lozada v. Deeds,498 U.S. 430, 431-32, 111 S.Ct. 860, 112 L.Ed.2d 956 (1991), is not, however, frivolous and warrants appellate review if the appellant can show: that the issues are debatable among jurists of reason; that a court could resolve the issues [in a different manner]; or that the questions are adequate to deserve encouragement to proceed further. . . . Thus, if an appeal is not frivolous, the habeas court's failure to grant certification is an abuse of discretion." [Citations omitted; internal quotation marks omitted.] CT Page 8530

This Court has made a searching inquiry and has determined that the Petition for Certification in this case is frivolous because there are no issues that would satisfy the criteria set forth in Lozada v. Deeds, supra, 498 U.S. 430, for granting an appellate review. The habeas trial schedule was known to the petitioner at least four weeks in advance and the petitioner, pursuant to his expressed intentions at the pretrial hearing on May 24, 2000, refused to go forward with any evidence in support of the petition. This is so even though the petitioner's trial counsel was present in the courtroom and available to be called as a witness. In addition, the petitioner himself could have taken the witness stand to offer evidence in support of his petition. He refused or neglected, however, to do so. In light of these circumstances, and due to the fact that there was no way for this Court to know whether the Supreme Court will grant the petitioner's writ of certiorari in the separate matter which he claimed was related to the habeas trial, it was not an abuse of discretion for this Court to deny the request to withdraw the petition without prejudice and the request for a continuance or stay. The habeas petition in this case was scheduled to commence with a hearing on the merits, and therefore could be withdrawn only by leave of the court for cause shown. See, General Statutes § 52-80. The question of whether to grant a continuance on the day of trial is, similar to the question of whether the habeas petition could be withdrawn on the day of trial, within the discretion of the trial court. See, Hill v. Hill,35 Conn. App. 160, 166 (1994). Further, when a plaintiff is nonsuited after refusing to prosecute his lawsuit on the day it is scheduled for trial, he has his own actions to blame for the dismissal and is not entitled to a new trial. See, Hill v. Hill, supra, 35 Conn. App. 168-171. Under the totality of the circumstances of this case, the petitioner's own actions led to the dismissal of his petition. The petitioner's refusal to go forward with any evidence in support of his petition, even though he could have done so, is a legally sufficient ground for dismissal. See, Practice Book § 23-29(5). Therefore, the Petition for Certification is denied.

______________________ White, J.

EXHIBIT ONE

DOCKET NO. CV9603243262S * * * * * * * * * * * * * X CT Page 8531

JOSEPH GAYMON : SUPERIOR COURT OF CONNECTICUT

-VS- : JUDICIAL DISTRICT OF DANBURY

WARDEN, STATE PRISON : MAY 24, 2000 * * * * * * * * * * * * * x

BEFORE:

THE HONORABLE GARY J. WHITE, JUDGE

APPEARANCES:

JOSEPH GAYMON, PRO SE

RICHARD F. JACOBSON, ESQUIRE Special Assistant State's Attorney 1061 Main Street Bridgeport, Connecticut 06604 ATTORNEY FOR THE DEFENDANT

Kimberly Sotiro Court Monitor

THE COURT: All right. We're here on the matter, Gaymon v. Warden. Mr. Gaymon's in the courtroom. The Warden is represented by Attorney Jacobson, I believe it is, who is not present. Mr.

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Related

Lozada v. Deeds
498 U.S. 430 (Supreme Court, 1991)
Simms v. Warden, State Prison
646 A.2d 126 (Supreme Court of Connecticut, 1994)
Copas v. Commissioner of Correction
662 A.2d 718 (Supreme Court of Connecticut, 1995)
Hill v. Hill
644 A.2d 951 (Connecticut Appellate Court, 1994)

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Bluebook (online)
2000 Conn. Super. Ct. 8528, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gaymon-v-warden-state-prison-no-cv96-032-42-62-s-jul-18-2000-connsuperct-2000.