Griffin v. Ross

259 F. Supp. 594, 1966 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7427
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. North Carolina
DecidedAugust 31, 1966
DocketCiv. No. 1890
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 259 F. Supp. 594 (Griffin v. Ross) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Griffin v. Ross, 259 F. Supp. 594, 1966 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7427 (E.D.N.C. 1966).

Opinion

OPINION and ORDER

LARKINS, District Judge.

SUMMARY

This cause comes before the Court upon a petition for writ of habeas corpus, filed by a State prisoner pursuant to the provisions of Title 28, U.S.C.A. § 2254. Issues were joined by respondent making answer and filing Motion to Dismiss.

Petitioner alleges that his rights as guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States were denied him in the following particulars:

(1) an illegal confession was submitted,
(2) he was denied conference with family, counsel and friends,
(3) he had incompetent counsel at the original trial,
(4) he was not advised of his constitutional right to remain silent and was [596]*596not informed that anything he said could be used against him,
(5) he was illegally brought from New Jersey into South Carolina and then from South Carolina into North Carolina; and
(6) he was detained in the “common jail of Iredell County, North Carolina (for a period of approximately eight months without the right of counsel) and petitioner was, therefore, held incommunicado.”

In support of the first and fourth contentions, petitioner alleges that the confession submitted at the murder trial in North Carolina was obtained after interrogation in South Carolina for a period of approximately five days. Petitioner claims that during this period he repeatedly requested counsel, which was denied, and that he was not informed of his right to remain silent and was not told that anything he said could be used against him. Petitioner also contends that any statement made by him was the result of promises of leniency and was made out of fear.

In support of the second contention, petitioner alleges that while being held in South Carolina he was denied the right to counsel and that he was denied the right to communicate with friends and family.

As to the third contention that trial counsel was incompetent, petitioner claims that this incompetency was due to a conflict of interest. According to the petitioner, this conflict of interest became apparent when John Tennant, petitioner’s co-defendant, pleaded guilty, thus causing petitioner to enter a plea of guilty. Petitioner states that this conflict of interest arose because counsel represented both defendants although he had been hired by defendant Tennant.

In support of the fifth contention, petitioner claims that he was not advised of his rights as to extradition from the State of New Jersey to the State of South Carolina and from the State of South Carolina to the State of North Carolina.

Petitioner alleges that he was incarcerated in the county jail of Iredell County, North Carolina, for a period of approximately eight months without the privilege of counsel, and that he requested his trial be held as soon as possible but this was not done.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Petitioner is presently incarcerated in Odom Prison located in Jackson, North Carolina, as a result of a plea of guilty to a charge of murder in the first degree (Iredell County Superior Court, August 1960 Term, Case No. 3835).

He was taken into custody at his home in Union City, New Jersey by the police of that city during the latter part of August 1959 and held for the police authorities of the State of South Carolina for questioning in connection with certain safe robberies occurring in South Carolina. About three or four days later officers representing the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (hereinafter referred to as SLED) arrived in New Jersey and transported petitioner into the custody of the Sumter County, South Carolina sheriff. It was determined in petitioner’s Post-Conviction Hearing held in September 1965 that petitioner came voluntarily into the State of South Carolina after he had waived extradition. This determination was based upon the testimony of the petitioner at the hearing.

Petitioner was interrogated by officers of SLED for a period of about five days. Officers representing the State of North Carolina and the County of Iredell were also present at this interrogation. At this time a warrant had not been issued against the petitioner in North Carolina. Petitioner was advised by the officers of his right to remain silent and told that anything he said could be used against him. Special Agent Garland of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation advised the petitioner “that he had the right to an attorney; that he didn’t have to talk with us; that anything he might tell us could be used for or against him in a Court of law.” Post-Convic[597]*597tion Hearing, page 36. During this interrogation petitioner Griffin made a written confession to the murder of one Chris Henry Lober. One day later, on November 13,1959, a warrant was issued in Iredell County, North Carolina for the arrest of Claude A. Griffin.

On November 16, 1959, petitioner was brought into North Carolina and taken to the scene of the crime after signing extradition papers to insure South Carolina officials that he would return to that State. At the Post-Conviction Hearing petitioner testified that while he was in North Carolina he was not asked to make any statements relating to the murder. Special Agent Garland testified at the Post-Conviction Hearing that at the scene of the crime petitioner pointed out the window which he entered the night of the crime and the changes that had been made in the house since that night. Petitioner also pointed out the way he and his co-defendant had taken Lober out of the house and down to the store after the beating.

Petitioner was then returned to South Carolina and in January 1960 he was brought back into North Carolina to await trial for the murder of Chris Henry Lober. Petitioner waived extradition proceedings back into North Carolina. Approximately eight months later, petitioner was brought to trial charged with first degree murder.

Petitioner was represented at the trial by the same counsel who represented his co-defendant John Tennant. Counsel had been retained in the first instance by defendant Tennant, but according to the petitioner’s testimony at the hearing he signed a contract with counsel stating a fee of $500.00.

Over the objection of the petitioner made through his attorney, a statement of confession to the crime of murder made while petitioner was being held in South Carolina was admitted into evidence. At the close of the State’s evidence, -after being allowed to confer privately with his counsel, petitioner authorized his attorney to change his plea of not guilty to a plea of guilty. Petitioner, at the Post-Conviction Hearing, testified that “There wasn’t much else to do after His Honor, Judge Phillips, allowed the statement to stand and be held as competent evidence before the Jury, and since the statement was going to stand and we didn’t have any defense against the statement other than what we had put up and it had been denied, it just didn’t seem to be anything else to do but sign the tentative plea of guilty.” P.17, Post-Conviction Hearing.

CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

First, it is necessary to determine if the confession signed by the petitioner while he was being held and the interrogation in South Carolina was voluntary and thus properly admitted into evidence.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
259 F. Supp. 594, 1966 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7427, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/griffin-v-ross-nced-1966.