Haney v. Dutton

606 F. Supp. 13, 1984 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16513
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Tennessee
DecidedMay 22, 1984
DocketCiv. A. No. 3:84-0517
StatusPublished

This text of 606 F. Supp. 13 (Haney v. Dutton) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Haney v. Dutton, 606 F. Supp. 13, 1984 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16513 (M.D. Tenn. 1984).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDERS

NEESE, Senior District Judge, sitting by designation.

The petitioner Mr. John W. Haney, who is serving a life term of imprisonment for [14]*14murder in the second degree, seeks the federal writ of habeas corpus. 28 U.S.C. § 2254(a). He claims he was denied the effective assistance of counsel at trial because his counsel

* * * was aware, prior to seating of the jury, of a prospective juror’s knowledge of Petitioner’s prior conviction * * *. [But] * * * Petitioner’s attorney failed to bring this knowledge to the attention of the court and allowed the juror to be seated and sworn on the jury with this prejudicial knowledge. * * *

Mr. Haney appears to have exhausted his available state remedies by presenting this claim to the courts of Tennessee through post-conviction relief procedures. See State of Tennessee, appellee, v. John W. Haney, appellant, no. 82-130-III, in the Court of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee at Nashville, unpublished opinion of November 17, 1983, perm. app. den. by Supreme Court of Tennessee, March 5, 1984.

It appears from that opinion that a hearing on the juror-incident was held in the trial Court and that the hearing-judge found the extraneous information received by such juror had no effect on her deliberation and that, therefore, it caused no prejudice to Mr. Haney. It appears further that such appellate Court found that, contrary to the assertion of the petitioner, counsel first became aware of this incident “ * * * after trial, but before the post-trial hearing. * * * ” Assuming these findings have “fair support” in the record, they are entitled to deference by this Court. 28 U.S.C. § 2254(d); Marshall v. Lonberger, 459 U.S. 422, 432, 103 S.Ct. 843, 850[2], 74 L.Ed.2d 646 (1983); Cardwell v. Taylor, 461 U.S. 571, 572, 103 S.Ct. 2015, 2016, 76 L.Ed.2d 333 (1983); Sumner v. Mata, 455 U.S. 591, 598, 102 S.Ct. 1303, 1307, 71 L.Ed.2d 480 (1982) (“We deal here with a statute that requires federal courts to show a high measure of deference to the fact findings made by the state courts.”)

It hereby is ORDERED that the respondent file within 30 days herefrom an answer in accordance with Rule 5, 28 U.S.C. fol. § 2254. Rule 4, 28 U.S.C. fol. § 2254. (It is not anticipated that the filing of a complete transcript of the trial will be necessary; only that portion of the transcript relating to the hearing on the motion for a new trial need be filed at this time.)

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318 U.S. 203 (Supreme Court, 1943)
Browder v. Director, Dept. of Corrections of Ill.
434 U.S. 257 (Supreme Court, 1978)
Sumner v. Mata
455 U.S. 591 (Supreme Court, 1982)
Marshall v. Lonberger
459 U.S. 422 (Supreme Court, 1983)
Cardwell v. Taylor
461 U.S. 571 (Supreme Court, 1983)
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434 U.S. 1060 (Supreme Court, 1978)
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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
606 F. Supp. 13, 1984 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16513, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/haney-v-dutton-tnmd-1984.