Hasty v. Crouse

308 F. Supp. 590, 1968 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7865
CourtDistrict Court, D. Kansas
DecidedOctober 16, 1968
DocketCiv. No. L-389
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 308 F. Supp. 590 (Hasty v. Crouse) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hasty v. Crouse, 308 F. Supp. 590, 1968 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7865 (D. Kan. 1968).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

FINDINGS OF FACT, CONCLUSIONS OF LAW, AND ORDER

WESLEY E. BROWN, District Judge.

This is an application for a writ of habeas corpus brought by another state prisoner under the jurisdictional provisions of 28 U.S.C. § 2241 and subject to the limitations of 28 U.S.C. § 2254. The scope of substantive jurisdiction is limited to determining whether a state prisoner is being held in custody in violation of the Constitution, laws or treaties of the United States. See 28 U.S.C. § 2241 (c) (3) and § 2254(a).

Hasty was convicted of manslaughter resulting from an attempted abortion in 1964. On appeal, the Kansas Supreme Court refused to consider the merits of Hasty's case because under the Mooney-ham Rule1 an application for probation precluded an appeal. See State v. Hasty, 196 Kan. 5, 410 P.2d 318 (1966). Although this Circuit has held the Mooney-ham Rule to be constitutional,2 the Kansas Supreme Court has since overruled its case law premising the rule. See State v. McCarther, 197 Kan. 279, 416 P.2d 290 (1966).

After the McCarther decision was rendered, Hasty made an application to reinstate his appeal, which was denied by the Kansas Supreme Court. This followed denials of previous motions for rehearing and for stay of execution of the sentence by the same court along with the denial of his application for a stay of execution by the United States Supreme Court. [See Exhibits attached to traverse (Dkt. #7 of Case No. L-389)].

Hasty then filed his first petition for a writ of habeas corpus in this Court, [592]*592which was denied for failure to exhaust state remedies.3 He filed a K.S.A. 60-1507 motion to vacate which was denied by the state trial court after consideration on the merits. He sought to appeal the denial but abandoned the appeal and filed his second habeas corpus petition with this Court.4 We determined that Hasty had by-passed his state remedies and dismissed the case. Hasty then filed a K.S.A. 60-1501 petition for a writ of habeas corpus, but the Kansas Supreme Court summarily dismissed it. Subsequently he filed a motion for rehearing with this Court but we declined to reopen the case. Instead, we considered the motion as a new application for a writ of habeas corpus and hence we have the ease at bar. This Court issued an Order for a rule to show cause which was answered and traversed. The matter was heard on August 12, 1968, Hasty being present and represented by appointed counsel. After submission of briefs of both the parties, the case was taken under advisement.

We are once again faced with the continuing dilemma caused by the filing of state prisoner habeas corpus applications in the Federal Court System. This is one of the difficult areas for which resolution is sought at the Federal Judicial Center in Washington, D. C. See Mr. Justice Tom Clark “The New Federal Judicial Center” 54 A.B.J. Pp. 743, 744 (Aug. 68).

In 1966 the Federal habeas corpus statutory scheme was considerably amended. See Pub.L. 89-711; 3 U.S. Cong. & Adm.News 1966 P. 3633. Foreshadowing these amendments was “The Grand Trilogy of 1963”, three cases 5 in which the United States Supreme Court attempted to set down the guidelines to be followed in the disposal of habeas corpus matters under 28 U.S.C. § 2254 in the Courts of the United States. Pertinent at this juncture is the limitation of the exhaustion principle under the former 28 U.S.C. § 2254 to state remedies still open to the prisoner at the time he files his application in Federal Court. See Fay v. Noia.6 That portion of Noia is embodied in § 2254(b) and (c), as amended in 1966.

The situation confronting the Court in the case at bar is that since his conviction in 1964 Hasty has been unable to have his cause heard on the merits on direct appeal because of his request for probation. The Kansas Supreme Court has refused to entertain a direct application for a writ of habeas corpus by way of K.S.A. 60-1501. Further, Hasty filed a K.S.A. 60-1507 motion to vacate which was denied by the state trial court after consideration on the merits. He failed to consummate an appeal to the state supreme court. To ask Hasty to file a second 1507 application would be futile for the reason that the law of Kansas is to the effect that second or successive applications for similar relief need not be entertained. See K.S.A. 60-1507(c); State v. Foulk, 195 Kan. 349, 404 P.2d 961 (1965). It is now some four and a half years following Hasty’s conviction and he has no prospect of getting the merits of his cause before the state supreme court for consideration.

It must be remembered that the rule of exhaustion is not one defining power but one which relates to the appropriate exercise of power. Fay v. Noia.7 Put another way, the exhaustion principle under § 2254 is a matter of comity and not jurisdiction. Wood v. Crouse, 389 F.2d 747, 749 (10th Cir. 1968). Part of the Federal habeas cor[593]*593pus statutory scheme is 28 U.S.C. § 2243, the last paragraph of which commands the Federal courts to dispose of the matter as law and justice require. We recognize that habeas corpus has traditionally been governed by equitable principles8 and we therefore feel that the unusual circumstances of this ease warrant its consideration on the merits.

The grounds on which Hasty bases his allegation that he is being held in custody in violation of the Federal Constitution may be summarized to wit:

1. He was deprived of a fair trial by reason of the acts of one of the jurors.
2. He did not make a knowing waiver of a twelve man jury.
3. A warrantless search of his office was conducted on January 1, 1964.
4. He was inadequately represented by counsel at his trial.
5. The District Court of Sedgwick County, Kansas lost jurisdiction during the course of his trial.
6.

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Bluebook (online)
308 F. Supp. 590, 1968 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7865, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hasty-v-crouse-ksd-1968.