In Re Curtis'petition

240 F. Supp. 475
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Missouri
DecidedMarch 31, 1965
Docket64 C 52(3), 64 C 54(3)
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 240 F. Supp. 475 (In Re Curtis'petition) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Curtis'petition, 240 F. Supp. 475 (E.D. Mo. 1965).

Opinion

240 F.Supp. 475 (1965)

Petition of Robert B. CURTIS, William L. Clay, Lucien Richards, Rev. Charles Perkins and Norman Seay for a writ of habeas corpus.
Petition of Michela GRAND, Daniel Pollock and James Peake, Jr., for a writ of habeas corpus.

Nos. 64 C 52(3), 64 C 54(3).

United States District Court E. D. Missouri, E. D.

March 31, 1965.

*476 *477 Robert E. Wilson, Jr., Robert L. Witherspoon, Wyvetter H. Younge, Jos. S. McDuffie, Clyde S. Cahill, Jr., Charles R. Oldham, Emanuel Williams, Margaret B. Wilson, Robert Ratermann, St. Louis, Mo., for petitioners.

Eugene P. Freeman, Associate City Counselor, and Conway B. Briscoe, Jr., Asst. City Counselor, St. Louis, Mo., for respondent.

REGAN, District Judge.

These matters are before the Court following the remand of these actions by the Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. These petitions for writs of habeas corpus arise out of contempt proceedings in the Circuit Court of St. Louis County, Missouri. Each of the petitioners was found guilty of criminal contempt for violating an injunction issued by that Court.

The dispute which is the background of the injunction began when petitioner Curtis, as "chairman of CORE" wrote a letter dated August 14 to the Jefferson Bank and Trust Company, hereinafter referred to as "the Bank", which stated:

"As a result of our conversation last week and the report given by Rev. Charles Perkins and me, the St. Louis Committee of Racial Equality voted to take direct action against Jefferson Bank if four full time Negroes are not hired in clerical or teller positions within two weeks."

The Bank replied August 27 rejecting the demand and stating that it did not need four additional employees at that time, did not have four qualified Negro applicants, and that it would not discharge other employees to open such positions. On August 29th the Bank applied to the *478 Circuit Court for a temporary restraining order in an action entitled "Jefferson Bank and Trust Company, a corporation, vs. Robert B. Curtis, William L. Clay, Charles R. Oldham and Marian Oldham, Lucien Richards, Richard Daly, Walter Hays, Rev. Charles Perkins, Norman Seay, Herman Thompson, Melvin West, Individually and as representatives of a class known as St. Louis Committee of Racial Equality." The Court issued an order on August 30 which required the defendants to "desist and refrain from" the following actions until hearing on the merits:

"(a) Physically hindering, obstructing, interfering with, delaying, molesting or harrassing other persons desiring to enter plaintiff's banking premises, from entering said premises for the purpose of conducting their business with plaintiff or for any other purpose.
"(b) Congregating or loitering individually or in groups inside plaintiff's banking premises and therein engage in any acts or conduct of whatsoever character which interferes with, intimidates, harasses, hinders and annoys plaintiff's employees in the performance of their duties or other persons in the conduct of their business with plaintiff or which in any way interferes with the proper and normal conduct of plaintiff's banking business.
"(c) Physically hindering, obstructing, interfering with, intimidating or in any other manner preventing customers of plaintiff and other members of the public from having the usual and customary access to teller's windows located in plaintiff's banking premises or access to any other department or portion of said banking premises wherein plaintiff conducts its banking business."

Hearing was set on the restraining order for 10:00 A.M. August 30, and at the hearing attorneys named as defendants entered their appearance in behalf of the St. Louis Committee of Racial Equality and certain of the defendants individually.

On August 30, at about 4:00 P.M., petitioners in case No. 64 C 52 hereafter referred to as "Curtis et al," and other persons took part in a demonstration at the Bank. First petitioners and persons acting with them and under their direction engaged in peaceful picketing until about 5:10 P.M. when a great number stood in front of the doors, entered the bank, sang freedom songs, and sat on the floors. Pursuant to petition of the Bank, based on this demonstration, a citation of contempt was issued and executed on August 31, and hearing to show cause was set for September 3. The hearing was postponed several times until September 23rd when trial commenced and continued until October 3. Judgment was entered October 24th.

The petitioners in case number 64 C 54, hereinafter referred to as "Grand et al", took part in a demonstration at the Bank on October 7, 1963. The contempt proceedings was filed in the original action for a temporary restraining order by motion for the issuance of attachment for contempt. The court ordered petitioners and others attached, and appointed attorneys to present evidence of contempt. Trial was set for October 10th, continued until October 14, concluded October 16th and judgment was rendered October 24th.

Petitioners made application for a writ of habeas corpus to the St. Louis Court of Appeals. That Court extensively reviewed the contempt proceedings and quashed the writs of petitioners in these actions and discharged other applicants. Subsequently, petitioners sought habeas corpus relief from the Supreme Court of Missouri, which Court denied the writs per curiam, adopting the findings and conclusions of the St. Louis Court of Appeals. This Court ordered dismissal of the applications for writs for habeas corpus. On appeal of that ruling the Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, *479 331 F.2d 675, remanded for this court "to consider whether the issues sought to be raised are such as to call for a hearing under Townsend v. Sain [372 U.S. 293, 83 S.Ct. 745, 9 L.Ed.2d 770 (1963)]." The criterion for hearings on applications for writs of habeas corpus are stated on pages 312 and 313 of 372 U.S., on page 756 of 83 S.Ct.:

"State prisoners are entitled to relief on federal habeas corpus only upon proving that their detention violates the fundamental liberties of the person, safeguarded against state action by the Federal Constitution. * * *
"Therefore, where an applicant for a writ of habeas corpus alleges facts which, if proved, would entitle him to relief, the federal court to which the application is made has the power to receive evidence and try the facts anew.
"We turn now to the considerations which in certain cases may make exercise of that power mandatory. The appropriate standard — which must be considered to supersede, to the extent of any inconsistencies, the opinions in Brown v. Allen [344 U.S. 443, 73 S.Ct. 397, 97 L.Ed. 469] — is this: Where the facts are in dispute, the federal court in habeas corpus must hold an evidentiary hearing if the habeas applicant did not receive a full and fair evidentiary hearing in a state court, either at the time of the trial or in a collateral proceeding. In other words a federal evidentiary hearing is required unless the state-court trier of fact has after a full hearing reliably found the relevant facts. * * *

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Bluebook (online)
240 F. Supp. 475, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-curtispetition-moed-1965.