Kost v. Cox

317 F. Supp. 884, 1970 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9806
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Virginia
DecidedOctober 21, 1970
DocketCiv. A. No. 69-C-89-A
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 317 F. Supp. 884 (Kost v. Cox) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kost v. Cox, 317 F. Supp. 884, 1970 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9806 (W.D. Va. 1970).

Opinion

WIDENER, District Judge.

Petitioner, Arthur Thomas Kost, is presently detained by the Commonwealth of Virginia pursuant to a judgment of the Circuit Court of Wise County. He was convicted of robbery upon a plea of guilty and on July 27, 1964 sentenced to sixteen years imprisonment. Petitioner seeks a writ of habeas corpus, alleging the following grounds for relief:

(1) Ineffective assistance of court-appointed counsel;
(2) Prejudicial pre-trial lineup;
[885]*885(3) Coerced guilty plea;
(4) Ineffective assistance of counsel in that a substitute county judge represented him;
(5) Arrest without probable cause;
(6) Illegal search and seizure;
(7) Denial of the right to have a material witness at the state habeas corpus hearing; and
(8) Denial of effective representation of counsel at the state habeas corpus hearing by the attorney failing to call witnesses.

Available state remedies have been exhausted with the exception of ground number eight, which is raised for the first time in this court. No decision has been cited, and this court is aware of none holding that ineffective representation of counsel at a state habeas corpus hearing affords grounds for federal habeas corpus relief. That claim is not well taken and will not be considered further in the context of affording grounds for relief from the conviction.

On February 29, 1964, at approximately 8:30 p. m., petitioner and two companions, occupants of an automobile answering the description of the getaway car used in the robbery of a supermarket earlier that same evening, were stopped by two county sheriff’s deputies. In the ensuing search of the automobile, two weapons and a quantity of money were found. Petitioner and the two others were taken to headquarters for questioning and then to the supermarket, where they were made to stand in a lineup. The three were subsequently charged with committing the robbery. During interrogation, petitioner’s two companions made statements exculpating themselves and inculpating petitioner. Petitioner never made any statement or confession. He was indicted for robbery, entered a plea of guilty, and was convicted and sentenced.

An examination of the record before this court, which consists of the state record, trial transcript, and state habeas corpus record and transcript which includes a written opinion by the trial judge, discloses that petitioner is not entitled to relief. The findings by the state judge are presumed to be correct, 28 U.S.C. § 2254(d), and, in any event, are supported by the record here.

Petitioner contends that he was denied effective representation of counsel. The evidence adduced at the state habeas corpus hearing discloses that petitioner retained counsel for his preliminary hearing, and when he could not afford representation for the trial of the case, an attorney was appointed by the court to represent him, a full three months before his trial. The uncontradicted evidence shows that his attorney was experienced and diligent in the representation of petitioner. He thoroughly investigated the case, talked to the arresting officers, the manager and employees at the supermarket, petitioner’s family, and petitioner’s two co-defendants. He had petitioner sent for a mental examination. Counsel conferred at length with petitioner on at least two occasions before trial as well as the morning of trial. He explained to petitioner his right to a jury trial and told him the consequences of pleading either not guilty or guilty. He advised petitioner of the minimum and maximum punishment he could receive. Having determined from the investigation that the Commonwealth had a solid case against petitioner, counsel expressed his opinion to petitioner that on a jury trial he would probably receive 35-40 years and that on a plea of guilty he would probably receive only sixteen years.

Apparently, after serving many months of his sentence, petitioner does not recall his answers to questions propounded by the court at trial:

“THE COURT: Are you satisfied with the services your attorney has rendered you * * * Mr. Kuczko?
“DEFENDANT ARTHUR KOST: Yes, your Honor.
“THE COURT: You have no complaint about that?
[886]*886“DEFENDANT ARTHUR KOST: No, sir.”

Habeas corpus relief based on a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel will be granted only where there is a showing that the representation afforded the petitioner was so lacking that the trial amounted to no more than a farce and a mockery of justice. Root v. Cunningham, 344 F.2d 1 (4th Cir. 1965) cert. denied, 382 U.S. 866, 86 S.Ct. 135, 15 L.Ed.2d 104; Lawson v. Peyton, 276 F.Supp. 278 (W.D.Va.1967). The record discloses that petitioner was represented by experienced, competent and able counsel, and this court finds that he was not denied effective representation.

T4, 5] Petitioner claims that the circumstances surrounding his pre-trial lineup at the supermarket were prejudicial and violative of his constitutional rights. The evidence in the record is in conflict, but petitioner testified that he was handcuffed during the lineup at the supermarket. He apparently contends that the illegality of the lineup tainted his subsequent in-eourt identification. Gilbert v. California, 388 U.S. 263, 87 S.Ct. 1951, 18 L.Ed.2d 1178 (1967). That contention is without merit for three reasons. First, petitioner pleaded guilty and thus identified himself. Bloombaum v. United States, 211 F.2d 944 (4th Cir. 1954). Second, the decision in United States v. Wade, 388 U.S. 218, 87 S.Ct. 1926, 18 L.Ed.2d 1149 (1967), applies only to confrontations occurring after June 12, 1967. Stovall v. Denno, 388 U.S. 293, 87 S.Ct. 1967, 18 L.Ed.2d 1199 (1967). Third, the question of admissibility of the in-court identification does not survive the guilty plea. See United States v. Ford, 363 F.2d 375 (4th Cir. 1966); Kellam v. Cox, 309 F.Supp. 1075 (W.D.Va.1970).

Petitioner alleges as his third ground that he was coerced into entering a guilty plea. He testified at the state habeas corpus hearing that he was threatened and beaten by the police and state hospital officials during his detention before trial. The record discloses that petitioner was interrogated on numerous occasions after his arrest. It also shows that he was a troublesome and rowdy prisoner and on one occasion had to be subdued by force. He tried to escape, and hacksaw blades were found in his possession. No more force was used on Kost than was necessary to keep a minimum of order in the jail.

The alleged coercive conduct occurred five months before trial.

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461 F. Supp. 492 (W.D. Virginia, 1978)

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Bluebook (online)
317 F. Supp. 884, 1970 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9806, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kost-v-cox-vawd-1970.