McCormick v. Swenson

328 F. Supp. 646, 1971 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12984
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Missouri
DecidedJune 6, 1971
DocketNo. N71 C 13
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 328 F. Supp. 646 (McCormick v. Swenson) 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
McCormick v. Swenson, 328 F. Supp. 646, 1971 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12984 (E.D. Mo. 1971).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

WANGELIN, District Judge.

Petitioner, presently confined in the Missouri State Penitentiary, filed this petition for writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254 in the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, which granted leave to proceed in forma pauperis and transferred the cause to this Court pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2241. This Court issued a show cause order and a response thereto has been filed.

Petitioner states that he was convicted by a jury in the Circuit Court of Ralls County of first degree murder; that he was sentenced on that conviction on March 17, 1967, to a term of life imprisonment; that he appealed from the judgment of conviction and imposition of sentence; that the Missouri Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the trial court on appeal (State v. McCormick, Mo., 426 S.W.2d 62); that thereafter a petition for certiorari was denied in the United States Supreme Court (394 U.S. 930, 89 S.Ct. 1199, 22 L.Ed.2d 460); that he subsequently filed a motion to vacate his sentence under Rule 27.26, V.A.M.R. in the Circuit Court of Ralls County and the motion was denied; that he appealed the denial of the motion to the Missouri Supreme Court; that the Missouri Supreme Court affirmed the denial by the trial court on February 8, 1971 (McCormick v. State, Mo., 463 S.W.2d 789 (1971)); that he has filed a prior petition in federal court for habeas corpus, which was dismissed without prejudice on November 9, 1967, for failure to exhaust state remedies (See McCormick v. Swenson (W.D.Mo.), 276 F.Supp. 110); and that he has been represented by counsel at his arraignment and plea, his trial, his sentencing, on direct appeal, and on his posteonviction motions.

Petitioner states the following as grounds for his contention that he is being held in custody unlawfully:

“(a) Petitioner was denied Due Process and Equal Protection of the law as secured by the 6th and 14th Amendments to the United States Constitution because the Supreme Court of Missouri upheld the trial court’s refusal to grant his pre-trial motion, as a poor person, to take depositions and for stenographic services, which services and depositions are provided as a matter of course to those able to pay. “(b) Petitioner was further denied due process of the law because the Missouri Supreme Court failed to properly apply the federal standards enunciated in Pate v. Robinson, 383 U.S. 374 [375, 86 S.Ct. 836, 15 L.Ed.2d 815] (1966) and Brizendine v. Swenson, 302 F.Supp. 1011 ([D.C.] 1969).”

The official reports of the Missouri Supreme Court on petitioner’s direct appeal and on the affirmance of the denial of petitioner’s Rule 27.26 motion show that ground (a) was raised by petitioner in the Missouri Supreme Court on direct appeal and that ground (b) was raised in that court on the appeal from the denial of the Rule 27.26 motion. Petitioner has exhausted his state remedies.

In this case, no evidentiary hearing is required. There are no facts in dispute. Petitioner’s contentions involve matters of law only. In addition, the Court is of the opinion that the Supreme Court of Missouri applied the proper federal standards, as evidenced by the complete and thorough opinions of that Court, in determining the issues here presented.

Petitioner’s first contention is that he was denied due process when the trial court denied his pre-trial motion for the taking of depositions and the providing of stenographic services at the expense of the state. In its opinion, [648]*648State v. McCormick, 426 S.W.2d 62 (Mo.1968), the Supreme Court of Missouri correctly noted that due process requirements do not dictate that the State must bear the cost of the taking of depositions and the providing of stenographic services. State v. Aubuchon, 381 S.W.2d 807 (Mo.1964). There is no statutory provisions in Missouri which would provide a basis for relief for petitioner.

The procedure for the taking of depositions in federal criminal proceedings is set out in Rule 15, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. However, under Rule 15, the defendant is not entitled to the taking of depositions as a matter of right, and such depositions are not allowed for discovery purposes. It has been said that a request to take depositions in a criminal matter is to be granted only in “exceptional circumstances”. United States v. Whiting, 308 F.2d 537 (2d Cir.1962), cert. denied, Crowe v. United States, 372 U.S. 909, 83 S.Ct. 722, 9 L.Ed.2d 718; Wright, Federal Practice and Procedure, § 241 (1969).

In petitioner’s motion, he stated as grounds for the motion that he was charged with the crime of murder in the first degree, that he had pleaded not guilty, that he did not commit the crime; that it was necessary to properly prepare his defense; that the depositions of each of certain named persons be taken, and any other person designated as a witness by the state; and that he is indigent. Petitioner did not present circumstances so exceptional that the taking of depositions, under federal standards, would be required.

In addition, the case of Griffin v. Illinois, 351 U.S. 12 (1955), has not been extended to reach the result requested by the petitioner. The case of United States v. Germany, 32 F.R.D. 421 (D.C.Ala.1963) is likewise inapplicable.

Petitioner’s second claim is that he was denied a fair trial and equal protection of the law in that the trial court refused to hold a hearing on the matter of his competency to stand trial, under the provisions of 552.020 RSMo.1969, V.A.M.S. Relying on Pate v. Robinson, 383 U.S. 375, 86 S.Ct. 836, 15 L.Ed.2d 815 (1966) and Brizendine v. Swenson, 302 F.Supp. 1011 (W.D.Mo.1969), the petitioner claims that the Missouri Supreme Court did not apply the proper federal standards. The Court disagrees.

With respect to the judicial determination of appellant’s competency to stand trial, the trial court made the following findings and conclusions:

“Early in this case, and while defendant was still in the Pike County jail and on the 19th day of September, 1966, defendant’s appointed attorneys filed a motion for examination of defendant as to his mental competency. That motion was sustained and defendant was sent to Fulton State Hospital October 13, 1966, for examination pursuant to the provisions of Section 552.020. Without giving all the details, suffice it to say that the report of the hospital was filed in Court January 7, 1967, and found that defendant had no physical defects, was oriented for time, place and person, his memory unimpaired, he was quite alert, with an IQ of 79.

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Related

State v. Brown
599 S.W.2d 498 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1980)
Johnson v. Wyrick
381 F. Supp. 747 (W.D. Missouri, 1974)

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Bluebook (online)
328 F. Supp. 646, 1971 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12984, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mccormick-v-swenson-moed-1971.