McDonald v. Harding

57 F.2d 119, 5 Alaska Fed. 635, 1932 U.S. App. LEXIS 3934
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedMarch 21, 1932
DocketNo. 6681
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 57 F.2d 119 (McDonald v. Harding) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McDonald v. Harding, 57 F.2d 119, 5 Alaska Fed. 635, 1932 U.S. App. LEXIS 3934 (9th Cir. 1932).

Opinion

SAWTELLE, Circuit Judge.

This is a hearing on the return of the judge of the United States District Court for the Territory of Alaska, First Division, to an order to show cause why mandamus should not issue commanding him to settle a bill of exceptions in the above-entitled cause. An order to show cause on the petition was issued by this court.

The record before this court consists of the petition, the return to the order to show cause, the answer to the return, and three affidavits attached to the respondent’s points and authorities. All the pleadings are verified. -

There is a sharp conflict as to certain material facts, but, with one or two exceptions, we are adopting the petitioner’s version, so far as it goes.

On May 2, 1931, the petitioner, having been theretofore convicted of murder in the first degree in the District Court sitting at Ketchikan, Alaska, was sentenced by the respondent to imprisonment for life.

On the day sentence was pronounced, the following proceedings were had, according to the minutes of the court: “Whereupon court adjourned sine die, subject to signing a decree in No. 1370 K. A. and subject also to the signing and settling a Bill of Exceptions in connection with an appeal in the case of the United States vs. Burton G. McDonald, No. 1154 K. B., for which purpose only the term-shall be considered as continued.”

The petitioner avers that the time within which an appeal could be taken in this'case expired on July 31, 1931. He also states that, at the time of his sentence, he was wholly without funds; that at said time his counsel asked the court for a stay of execution for thirty days, which request was refused by the court; that thereafter the petitioner was removed to the penitentiary at McNeill’s Island, Wash., and shortly afterward to Leavenworth, Kan., where he is now confined.

On July 15, 1931, the respondent granted the petitioner two days’ additional time in which to prepa're a bill of exceptions. On July 17, the respondent granted a further extension to July 25, 1931.

On July 25, in an informal conversation out of court, there being no session of the court on that day, the respond[638]*638ent informed the petitioner’s counsel that he would take up the matter of a further extension of time within which to file a bill of exceptions on Monday, July 27, 1931.

Regarding this above “informal conversation,” the respondent makes the following statement in his return to the order to show cause: “Thereafter, about 6 o’clock p. m., on Saturday, July 25, 1931, said attorney called me on the telephone at my home and stated that the time for filing the Bill of Exceptions in the McDonald case expired on that day, but that if it was satisfactory to the court and the court was willing to issue a nunc pro tunc order on Monday, July 27th, * * * he would take the matter up on said July 27th; whereupon I informed said attorney that I would not state whether or not I would allow further extension of time, and that I did not have an opinion as to the validity of a nunc pro tunc order, but that if counsel was satisfied with the validity of a nunc pro tunc order, I would take up the matter on Monday, July 27th, and if further extension of time was then authorized, would issue a nunc pro tunc order as of that date; whereupon counsel said he was satisfied of the validity of a nunc pro tunc order and would take up the matter on Monday, July 27th. I specifically state and certify that on July 25th I did not grant any extension of the time; and nothing was said or done on that day, or on any previous day, toward extending the time beyond July 25th, than as aforesaid.”

On July 27, the following orders were entered:

“Now at this time on motion of George B. Grigsby, the court extended the time to file a Bill of Exceptions to and including July 31, 1931.
“On motion of George B. Grigsby, attorney for the defendant, in the above entitled action, it is hereby ordered that the time within which defendant herein may serve and file a Bill of Exceptions herein is hereby extended to and including the 31st day of July, 1931. It is further ordered that this order go into effect nunc pro tunc as of the 25th day of July, 1931.”

In this connection, the respondent asserts:

“On July 27th, said attorney requested an extension of time which would have been beyond the time allowed for [639]*639appeal; but I specifically informed him, in open court, I would not grant any extension beyond the time allowed for appeal, and limited the time as shown in the last orders quoted. No extensions of time referring to the Bill of Exceptions, other than those hereinbefore mentioned, were requested or granted in said cause.
“As petitioner states * * * the time within which appeal could be taken in said cause expired on July 31, 1931. On July 31, 1931, petition for appeal was presented to the court and an order allowing appeal was granted. Assignment of errors was filed on said date.”

On July 31, an admittedly “inaccurate” bill of exceptions was lodged with the clerk of the District Court. The petitioner asserts that, on that day, his counsel informed the respondent that a bill of exceptions had been “filed” with the clerk. The respondent categorically denies this, “to the best of his recollection.”

The petitioner avers that after July 31, 1931, no further proceedings were had in the case until about September 10, 1931. The interval was spent by petitioner’s counsel in efforts to obtain funds wherewith to pay for a transcript of the testimony.

According to the respondent, several weeks after July 31, in open court, the following occurred: “I inquired of petitioner’s attorney as to the whereabouts of the Bill of Exceptions upon which the assignment of errors was based, at which time said attorney stated that a Bill of Exceptions had been left with the Clerk of the Court on July 31st, but that it was not the Bill of Exceptions upon which counsel expected to rely; that it was filed merely for the purpose of preserving his rights; that he was not certain that a Bill of Exceptions would be presented to the court for settlement; that it would all depend upon whether ¿ transcript of the record was subsequently obtained.”

The petitioner denies the foregoing statement of the respondent in its entirety, “and alleges that at all times his said counsel gave the court to understand that he expected the Bill of Exceptions to be amended and hoped to secure a complete transcript of the testimony.”

“And petitioner finally emphatically alleges that his counsel at no time stated to the court or intimated to the court [640]*640that whether or not he would present the bill for settlement depended upon whether a transcript of the record was obtained.

“Petitioner alleges, however, that prior to the 31st of July, and prior to the filing of a proposed Bill of Exceptions, his counsel was in doubt as to whether or not an appeal would be taken in said cause, and did state to the respondent at different times that whether or not an appeal would be taken might depend upon whether or not he was able to secure a transcript of the testimony.”

On September 10, 1931, the court reporter furnished petitioner's counsel with a complete transcript of the testimony, consisting of about 800 typewritten pages.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
57 F.2d 119, 5 Alaska Fed. 635, 1932 U.S. App. LEXIS 3934, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcdonald-v-harding-ca9-1932.