Stead v. United States

395 F. Supp. 1299, 1975 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12662
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Missouri
DecidedApril 25, 1975
DocketNo. 74-855C (2)
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 395 F. Supp. 1299 (Stead v. United States) 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
Stead v. United States, 395 F. Supp. 1299, 1975 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12662 (E.D. Mo. 1975).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

REGAN, District Judge.

Upon trial to a jury in Cause No. 68 CR 279(2) petitioner was convicted of the offense of attempted entry into a federally insured savings and loan association with intent to commit larceny therein. On January 23, 1969, the Honorable James H. Meredith sentenced petitioner to 20 years imprisonment. Upon direct appeal the conviction was affirmed. United States v. Stead, 8 Cir., 422 F.2d 182, cert. den., 397 U.S. 1080, 90 S.Ct. 1534, 25 L.Ed.2d 816.

Petitioner now seeks to vacate judgment and sentence under Section 2255, [1300]*130028 U.S.C. Twice before he filed motions to vacate. His first motion, filed July 23, 1970, alleged that his arrest was without probable cause and that the evidence obtained as the result of the allegedly illegal arrest was wrongfully used to convict him. Leave to appeal the dismissal of that motion was denied by Judge Meredith and by the Court of Appeals. Petitioner’s second motion, filed December 21, 1971, attacked the sufficiency of the evidence to support his conviction as well as the constitutionality of Section 2113(a), 18 U.S.C. Judge Meredith’s order dismissing that motion on the merits was affirmed by the Court of Appeals on May 15,1972.

In his present motion, petitioner has presented three grounds for relief, (1) that his sentence is unconstitutionally invalid in that the court sentenced petitioner as an adult without first considering and making an express finding of “no benefit” under the Young Adult Offenders Act, (2) that the Court’s refusal to order a pre-sentence report advising the court of the factors pertinent to a finding of “no benefit” deprived petitioner of the opportunity to present information in mitigation of punishment, and (3) that Judge Meredith employed a “fixed and mechanical approach” in imposing sentences on defendants convicted by juries of violating Section 2113, 18 U.S.C. The motion has been transferred to this Court for decision.

Before considering the specifics of petitioner’s claims, it is well to note that they are urged in the context of a Section 2255 motion and not on a direct appeal from petitioner’s conviction. Section 2255 was enacted in order to authorize relief comparable to habeas corpus if the sentence was imposed in violation of the Constitution or laws of the United States, or if the sentence was in excess of the maximum authorized by law, or is otherwise subject to collateral attack. It is well settled that Section 2255 cannot be utilized as a substitute for a direct appeal or as a vehicle for raising alleged errors (not amounting to a denial of a fair trial or constituting an infringement of a constitutional right) which should have been raised but were overlooked on the direct appeal. None of the grounds now asserted by petitioner were raised on direct appeal, although all of them were then available and known to him.

We first consider petitioner’s claim relating to his sentence as an adult. He was 24 years old at the time of his conviction, some six years before he first presented his present contention that he should have been, but was not, considered for sentencing under the Young Adult Offenders Act. Dorszynski v. United States, 418 U.S. 424, 94 S.Ct. 3042, 41 L.Ed.2d 855 is relied on by petitioner. However, that case which involved a youth offender (under the age of 22, and hence not a young adult), has no application. As distinguished from young adult offenders, a youth offender may not be sentenced as an adult unless the court explicitly finds that he will not benefit from the treatment under the Act. We note that as to youth offenders, the Supreme Court concluded in Dorszynski v. United States, supra, that the “no benefit” finding should be stated of record in order to make certain that the sentencing court had given consideration to the possibility that the prescribed treatment might be helpful. Even so, the Court held that a general finding suffices and that the reasons which motivated the court in making such a finding need not be set forth on the record.

“In the case of a young adult offender, the relevant statute states, ‘ * * * if * * * the court finds that there is reasonable grounds to believe that the defendant will benefit from the treatment provided under the Federal Youth Correction Act * * * sentence may be imposed pursuant to the provisions of such act.’ The thrust of this provision is that an offender older than 22 years but less than 26 years is, as a general proposition, to be treated as an adult and sentenced pursuant to the statute [1301]*1301under which he was convicted unless the court, in the exercise of its discretion, finds that he would benefit from the type of rehabilitative treatment normally available to young offenders, under the Youth Corrections Act.” United States v. Waters, 141 U.S.App.D.C. 289, 437 F.2d 722, 723 (Emphasis by the Court).

The Waters case quotes the following from the report of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary with respect to the then proposed young adult sentencing provision: “The proposed legislation also authorizes the court, in exceptional cases of defendants between the ages of 22 and 26 years at the time of conviction, to sentence under the provisions of the Federal Youth Correction Act. At present the Youth Act may be applied only to convicted offenders under the age of 22, and the bill does not propose a general extension of this applicability. It contemplates that the Youth Act may be applicable to an offender in the slightly older age group only when the court makes a special finding that the defendant would benefit by the treatment methods prescribed by that act.” (Emphasis by the Court).

It is obvious that Judge Meredith did not believe, much less affirmatively find, that petitioner would benefit from the treatment afforded to youth offenders. Petitioner’s was not the “exceptional case” contemplated by the Young Adult Offenders Act. Hence, absent, as here, an affirmative finding of benefit, sentence was properly imposed under Section 2113(a) and petitioner’s belated contention to the contrary is without merit.

Next we consider petitioner’s argument that Judge Meredith should not have sentenced him without the benefit of a pre-sentence report. Rule 32(c) (1), F.R.Cr.P. provides that the probation service shall make a pre-sentence investigation and report to the court before the imposition of sentence “unless the Court otherwise directs.” Thus, it is clearly discretionary with the court whether to dispense with a pre-sentence report. United States v. Hazelrigg, 8 Cir., 430 F.2d 580, 583; Cassidy v. United States, 8 Cir., 428 F.2d 585, 588. We have not been cited to any case holding the failure or refusal of the court to order a pre-sentence investigation and report of itself invalidates the sentence or makes it subject to collateral attack.

Judge Meredith did not sentence petitioner in a vacuum. He had the benefit of petitioner’s trial testimony which disclosed a criminal record, as well as other similar information furnished to him by petitioner at sentencing.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Ralph Edward Ross v. The United States of America
531 F.2d 839 (Seventh Circuit, 1976)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
395 F. Supp. 1299, 1975 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12662, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stead-v-united-states-moed-1975.