Stephen v. United States

304 F. Supp. 10, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10141
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Texas
DecidedAugust 27, 1969
DocketCiv. No. 5038
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 304 F. Supp. 10 (Stephen v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Stephen v. United States, 304 F. Supp. 10, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10141 (E.D. Tex. 1969).

Opinion

[12]*12MEMORANDUM OPINION & ORDER

FISHER, Chief Judge.

Petitioner, Michael Eugene Stephen, was convicted before the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Tyler Division, on October 20, 1967, on a two count indictment charging Stephen with violations of Title 18, U.S. C. §§ 2113(a) and 2113(b), to-wit, the robbery of the First National Bank of Center, Texas.

Petitioner waived his right to an attorney and entered a plea of guilty and was sentenced by the Court to fifteen (15) years confinement as to Count I [Sec. 2113(a)] and five (5) years confinement as to Count II [Sec. 2113(b)] with execution of the sentence imposed as to Count II suspended and petitioner placed on active probation for a period of five (5) years. The sentence imposed as to Count II was to run consecutive to the sentence imposed as to Count I.

Before the Court is Petitioner’s Motion to Vacate Sentence pursuant to Title 28, United States Code, § 2255 filed in forma pauperis. Petitioner alleges that the sentences were imposed in violation of the Fifth and Sixth Amendments and the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, Rules 10,11 and 44.

First, petitioner alleges that his guilty plea was involuntary in that the court failed to make proper inquiry to establish that petitioner understood the nature of the charge and consequences of his plea of guilty pursuant to Rule 11 and the Fifth and Sixth Amendments. After Stephen had plead guilty, the Court made numerous inquiries directed to the defendant such as whether Stephen was pleading guilty because he was in fact guilty; whether Stephen had been promised any favor or consideration for making the guilty plea; whether anyone had coerced or mistreated petitioner in connection with the prosecution; whether after the court had instructed petitioner as to the maximum sentence he could receive, petitioner still wished to enter a plea of guilty; and, finally, whether petitioner felt that he understood the nature of the offenses and the consequences of his guilty plea.1 To all these questions the petitioner made appropriate answers [13]*13indicating that he understood the nature of the charges and the consequences of his plea. Clearly, the inquiries made by the court satisfied the requirements set out in Rule 11, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, and petitioner’s contentions as to the voluntariness of his guilty plea are without merit. Stout v. United States, 383 F.2d 448 (5th Cir. 1967); Helpman v. United States, 373 F.2d 401 (5th Cir. 1967).

Petitioner’s second contention is that he was denied assistance of counsel in that his waiver of counsel was neither intelligently nor competently made, in violation of the Sixth Amendment and Rule 44, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure.

In this regard, the Court inquired of Stephen whether he had an attorney to represent him to which Stephen answered “No, your honor.” The Court then inquired of Stephen whether he wished the Court to appoint an attorney to represent him to which Stephen likewise said, “No.” At this point the Court specifically instructed petitioner as to his right to have an attorney of his choice represent him or to have one appointed for him by the Court and Stephen answered that the Court was correct in understanding that he wished to waive his right to an attorney. Stephen then executed a waiver of counsel in open court.2

The Court’s admonition to Stephen of his right to counsel clearly meets the test of Rule 44, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, and the Sixth Amendment. The Court advised Stephen of his rights .to counsel and explained to Stephen exactly what his rights were in regard to counsel. At no time in his response to the Court’s questions did Stephen indicate that he wished an attorney appointed for him. The Court need only advise a defendant of his rights in regard to counsel and determine that the waiver is competently and intelligently made. Having waived counsel and plead guilty the petitioner cannot now assert that his constitutional rights to assistance of counsel were denied to him. McCaffrey v. United States, 328 F.2d 606, 607 (5th Cir. 1964); Spivey v. United States, 229 F.Supp. 117 (E.D.La.1964).

Petitioner’s third contention is that he was not given a copy of the indictment prior to being called upon to plead as is required by Rule 10, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. The record does not reflect whether Stephen was presented with a copy of the indictment before he was called upon to plead, although the usual practice is for the United States Marshal to supply the accused with a copy of the indictment when he is in custody. Even if Stephen were not supplied with a copy of the indictment prior to his plea, his argument is of no merit as the indictment was read in full to the defendant in open court.3 Petitioner made no claim at the trial that he was not furnished a copy of the indictment and this motion to vacate sentence is the first mention of the possible omission by Stephen. If an error was committed in failing to present Stephen with a copy of the indictment, the error did not prejudice the defendant and does not render the judgment subject to collateral attack under 28 U.S.C.A. § 2255. Ray v. United States, 192 F.2d 658, 659 (5th Cir. 1951).

Contention number four of petitioner attacks the sentences imposed by the Court. As stated earlier the Court imposed consecutive sentences of fifteen (15) years as to Count I [18 U.S.C.A. § 2113(a)] and a five (5) year probated sentence as to Count II [18 U.S.C.A. § 2113(b)]. Petitioner alleges that the Court imposed illegal sentences by finding petitioner guilty of both subsections (a) and (b) of Title 18 U.S.C.A., and imposing consecutive sentences. Further, petitioner alleges that he was prejudiced in that the Court instructed Stephen incorrectly on the maximum sentence he could receive for a conviction on Count II of the indictment.

[14]*14The Court feels that under the decisions of Prince v. United States, 352 U.S. 322, 77 S.Ct. 403, 1 L.Ed.2d 370 (1957) and Heflin v. United States, 223 F.2d 371 (5th Cir. 1955) the Courts may-still impose consecutive sentences under the Bank Robbery Statute where the separate offenses merge to become one offense so long as the total time to be served is within the maximum allowed for the most heinous of the offenses committed. In White v. United States, 402 F.2d 72 (5th Cir. 1968), the Fifth Circuit reaffirmed its earlier views in Heflin, supra, and Williamson v.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
304 F. Supp. 10, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10141, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stephen-v-united-states-txed-1969.