Stockwell v. Swenson

261 F. Supp. 77, 1966 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7529
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Missouri
DecidedNovember 3, 1966
DocketNo. 1126
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 261 F. Supp. 77 (Stockwell v. Swenson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Stockwell v. Swenson, 261 F. Supp. 77, 1966 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7529 (W.D. Mo. 1966).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

JOHN W. OLIVER, District Judge.

On September 21, 1966 we issued a memorandum and order directing respondent to answer particular questions and to attach copies of particular trial and appellate court records in order to determine whether petitioner has exhausted his available state court remedies. The order was based on the teaching of Townsend v. Sain that a “District Court sitting in habeas corpus clearly has the power to compel production of the complete state-court record” (372 U.S. 293 at 319, 83 S.Ct. 745 at 760, 9 L.Ed. 2d 770).

On October 10, 1966, and after full discussion held at pretrial conference, we determined that the response of the respondent filed October 4, 1966 was inadequate and ordered compliance with our initial order.

On October 24, 1966 respondent filed a second response to the order to show cause. Respondent attached to that response copies of some of the proceedings had in the Supreme Court of Missouri and upon which is based respondent’s contention that petitioner has not exhausted his available state court remedies. Respondent affirmatively alleges that petitioner is in fact attempting to bypass such procedures.

Through the cooperation of Larry Zahnd, Esq. of Maryville, Missouri, counsel appointed by the Honorable J. Dorr Ewing, the present Judge of the Circuit Court of Holt County, Missouri, to represent petitioner in connection with petitioner’s Rule 27.26 motion filed September 25, 1965 in that court, we obtained what we believe to be accurate copies of the transcript on appeal and the supplemental transcript- on appeal from Judge Ewing’s denial of petitioner’s Rule 27.26 motion. We express appreciation to Judge Ewing and Mr. Zahnd for [79]*79their assistance. In light of the discussion had at pretrial of this case and that had at the pretrial of Teddy Ray Sims v. Swenson, Warden, No. 1031, counsel for respondent will understand that in future cases this Court will be furnished the complete state court records in a different manner.

If either the petitioner or the respondent contends that the transcript on appeal and the supplemental transcript on appeal, to which we shall make several references, are in any way inaccurate, either may so indicate in writing within one week from the date of this Memorandum and Order.

I.

The data now before the Court indicates that on September 25, 1965 petitioner filed a motion pursuant to Missouri Rule 27.26, V.A.M.R. seeking to set aside and vacate a life sentence imposed on a plea of guilty to second degree murder by the late Judge R. B. Bridge-man on December 23, 1943 (27.26 Tr. 2); that such motion alleged numerous federal claims including the alleged denial of counsel before the Justice of the Peace; alleged denial of any waiver of preliminary hearing; alleged denial of competent counsel to afford petitioner adequate representation before the trial court; and alleged coercion concerning his plea of guilty (27.26 Tr. 2-15); that on October 22, 1965 the Honorable J. Dorr Ewing, Judge of the Fourth Judicial Circuit of Missouri, appointed Larry Zahnd, Esq., to represent the petitioner in connection with his 27.26 motion (27.26 Tr. 19-20); that on December 13, 1965 a hearing on that motion was held (27.26 Tr. 21-113); that decision on the motion was taken under advisement (27.26 Tr. 114) and denied on January 14, 1966 (27.26 Tr. 116-119).

Judge Ewing’s order overruling the 27.26 motion granted petitioner an appeal to the Supreme Court of Missouri; determined the indigency of the defendant ; ordered the cost of the transcript to be paid by the State; and appointed Mr. Zahnd to represent the defendant in his appellate proceedings (27.26 Tr. 118-119). A formal notice of appeal was filed January 20, 1966 (27.26 Tr. 120). The supplemental transcript on appeal of the Missouri Rule 27.26 motion shows that petitioner filed what he called an application for writ of habeas corpus on December 23, 1965, which the court overruled on February 3, 1966 (the appeal from the denial of petitioner’s Rule 27.26 motion already having been perfected) and that petitioner, pro se, filed a “motion and affidavit for appeal” in regard to that order on March 7, 1966 (Supp. 27.26 Tr. 3-10).

It should here be noted that petitioner attempted to appeal the dismissal of his pro se habeas corpus petition only and shortly after he had been incorrectly advised by the Clerk of the Supreme Court of Missouri on February 19, 1966 that no appeal had been filed on his behalf in connection with the trial court’s denial of his Missouri Rule 27.26 motion. As will be developed later in detail, petitioner was not advised until April 5, 1966 that an appeal from the denial of his Missouri Rule 27.26 motion had in fact been filed in the Supreme Court of Missouri on January 24, 1966.

Petitioner must have written the Supreme Court of Missouri some sort of a letter on February 16, 1966. That letter is not attached to respondent’s response but we assume such a letter was written because a copy of the letter dated February 19, 1966 to petitioner from the Clerk of the Supreme Court of Missouri is one of the exhibits attached to respondent’s response; That letter stated: “In reply to your letter of February 16, 1966, we wish to advise you we have no case on file wherein you are a party.”

On March 29, 1966 the petitioner, still acting pro se, filed in the Supreme Court of Missouri what he called a “Motion to Dismiss Appeal in Case No. 51969.” How and from whom the petitioner obtained the appeal number of his case, which he had at that time been advised was not on file, is not apparent from the documents furnished this Court by respondent. Petitioner’s pro se motion [80]*80stated that he had been informed on February 19, 1966 by the Clerk of the Supreme Court “that there is no case on appeal to that court wherein this appellant was a party.” He then obviously attempted to perfect an appeal from Judge Ewing’s order of February 3, 1966 that denied petitioner’s pro se petition for habeas corpus. Petitioner’s pro se motion prayed that he “be ordered by the Court if he wishes to appeal his ease to comply with the constitution and laws of the State of Missouri regarding appeals to the Supreme Court of this State.” Although in somewhat typically garbled language, it is apparent that petitioner wanted his 27.26 appeal “withdrawn from the court docket” only in order that his appeal from his pro se ha-beas corpus proceeding be perfected. This is apparent from the following paragraphs of petitioner’s motion:

On the 3d, day of February A.D. 1966, the Circuit Court of Holt County Missouri heard the appellants application for a writ of habeas corpus and the court denied same. * * * On January 14th, A.D. 1966, the appointed counsel for the appellant filed notice of appeal in appellant’s case and on February 19th, A.D. 1966, this appellant was informed by the Clerk of the Supreme Court Mr. Marion Spicer, that there was no case on appeal to that court wherein this appellant was a party. * * *

When the appellant filed his application for the writ of habeas corpus for his release then the motion to vacate the judgment and sentence * * * and all other writs must yield to the writ of habeas corpus and the officer holds the prisoner under that writ and no other. * * *

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261 F. Supp. 77, 1966 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7529, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stockwell-v-swenson-mowd-1966.