Thomas v. District Court of Thirteenth Judicial District

270 F. Supp. 487, 1967 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8711
CourtDistrict Court, D. Montana
DecidedJuly 6, 1967
DocketCiv. No. 669
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 270 F. Supp. 487 (Thomas v. District Court of Thirteenth Judicial District) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Montana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Thomas v. District Court of Thirteenth Judicial District, 270 F. Supp. 487, 1967 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8711 (D. Mont. 1967).

Opinion

ORDER AND MEMORANDUM OPINION

JAMESON, Chief Judge.

Plaintiff is charged with second degree murder in an action pending in the District Court of the Thirteenth Judicial District of the State of Montana in and for the County of Big Horn. She seeks an order of this court enjoining the use in state court of a statement taken from her by the County Attorney of Big Horn County on March 13, 1963.1 The defendants have moved to dismiss plaintiff’s petition for failure to state a claim for relief.

In a trial beginning October 21, 1963, Mrs. Thomas was convicted of second degree murder. A motion for new trial was granted. The order granting the new trial was affirmed by the Supreme Court of Montana on March 16, 1966. 147 Mont. 325, 413 P.2d 315. A motion to dismiss the original complaint was granted July 8, 1966. The current information was filed October 20, 1966.2

A motion to suppress the statement was made in state court on May 19, 1967.3 The district court (defendant in this case) granted the motion.4 On June 7,1967, a writ of supervisory control was issued to the district court by the Supreme Court of Montana setting aside the order suppressing the statement.5

Alleging that she has been denied the benefits of the Fifth,6 the Sixth,7 and the Fourteenth 8 Amendments to the Constitution of the United States and of 18 U.S.C. § 242,9 plaintiff seeks to invoke the aid of this court for claimed violations of her civil rights pursuant to the following statutes: 28 U.S.C. § 1343, 42 U.S.C. § 1983, 28 U.S.C. § 1651 and 28 U.S.C. § 2283.

[489]*489Plaintiff urges this court to issue injunctive relief under the provisions of 28 U.S.C. § 2283, which reads:

“A court of the United States may not grant an injunction to stay proceedings in a State court except as expressly authorized by Act of Congress, or where necessary in aid of its jurisdiction, or to protect or effectuate its judgments.”

The Civil Rights Act, 28 U.S.C. § 1343 and 42 U.S.C. § 1983, does not create an exception to 28 U.S.C. § 2283. Baines v. City of Danville, 4 Cir. 1964, 337 F.2d 579.

The question presented is whether the federal court should intervene in a pending state court criminal action, prior to its final disposition, to enjoin the use of a statement alleged to have been taken in violation of the accused’s constitutional rights. In my opinion such action would be an unwarranted interference with the state court proceedings. Counsel have not cited, nor have I found, any case where an injunction has been issued in a case of this nature.10

The leading case holding that intervention is improper is Stefanelli v. Minard, 1951, 342 U.S. 117, 72 S.Ct. 118, 90 L.Ed. 138. This was a civil proceeding, brought under the Civil Rights Act, in which petitioner sought an injunction against the use of evidence alleged to have been obtained by an unlawful search by the police. In holding that the district court properly dismissed the complaints, the Court said in part:

“The consequences of exercising the equitable power here invoked are not the concern of a merely doctrinaire alertness to protect the proper sphere of the States in enforcing their criminal law. If we were to sanction this intervention, we would expose every State criminal prosecution to insupportable disruption. Every question of procedural due process of law — with its far-flung and undefined range— would invite a flanking movement against the system of State courts by resort to the federal forum, with review if need be to this Court, to determine the issue. Asserted unconstitutionality in the impaneling and selection of the grand and petit juries, in the failure to appoint counsel, in the admission of a confession, in the creation of an unfair trial atmosphere, in the misconduct of the trial court— all would provide ready opportunities, which conscientious counsel might be bound to employ, to subvert the orderly, effective prosecution of local crime in local courts. To suggest these difficulties is to recognize their solution.” (342 U.S. at 123-124, 72 S.Ct. at 121).11

It will be noted that the opinion specifically refers to asserted unconstitutionality in the admission of a confession.12

Plaintiff seeks to distinguish Stefanelli by arguing that it was compelled by Wolf v. People of State of Colorado, 1949, 338 U.S. 25, 69 S.Ct. 1359, 92 L.Ed. 1762, which was overruled by Mapp v. State of Ohio, 1961, 367 U.S. 643, 81 S.Ct. 1684, 6 L.Ed.2d 1081. However, the Supreme Court in Cleary v. Bolger, 1962, 371 U.S. 392, 83 S.Ct. 385, 9 L.Ed.2d. 390 expressly anwered this contention,, saying in part:

“Nor is the vitality of the principles-on which the latter case [StefaneM] rested sapped by this Court’s decision. [490]*490in Mapp v. Ohio * * * For in denying the injunctive relief there sought Stefanelli expressly laid to one side any possible impact of Wolf.” (371 U.S. at 400, 83 S.Ct. at 390) 13

In the Cleary case the Supreme Court held that it was error on the part of the district court to issue an injunction against a state official enjoining him from testifying about incriminating statements made by respondent while respondent was illegally detained and interrogated. The Court went on to say that the withholding of injunctive relief against this state official “does not deprive respondent of the opportunity for federal correction of any denial of federal constitutional rights in the state proceedings. To the extent that such rights have been violated * * * he may raise the objections in the state courts and then seek review in this Court of an adverse determination by the New York Court of Appeals.” (371 U.S. at 400-401, 83 S.Ct. at 390)

Stefanelli has been followed in many subsequent decisions of the Supreme Court. In Baines v.

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

Related

Martinez v. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
343 F. Supp. 897 (D. Puerto Rico, 1972)
Union Pacific Railroad Company v. Woodahl
308 F. Supp. 1002 (D. Montana, 1970)
MacKay v. Nesbett
285 F. Supp. 498 (D. Alaska, 1968)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
270 F. Supp. 487, 1967 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8711, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/thomas-v-district-court-of-thirteenth-judicial-district-mtd-1967.