United States v. Messimer

598 F. Supp. 992, 1984 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 21390
CourtDistrict Court, C.D. California
DecidedDecember 7, 1984
DocketNo. CV 84-6976-AAH. (Ancillary to No. CR 70-6114-AAH.)
StatusPublished

This text of 598 F. Supp. 992 (United States v. Messimer) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, C.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Messimer, 598 F. Supp. 992, 1984 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 21390 (C.D. Cal. 1984).

Opinion

ORDER DENYING Defendant-Petitioner Messimer’s MOTION PURSUANT TO 28 U.S.C. 2255; IN THE ALTERNATIVE, PETITION FOR WRIT OF ERROR, CORAM NOBIS; and AMENDED PETITION FOR CORAM NOBIS

HAUK, Senior District Judge.

. The defendant-petitioner has filed and lodged with this Court some six motions, petitions and applications, variously titled, and consisting of thirty-four pages of bizarre, repetitive and incomprehensible claims, contentions and sometimes gibberish. The Court has analyzed and examined all of this and has concluded that one Motion and one Petition contain and best summarize all of the intelligible claims and contentions of defendant-petitioner. These are:

1. MOTION PURSUANT TO 28 U.S.C. § 2255, AND IN THE ALTERNATIVE PETITION FOR WRIT OF ERROR, CORAM NOBIS, on September 17, 1984.
2. AMENDED PETITION FOR WRIT OF ERROR, CORAM NOBIS, on November 30, 1984.

This Court has made and entered its customary Order Directing the Filing of a Response and Transcript of Proceedings, attached hereto as Exhibit A.

Pursuant to said Order, Assistant U.S. Attorney McCaslin, on November 20, 1984, filed on behalf of plaintiff-respondent a Response,'which includes a verbatim Reporter’s Transcript of proceedings before the Honorable Harry Pregerson, sitting as Criminal Duty Judge of this Court, on June 8, 1970, when defendant-petitioner Messimer pleaded guilty. This Reporter’s Transcript was filed with this Court on November 13, 1984, and is attached hereto as Exhibit B.

Upon review and examination of said Response and Reporter’s Transcript, this Court finds facts as follows:

On June 8, 1970, defendant-petitioner Messimer, entered a plea of guilty to a one-count indictment charging him with theft of mail in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1708. (R.T. 8). Prior to taking defendant’s plea, the Honorable Harry Pregerson advised all defendants in the Courtroom, including defendant-petitioner Messimer, of their constitutional rights. (R.T. 3-7). The rights explained to defendants included the right: (1) to have assistance of counsel, appointed if necessary, at all stages of the proceedings; (2) to a speedy and public trial by twelve jurors who must return a unanimous verdict, or a trial by the Court if jury is waived; (3) to confront and cross-examine witnesses; (4) to have the Court compel production of evidence and attendance of witnesses favorable to the defense; (5) to testify in one’s own defense, or not to testify because one cannot be compelled to testify against oneself; and (6) to bail except in capital cases. (R.T. 3-4). Judge Pregerson advised defendants that by pleading guilty they waived the right against self-incrimination, right to trial and right to confront witnesses. (R.T. 5).

Judge Pregerson explained to defendants that the law presumes a defendant is innocent, and a defendant is not required to prove his innocence; rather, the burden is on the government to prove every element of the crime charged beyond a reasonable doubt. (R.T. 4). Judge Pregerson further advised defendants that before the Court can accept a guilty plea, it must determine that the plea was made voluntarily, with an understanding of the nature of the charge and consequences of the plea and that there was a factual basis for the plea. (R.T. 6). Further, before accepting a guilty plea, Judge Pregerson told defendants he expected each defendant to have discussed his case fully with his attorney, including possible defenses and the maximum sentence. (R.T. 6). Defense attorneys were told that the Court would ask if they had fully advised their client and if they believed their client’s plea was voluntarily and understandingly made. (R.T. 7).

Judge Pregerson admonished defendants that: (1) they should not plead guilty un[994]*994less they were in fact guilty of the charges; (2) they should not plead guilty if threats had been made against them or members of their family to force them to plead guilty; and (3) they should not plead guilty if promises of leniency or a particular sentence, probation or any other inducement had been made to get them to plead guilty because only the judge has the authority to impose a sentence or grant probation. (R.T. 7).

Thereafter the Court addressed defendant-petitioner Messimer personally, and asked if he had received and read a copy of the indictment; and twice asked whether he had heard and understood the constitutional rights previously explained. To these questions defendant Messimer responded affirmatively (R.T. 8, 9). Defendant Messimer, after waiving reading of the indictment, pleaded guilty to the charge. (R.T. 8). In the official file, the minute order of June 8, 1970, reflects that defendant Messimer executed a form acknowledging advisement of his constitutional rights.

The Court then asked defendant Messimer if he was fully aware of the nature of the offense charged to which defendant responded affirmatively (R.T. 8, 9).

Defendant Messimer then told the Court what the maximum penalty was for the offense — a $2,000 fine and 5 years imprisonment. (R.T. 9). Defendant Messimer acknowledged that because he was twenty years old he could receive a Youth Corrections Act sentence which could run as long as six years. (R.T. 9).

Defendant Messimer also said he understood by pleading guilty he was waiving his rights to a trial and to confront witnesses and also his privilege against self-incrimination. (R.T. 9, 10). Defendant Messimer denied that he was pleading guilty because of threats made to him or his family and denied that he had been coerced or forced to plead guilty by anyone. (R.T. 10). Defendant Messimer acknowledged he was pleading guilty because he was in fact guilty of the offense charged and for no other reason and that his plea was entirely free and voluntary. (R.T. 10).

Defense attorney, David Sperber, and defendant Messimer agreed that they had fully discussed the case. (R.T. 10). Attorney Sperber also confirmed that no meritorious defenses existed; that defendant’s constitutional rights were observed; that there was a basis in fact for the guilty plea; and that in his opinion the plea was made understandingly and voluntarily. (R.T. 11).

Defendant Messimer was sentenced by Judge Pregerson on July 7, 1970, to 54 days, which was actually the time he had already served. (Official file, minutes and Abstract of Order of Judge Pregerson, July 7, 1970.)

Defendant-petitioner Messimer contends in his aforesaid Motion, Petition and Amended Petition that his sentence upon his plea of guilty should be vacated or corrected because:

(1) he was coerced into making his guilty plea by threats from postal inspectors, the Assistant United States Attorney and his own defense attorney;
(2) he was not informed of his right to a jury trial or privilege against self-incrimination nor did the Court personally address him and ask if he understood the charge, the mandatory sentence, and if the plea was voluntarily entered without threats or promises;
(3) he was denied effective assistance of counsel because his attorney failed to investigate a possible insanity defense; and

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Bluebook (online)
598 F. Supp. 992, 1984 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 21390, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-messimer-cacd-1984.