Source: http://openjurist.org/565/f2d/203
Timestamp: 2017-07-21 21:22:31
Document Index: 652048139

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 2255', '§ 2255', '§ 2255', '§ 2255', '§ 2255', '§ 2255', '§ 2255', '§ 2255']

565 F2d 203 Newfield v. United States | OpenJurist
565 F. 2d 203 - Newfield v. United States HomeFederal Reporter, Second Series 565 F.2d.
565 F2d 203 Newfield v. United States 565 F.2d 203
Edward W. NEWFIELD, Petitioner-Appellant,v.UNITED STATES of America, Respondent-Appellee.
No. 77, Docket 77-2036.
Argued Aug. 29, 1977.Decided Oct. 19, 1977.
United States v. Sullivan, 406 F.2d 180, 185 (2d Cir. 1969); see United States v. Marshall, 458 F.2d 446, 449 (2d Cir. 1972). The test under the statute is stated in Dusky v. United States, 362 U.S. 402, 80 S.Ct. 788, 4 L.Ed.2d 824 (1960):
Whether "reasonable cause" exists under particular circumstances is a question left to the sound discretion of the district court. United States v. Hall, 523 F.2d 665, 667 (2d Cir. 1975); see United States v. Vowteras,500 F.2d 1210, 1212 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 419 U.S. 1069, 95 S.Ct. 656, 42 L.Ed.2d 665 (1974); United States v. Marshall, supra, 458 F.2d at 450; Zovluck v. United States, 448 F.2d 339, 342 (2d Cir. 1971), cert. denied,405 U.S. 1043, 92 S.Ct. 1327, 31 L.Ed.2d 585 (1972). The court may consider a defendant's history of psychiatric treatment in making such a decision, but awareness of such a history does not automatically require a finding of incompetency. "It does not follow that because a person is mentally ill he is not competent to stand trial." United States v. Adams, 297 F.Supp. 596, 597 (S.D.N.Y.1969).
Here, the psychiatric evaluations by Dr. Kaufman and Dr. Herman were in the possession of Newfield's trial counsel well before the trial began, yet counsel made no suggestion that competence was a factor in the case. Even had the evaluations been made available to the trial court during the trial, their conclusions were inconsistent as to the severity of Newfield's psychiatric problems and were intended to aid not in the determination of Newfield's competence to stand trial but in the determination of an appropriate sentence in the event of a conviction. His competence to stand trial was apparently assumed by both the examiners and counsel. There is no indication in the record that Newfield was unable to understand the proceedings against him or properly to assist in his defense. In addition, Judge Burke had five days of trial proceedings during which he observed Newfield's behavior, giving him ample opportunity to evaluate Newfield's competence. See United States v. Hall, supra, 523 F.2d at 668; United States v. Vowteras, supra, 500 F.2d at 1212; United States v. Sullivan, supra, 406 F.2d at 185; United States v. Adams, supra, 297 F.Supp. at 598.
Appellant Newfield moved, pursuant to § 2255, to have his sentence vacated or altered, based upon the claim that he had been legally incompetent to stand trial. This motion is properly brought for the first time in a collateral proceeding, for it would be "contradictory to argue that a defendant may be incompetent, and yet knowingly or intelligently 'waive' his right to have the court determine his capacity to stand trial." Pate v. Robinson, 383 U.S. 375, 384, 86 S.Ct. 836, 841, 15 L.Ed.2d 815 (1966). However, the motion does not entitle petitioner automatically to a hearing. "(T)his court takes a dim view of any summary rejection of a petition for postconviction relief when supported by a 'sufficient affidavit.' " Dalli v. United States, 491 F.2d 758, 760 (2d Cir. 1974) (emphasis in original), quoting, Taylor v. United States, 487 F.2d 307, 308 (2d Cir. 1973). Apart from such circumstances, however, the matter is left to judicial discretion. See Dalli v. United States, supra; Mirra v. United States, 379 F.2d 782 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 389 U.S. 1022, 88 S.Ct. 593, 19 L.Ed.2d 667 (1967); Accardi v. United States, 379 F.2d 312, 313 (2d Cir. 1967). "The language of (§ 2255) does not strip the district courts of all discretion to exercise their common sense." Machibroda v. United States, 368 U.S. 487, 495, 82 S.Ct. 510, 514, 7 L.Ed.2d 473 (1962).
In United States v. Miranda, 437 F.2d 1255 (2d Cir. 1971), cert. denied, 409 U.S. 874, 93 S.Ct. 207, 34 L.Ed.2d 126 (1972), this Court considered the circumstances under which a district court would be required to hold an evidentiary hearing in response to a claim of mental incompetency raised pursuant to § 2255. We held that, "where no evidentiary facts are alleged to support a bald allegation of mental incompetence, a hearing may not be required. . . . On the other hand, where the movant has raised detailed and controverted issues of fact, a hearing will be required." 437 F.2d at 1258 (citations omitted); see O'Neil v. United States, 486 F.2d 1034 (2d Cir. 1973); United States v. Falu, 421 F.2d 687 (2d Cir. 1969). Subsequently, in Dalli v. United States, supra, this Court noted that § 2255 requires a hearing unless the motion, files and records "conclusively show that the petitioner is entitled to no relief," but determined that the petitioner must be responsible for setting forth specific facts which he or she is in a position to establish by competent evidence. Id. at 760; see Zovluck v. United States, supra, 448 F.2d at 341. More recently, in Wojtowicz v. United States, 550 F.2d 786 (2d Cir. 1977), this Court reaffirmed the requirement of a hearing when a § 2255 motion presents "detailed and controverted issues of fact." Id. at 790. The Court also determined that "(t)he apparent regularity of the proceedings cannot 'conclusively show' that appellant's claim, which is based on facts outside the record, is without merit." Id.; see United States v. Miranda, supra, 437 F.2d at 1257-58; United States v. Malcolm, 432 F.2d 809, 813 (2d Cir. 1970).
Nevertheless, where, as here, the § 2255 motion is supported solely by documents long in the possession of the appellant or the trial court, where there is no assertion whatsoever of new information,4 let alone no setting forth of "detailed and controverted issues of fact," and where the trial court had ample opportunity to observe the appellant's demeanor and behavior in the courtroom, we cannot agree that the trial court abused its discretion by denying without a hearing two § 2255 motions based upon substantially the same claim. See Sanders v. United States, 373 U.S. 1, 83 S.Ct. 1068, 10 L.Ed.2d 148 (1963); Mirra v. United States, supra, 379 F.2d at 787; Yanni v. United States, 420 F.Supp. 990, 992 (S.D.N.Y.1976); Palmieri v. United States, 286 F.Supp. 520, 522 (S.D.N.Y.1968). Given the rather sparse nature of appellant Newfield's assertions and supportive information, a § 2255 hearing is unwarranted.