Source: http://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/585/361/424560/
Timestamp: 2017-09-24 17:42:04
Document Index: 42931629

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 2255', '§ 2255', '§ 2255', '§ 3500', '§ 2255', '§ 2255', '§ 2255']

Richard Bernard Lindhorst, Jr., Appellant, v. United States of America, Appellee, 585 F.2d 361 (8th Cir. 1978) :: Justia
Justia › US Law › Case Law › Federal Courts › Courts of Appeals › Eighth Circuit › 1978 › Richard Bernard Lindhorst, Jr., Appellant, v. United States of America, Appellee
Richard Bernard Lindhorst, Jr., Appellant, v. United States of America, Appellee, 585 F.2d 361 (8th Cir. 1978)
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit - 585 F.2d 361 (8th Cir. 1978)
Submitted June 15, 1978. Decided Oct. 16, 1978
The district court erred in concluding, without the benefit of an evidentiary hearing, that the government did not knowingly use perjured testimony. "While the general rule is that a hearing is necessary prior to the disposition of all § 2255 motions presenting factual issues, (citations omitted), this requirement is subject to the statutory qualification that the files and records of the case may be sufficient alone to dispose of the motion where they 'conclusively show that the prisoner is entitled to no relief.' " Cain v. United States, 271 F.2d 337, 338 (8th Cir. 1959); Accord Fontaine v. United States, 411 U.S. 213, 215, 93 S. Ct. 1461, 36 L. Ed. 2d 169 (1973).6
Neither the motion nor the files and records of the instant case "conclusively show that the prisoner is entitled to no relief." 28 U.S.C. § 2255 (1970). The motion specifically alleges with supporting affidavits government use of perjured material testimony with knowledge of its falsity. Cf. Daniels v. United States, 295 F.2d 238, 239 (8th Cir. 1961), Cert. denied, 368 U.S. 1001, 82 S. Ct. 633, 7 L. Ed. 2d 540 (1962); Harshaw v. United States, 542 F.2d 455, 457 (8th Cir. 1976).
The district court erroneously treated the affidavits submitted by the government as part of the "files and records of the case." In effect, the court credited the government's affidavits denying the knowing use of perjured testimony and discredited the appellant's affidavits alleging the same. As the Second Circuit has declared: "(A)n opposing affidavit by the Government is not part of 'the files and records of the case' which can be taken to 'conclusively show that the prisoner is entitled to no relief,' within 28 U.S.C. § 2255. The principle was established by the Supreme Court as long ago as Walker v. Johnston, 312 U.S. 275, 61 S. Ct. 574, 85 L. Ed. 830 (1941), and Waley v. Johnston, 316 U.S. 101, 62 S. Ct. 964, 86 L. Ed. 1302 (1942)." Taylor v. United States, 487 F.2d 307, 308 (2nd Cir. 1973); Accord Pennsylvania ex rel Herman v. Claudy, 350 U.S. 116, 123, 76 S. Ct. 223, 100 L. Ed. 126 (1956); Machibroda v. United States, 368 U.S. 487, 494, 82 S. Ct. 510, 7 L. Ed. 2d 473 (1962).7 The Supreme Court observed in a similar case: "It is true that they (appellant's allegations) are denied in the (government) affidavits filed with the return to the rule, but the denials only serve to make the issues which must be resolved by evidence taken in the usual way. They can have no other office. The witnesses who made them must be subjected to examination Ore tenus or by deposition as are all other witnesses." Walker v. Johnston, 312 U.S. 275, 286-87, 61 S. Ct. 574, 579, 85 L. Ed. 830 (1941).
This is not the kind of case which the district judge "could completely resolve by drawing upon his own personal knowledge or recollection." Machibroda v. United States, 368 U.S. at 494, 82 S. Ct. at 514. The district judge cannot credit the recanting witnesses' trial testimony and discredit their affidavits without affording appellant an opportunity to prove the allegations. Although recantations are generally viewed with suspicion, See Johnson v. United States, 291 F.2d 150, 154 (8th Cir. 1961), the contention that the "allegations are improbable and unbelievable cannot serve to deny him an opportunity to support them by evidence." Walker v. Johnston, 312 U.S. at 287, 61 S. Ct. at 579. An evidentiary hearing is required to determine whether the government knowingly used perjured material testimony.
Appellant's claim that the government failed to produce evidence under the Jencks Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3500 (1970), is not cognizable in a § 2255 proceeding. Houser v. United States, 508 F.2d 509, 515 (8th Cir. 1974). Appointed counsel on this appeal has argued that appellant's pro se motion should be read broadly, See Hill v. Wyrick, 570 F.2d 748 (8th Cir. 1978), and that appellant as a layman misclassified as Jencks Act evidence that evidence which the prosecution must disclose under Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 86-88, 83 S. Ct. 1194, 10 L. Ed. 2d 215 (1963). The failure to disclose Brady evidence is cognizable in a § 2255 proceeding. Houser v. United States, 508 F.2d at 517-18. In the interest of fairness and judicial economy, we instruct the district court to permit appellant to amend his motion to clarify the nature of the evidence which allegedly should have been but was not disclosed by the government.
For the same reasons, appellant will be permitted to amend his motion to include as a ground for post-conviction relief his allegation of incompetency to stand trial. See Schutz v. United States, 432 F.2d 25, 29 (10th Cir.), Cert. denied, 401 U.S. 1002, 91 S. Ct. 1245, 28 L. Ed. 2d 535 (1970).
When newly discovered evidence is the ground for a § 2255 motion, the district court should apply the same substantive test which governs a motion for a new trial under Fed. R. Crim. P. 33 premised upon the same ground. Everitt v. United States, 353 F.2d 532 (5th Cir. 1965). In order to prevail on a motion for a new trial because of newly discovered evidence,
United States v. Pope, 415 F.2d 685, 691 (8th Cir.), Cert. denied, 397 U.S. 950, 90 S. Ct. 973, 25 L. Ed. 2d 132 (1969).
See McQueen v. Swenson, 498 F.2d 207, 218 (8th Cir. 1974); Thomas v. Wyrick, 535 F.2d 407 (8th Cir.), Cert. denied, 429 U.S. 868, 97 S. Ct. 178, 50 L. Ed. 2d 148 (1976)