Title: Petition of High Pine
Citation: 457 P.2d 912
Docket Number: 11720
State: Montana
Issuer: Montana Supreme Court
Date: August 18, 1969

457 P.2d 912 (1969) Petition of Larry P. HIGH PINE. No. 11720. Supreme Court of Montana. August 18, 1969. *913 MEMO OPINION PER CURIAM: This is an original proceeding by Larry P. High Pine, an inmate of Montana State Prison, appearing pro se, to obtain a writ of habeas corpus for the purpose of reinstating his parole. Petitioner alleges several reasons why this Court should issue the writ, only two of which merit discussion here. First, that his constitutional rights were denied when he was returned to Montana State Prison from an Indian Reservation in South Dakota, without extradition proceedings or knowingly waiving extradition. Second, that his constitutional rights were denied him when the Montana Board of Pardons (hereafter referred to as the Board) revoked his parole, allegedly without a hearing and without appointing counsel for him or informing him of his right to counsel. The facts from the record show the following: Petitioner was sentenced to 20 years at hard labor in the state prison for the crime of second degree murder in Rosebud County, Montana, on September 2, 1960. On January 9, 1967, petitioner was granted parole from the prison. The Board thereafter, on January 17, 1967, issued a warrant for petitioner's arrest for breaking the conditions of his parole. On February 18, 1967, petitioner was arrested by tribal police on an Indian reservation at Wounded Knee, South Dakota. The tribal police apparently held petitioner for Montana officials on the parole violation. On February 22, 1967, petitioner was returned to Montana by Mr. Fred White, the then acting director of the Board. The Board held a revocation hearing in March 1967 at which time it determined that the best interests of society would be served if petitioner were to remain in the prison until his discharge date. Both of petitioner's contentions have been discussed by this Court in a recent case, In re Petition of Dixson, 149 Mont. 412, 430 P.2d 642; although that decision dealt primarily with the "Interstate Compact for the Supervision of Parolees and Probationers" the holding in the case is equally applicable here. Going to petitioner's first contention, it is difficult for this Court to understand how petitioner's constitutional rights were abridged, even if it were true that no extradition was obtained. In the Dixson case, quoting with approval a Washington case, we said at p. 415, 430 P.2d at p. 643: Later in that same case at p. 417, 430 P.2d at p. 644, we said: This Court may, and will, rely on the presumption that official duty has been performed. Therefore we presume that a waiver of extradition was obtained from petitioner prior to his removal from South Dakota. However, since petitioner in order *914 to secure his own parole agreed to waive such rights, he is now bound by such waiver and cannot now be heard to complain. Petitioner's second contention, that his constitutional rights were denied at the revocation of his parole, can also be answered from the Dixson case, supra, at p. 416, 430 P.2d at p. 644, quoting from a federal decision: But going beyond our own decision in Dixson we find numerous decisions by the federal courts and other state courts which agree with this holding. In Dunn v. California Department of Corrections, 401 F.2d 340 (9th Cir.1968), the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, denying a writ of habeas corpus, said: In Johnson v. Stucker, 203 Kan. 253, 453 P.2d 35 (1969), the Kansas Supreme Court in discussing Mempa v. Rhay, 389 U.S. 128, 88 S. Ct. 254, 19 L. Ed. 2d 336, as it applies to this question, said: Petitioner's right to the presence of counsel at his revocation hearing arises, if at all, from the provisions of section 94-9835, R.C.M. 1947, which provides: Thus it is readily apparent that there is no constitutional right to counsel at a parole revocation hearing, but rather, a statutory right, which by no means requires the Board to provide counsel for a parolee whose parole is being revoked. The writ sought is denied and the proceeding is dismissed.