Opinion ID: 406595
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: introduction

Text: 1 Appellant, a prisoner currently confined in the federal penitentiary at Marion, Illinois, filed pro se a petition for writ of habeas corpus in the district court on November 19, 1981, naming the Director of the District of Columbia Department of Corrections as respondent. Appellant alleged that he had been convicted of violating D.C.Code § 22-2901, that he had been confined initially at Lorton Reformatory to begin serving his sentence, and that in April of 1977 he was without prior notice transferred to federal prison without being given the hearing he is entitled to. 2 Appellant claimed that he was entitled to a hearing by District of Columbia Department of Corrections Order No. 4810.1 (April 30, 1976), which in April of 1977 1 provided: 3 Upon receipt of notification that a DCDC (District of Columbia Department of Corrections) resident is to be transferred to a FBP (Federal Bureau of Prisons) institution or facility it shall be the responsibility of the institution (facility) Administrator to ensure that the resident is afforded a hearing before a committee consisting of at least three institutional (facility) staff members and advised of the reason(s) for the transfer. During the hearing, the resident shall be afforded an opportunity to indicate any objections, and the rational (sic) for the same, regarding the transfer.... 4 See Smith v. Carlson, 447 F.Supp. 422, 426 (M.D.Pa.1978). 5 The district court did not reach the merits of appellant's claim that the procedures used to effect his transfer were illegal, but instead dismissed the petition, stating that the dismissal was without prejudice to appellant's filing in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In its order denying appellant leave to proceed on appeal in forma pauperis, the district court cited Swain v. Pressley, 430 U.S. 372, 97 S.Ct. 1224, 51 L.Ed.2d 411 (1977), in which the Supreme Court interpreted D.C.Code § 23-110 as vesting exclusive jurisdiction in the District of Columbia courts over certain claims by prisoners convicted in the Superior Court. 6 We grant appellant leave to proceed on appeal in forma pauperis, and hold that the district court erred in dismissing appellant's claim on the basis of Swain v. Pressley, supra ; D.C.Code § 23-110 does not exclude federal court jurisdiction over claims alleging the illegality of procedures used in transferring prisoners under sentence of the Superior Court. Because we further find that appellant's statement of a claim for relief is sufficient to withstand threshold dismissal in the district court, we vacate the order appealed from and remand. 7