Opinion ID: 1393905
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Proscription Against General Denials in the Return

Text: We have described how the return to an OSC has evolved from its historic origins and how modern cases have required that the return allege facts that respond to the factual allegations in the habeas corpus petition. As will appear, past decisions by this court confirm that the practice of filing a return containing only general denials is disapproved. Previous decisions have explained that filing a return containing general denials indicates the People's willingness to rely on the record. ( Lewallen, supra, 23 Cal.3d at p. 278; see also Harris, supra, 5 Cal.4th at p. 823, fn. 2 [by effectively admitting the factual allegations in the petition, no evidentiary hearing is required]; Sixto, supra, 48 Cal.3d at p. 1252 [same].) Because this rule results in the somewhat confounding situation of transforming a denial, albeit a general one, into an admission of sorts, we turn to the evolution of the rule. The basic rule was established in Lewallen, supra, 23 Cal.3d 274. In that case, the petitioner set forth facts in his habeas corpus petition alleging that when the trial court sentenced him, it improperly relied on his rejection of an offered plea bargain and his decision to go to trial. We issued an OSC, finding the petitioner stated a prima facie case for relief. The respondent's return, however, offer[ed] nothing more in support of their claim that petitioner's confinement is lawful than a general denial of his [factual] allegation[s].... By alleging only a conclusionary statement of ultimate fact in their return, the People have indicated a willingness to rely on the record. ( Id. at p. 278.) Accordingly, we found no disputed factual questions as to matters outside the trial record [and] the merits of petitioner's claim can be reached without ordering an evidentiary hearing. ( Ibid., fn. omitted.) In a footnote following the foregoing passage, we specifically cautioned the respondent regarding the danger of relying on general denials in their return, saying: We emphasize our disapproval of the practice of setting out in a return to an order to show cause mere general denials of a habeas corpus petition's allegations. Because the issuance of an order to show cause reflects the issuing court's determination that the petition states facts which, if true, entitle the petitioner to relief [citations], the respondent should recite the facts upon which the denial of petitioner's allegations is based, and, where appropriate, should provide such documentary evidence, affidavits, or other materials as will enable the court to determine which issues are truly disputed. ( Lewallen, supra, 23 Cal.3d at p. 278, fn. 2, italics added.) Sixto, supra, 48 Cal.3d 1247, relied on Lewallen, supra, in resolving a habeas corpus matter without an evidentiary hearing. In that case, the petitioner, an illiterate farm worker, was convicted of murder and various sex crimes. In his habeas corpus petition, he claimed he was denied the effective assistance of counsel in several respects. We issued an OSC based on three of his allegations, namely: the failure to investigate petitioner's blood-alcohol level, the failure to adequately investigate the defense of diminished capacity based on PCP intoxication, and the failure to adequately investigate available evidence of petitioner's good character for the penalty phase. ( Id. at p. 1251.) The respondent filed a return that did not dispute the material facts alleged by the petitioner. ( Ibid. ) We then applied the rule that the respondent is deemed to have admitted those material factual allegations that they fail to dispute ( id. at p. 1252), and thereafter decided we could resolve the issues joined by the pleadings without an evidentiary hearing. ( Ibid. ) Sixto was cited with approval in Harris, supra, 5 Cal.4th at page 823. (Cf. In re Bower (1985) 38 Cal.3d 865, 873 [215 Cal. Rptr. 267, 700 P.2d 1269] [citing Lewallen with approval in case in which People had the burden to rebut presumption of prosecutorial vindictiveness].) (8) By failing to allege facts demonstrating the lawfulness of the challenged detention, a return containing only general denials is deficient in two important ways. First, such a return fails to fulfill its function of narrowing the facts and issues to those that are truly in dispute. ( Lewallen, supra, 23 Cal.3d at p. 278, fn. 2.) This is important because an appellate court will order an evidentiary hearing and appoint a referee only if it finds material facts are in dispute. ( Romero, supra, 8 Cal.4th at pp. 739-740.) Second, failure to allege facts in the return prevents a habeas corpus petitioner from controverting those facts in his or her traverse. The traverse becomes a useless pleading, unable to assist the court in sharpening the issues that must be decided in a reference hearing. It becomes impossible for an appellate court to determine whether or not to order a reference hearing, and if so, to specify the issues on which the referee should take evidence. Accordingly, we reiterate our disapproval of the practice of filing returns that merely contain a general denial of a habeas corpus petitioner's factual allegations. This raises the next question we must decide: did respondent's return contain only general denials?