Court Opinion

ID: 9447742
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-03 22:43:25.656278+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:31:10.634714
License: Public Domain

CHAMBERS, Circuit Judge
(concurring).
I concur in the above opinion. This is because I believe it is technically correct. But obviously the prisoner was fairly treated.
By way of dictum, I wish to make some general remarks. It occurs to me that the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure are generally applicable to these § 2255 proceedings. In fact, the district court recognized this in ordering the deposition of Dr. James T. Moriarity to be taken on written interrogatories. It occurs to me that before hearing, an assistant United States attorney could go to Alcatraz and take the petitioner’s deposition.1 Discoveries thereunder might well form the basis for justly denying the prisoner a trip from Alcatraz to Tacoma. Surely there is meaning to the sentence in § 2255 which reads as follows:
“A court may entertain and determine such motion without requiring the production of the prisoner at the hearing.” 2
Obviously, there will be some cases where underlying fairness will require that the prisoner be present at the hearing. And, usually when the prisoner is not present, it would be well to appoint counsel to represent him at the hearing.
We must always be alert to catch the rare case when the prisoner has been imposed upon. But there must be a way to protect the courts from the mockery that goes on in so many of these § 2255 cases. I believe the way lies in directing the attention of the district attorneys to full use of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Also, in many of these cases there is obviously the old fashioned crime of perjury. Whether such exists here, I express no opinion.

. Also Rules 33 and 36 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure offer possibilities.

. Later, I shall make up my mind about whether, when discovery proceedings show the petition is obviously without merit, the district court may then cancel a previous order for a hearing.