Court Opinion

ID: 9473699
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 04:37:18.768291+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:43:41.548147
License: Public Domain

WESLEY E. BROWN, Senior District Judge,
dissenting.
I must respectfully dissent from the majority opinion because of my belief that the petitioner failed to carry his burden of proof to support his contention that he was denied effective assistance of counsel contrary to his constitutional right to due process of law. 28 U.S.C.A. Sec. 2254(d). My conclusion does not, of course, endorse the conduct of the state trial judge, or excuse his reprehensible behavior in any manner.
I believe that the findings of fact by the Wisconsin court must be accorded a “presumption of correctness” in this habeae corpus case, under the rule of Sumner v. Mata, 449 U.S. 539, 101 S.Ct. 764, 66 L.Ed.2d 722 (1981). In the absence of any evidence that the conduct of the judge affected trial counsel or the jury at the subsequent trial, I believe this presumption must prevail.
While I recognize that the decision of this Circuit in Margoles v. Johns, 660 F.2d 291 (7 Cir.1981), cert. den., 455 U.S. 909, 102 S.Ct. 1256, 71 L.Ed.2d 447 (1982), involved a civil action, the ruling there is most persuasive that proof, as opposed to speculation, of the denial of due process is required:
“A litigant is denied the fundamental fairness to which he is constitutionally entitled if the judge of his ease is unfairly biased against him. However, a litigant is not denied due process by either the ‘appearance’ of partiality or by circumstances which might lead one to speculate as to a judge’s impartiality. A litigant is denied due process if he is in fact treated unfairly.” 660 F.2d at 296, (emphasis of the court).
Here, I do not believe that speculation or the “appearance” of a denial of due process, should override the findings of the state courts, or the conclusion of the federal district court.
It is to be noted that under the amendment to Rule 52(a), Fed.R.Civ.Proc., to take effect on August 1, 1985, a district court’s findings of fact, whether based on oral or documentary evidence, cannot be set aside unless they are found to be clearly erroneous. This rule is in accordance with the Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Anderson v. Bessemer City, 470 U.S.-, 105 S.Ct. 1504, 84 L.Ed.2d 518 (1985).
I would affirm the judgment below.