Court Opinion

ID: 9451050
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 17:04:20.096096+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:32:32.795935
License: Public Domain

J. SKELLY WRIGHT, Circuit Judge
(dissenting):
This appeal is from a denial without hearing of a § 2255 motion which both sides agree states grounds entitling appellant to relief.1 Though this is appellant’s second § 2255 motion, it is not successive in the legal sense, as the Government on brief admits, since the earlier motion based on the same grounds did not result in a ruling on the merits. Sanders v. United States, 373 U.S. 1, 15-17, 83 S.Ct. 1068, 10 L.Ed.2d 148 (1963). Abuse of remedy is, therefore, the only ground on which appellant can be denied the relief he seeks without a hearing on the merits. Id. at 17-19, 83 S.Ct. 1068.
In this case, the Government did plead abuse of remedy. The trial judge, however, has made no finding of fact showing an abuse of remedy, nor could such *794finding have been made on this record without a hearing.2 Therefore, I would remand this case for a hearing and findings.3 Compare United States v. Hayman, 342 U.S. 205, 77 S.Ct. 263, 96 L.Ed. 232 (1952).
I respectfully dissent.

. Petitioner alleged that the plea of guilty on which his conviction was based was entered without counsel and without intelligent waiver of his right to counsel.

. The Government bears the burden of pleading and proving abuse of remedy. Sanders v. United States, supra, 373 U.S. at 10-11, 83 S.Ct. 1068. See Note, 77 Harv.L.Rev. 79, 148 (1963).

, Another panel of this court has remanded another case against Pouncey to the District Court for a hearing on mental competence. Pouncey v. United States, 121 U.S.App.D.C. -, 349 F.2d 699 (No. 18,565, decided June 30, 1965). The evidence developed in that hearing would he useful in determining whether Pouncey has abused his § 2255 remedy here.