Court Opinion

ID: 9422852
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-02 23:04:50.45784+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:22:39.948775
License: Public Domain

Mr. Justice Stewart,
whom Mr. Justice Clark, Mr. Justice Harlan and Mr. Justice Brennan join,
concurring.
I think that for purposes of Rule 37 (a) (2), a defendant incarcerated in a federal prison and acting without the aid of counsel files his notice of appeal in time, if, within the 10-day period provided by the Rule, he delivers such notice to the prison authorities for forwarding to the clerk of the District Court. In other words, in such a case the jailer is in effect the clerk of the District Court within the meaning of Rule 37. If all we had to go on in this case was the date the petitioner wrote at the top of his letter, I think we should remand the case for resolution of the factual question as to when the letter was actually delivered to the prison authorities for mailing. But government counsel expressly conceded during oral argument that the petitioner in fact entrusted his notice of appeal *145to the prison authorities within the 10-day period. Moreover, we were advised by counsel that procedures have now been inaugurated at the federal prisons to make certain that the exact time of receipt will be marked on all papers that are filed with the authorities for mailing. For these reasons I concur in the judgment of the Court, remanding the case for a prompt disposition of the appeal on the merits.