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160 F.2d 950

Docket No. 11478.

Lynch v. Johnston

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

Decided March 19, 1947.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals · decided 1947-03-19

Cited by 3 later decisions — most recently August 1955

2 federal appellate ·

2 counsel of record

Applies 28 U.S.C. § 455

Relies on Walker v. Johnston · White v. Ragen · Williams v. Kaiser

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1947-03-19

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¶1*951Joseph P. Lynch, in pro. per.

¶2Frank J. Hennessy, U. S. Atty., and Joseph Karesh, Asst. U. S. Atty., both of San Francisco, Cal., for appellee.

¶3Before GARRECHT, STEPHENS and BONE, Circuit Judges.

¶4BONE, Circuit Judge.

¶5Appellant, while confined in a federal penitentiary at Lewisberg, Pennsylvania, killed another inmate. When brought to trial he was represented by appointed counsel, pleaded guilty to the crime of second-degree murder and was thereupon sentenced to a term of twenty years imprisonment. See United States v. Lynch, 3 Cir., 132 F.2d Ill, certified denied, 318 U.S. 777, 63 S.Ct. 831, 87 L.Ed. 1146. Being presently confined under that sentence in the penitentiary at Alcatraz Island, he petitioned the court below for a writ of habeas corpus. That court denied the petition without issuing an order to show cause, and appellant appealed.

¶6Where, as here, no order to show cause is issued and no return is made or hearing had, the law requires that all of the allegations of fact contained in the petition be treated as true. Williams v. Kaiser, 323 U.S. 471, 473, 65 S.Ct. 363, 89 L.Ed. 398, House v. Mayo, 324 U.S. 42, 45, 65 S.Ct. 517, 89 L.Ed. 739; White v. Ragen, 324 U.S. 760, 763, 65 S.Ct. 978, 89 L.Ed. 1348. If a petition is clearly insufficient upon its face, it is proper to dismiss it. 28 U.S.C.A. § 455; Walker v. Johnston, 312 U.S. 275, 284, 61 S.Ct. 574, 85 L.Ed. 830; Dorsey v. Gill, App.D.C., 148 F.2d 857, 870.

¶7The petition in this case is not drawn with desirable precision and clarity. However, “technical nicety” is not required in setting forth the allegations on which a petitioner relies to impeach the validity of his conviction. His petition plainly indicates that he desires to reveal facts which he was coerced from revealing which he claims would have been good defense to the charges of which he was convicted. We are of the view that enough is charged or implied therein to require a hearing on the petition.1

¶8The case is remanded with directions to grant petitioner a hearing on his petition.

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