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308 F.2d 78

Docket Misc. No. 1481.

Russell v. United States

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

Decided Sept. 12, 1962.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals · decided 1962-09-12

2 counsel of record

Key passage — most relied on by later courts

“[a] litigant appearing in propria persona has no authority to represent anyone other than himself.”

quoted by 1 later decision, including Agrio v. Gomez

Applies 18 U.S.C. § 3651

Relies on Price v. Johnston · Carrigan v. California State Legislature · Russell v. United States

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Opinion by (per_curiam) · Decided 1962-09-12

How this case has been cited

Cited by 25 later decisions — most recently June 2023 · most notably C.E. Pope Equity Trust v. United States (1987), Eagle Associates v. Bank of Montreal (1991)

13 federal appellate · 1 district · 1 state decisions

901962197019801990200020102020decided

Later decisions citing this case, by decade. The current decade is in progress, and our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so the latest bars are undercounted — not a real decline.

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

¶1See also 288 F.2d 520.

¶2Pies Elworth Russell in pro. per.

¶3No appearance for respondent.

¶4Before BARNES, JERTBERG and BROWNING, Circuit Judges.

¶5PER CURIAM.

¶6Pies Elworth Russell has filed with the Chief Judge of this Court (a) a “Motion for Probation of Sentence,” invoking jurisdiction under Title 28, United States Code §§ 1291 and 1651(a), and (b) a “Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus Ad Testificandum,” in support of (a) above, invoking jurisdiction under Title 28 United States Code § 2241.

¶7Pies Elworth Russell purportedly files both his motion and his petition on behalf of Roy Russell as well. Pies El-worth Russell alone signed it. Pies El-worth Russell is allegedly confined at the United States Penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kansas, and Roy Russell at a federal institution at Terminal Island, San Pedro, California.

¶8*79Both the motion and the petition have been referred by the Chief Judge to this panel of the Court.

¶9 A litigant appearing in propria persona has no authority to represent anyone other than himself. Cf. Carrigan v. California State Legislature et al., 9 Cir., 263 F.2d 560. There is, therefore, no matter presently before us presented by, or on behalf of, Roy Russell.

¶10We turn to Pies Russell.

¶11Title 28 of the United States Code § 1291 gives this Court jurisdiction of appeals from all final decisions of the district courts of the United States. This is not an appeal from such a decision. We have no authority, in the absence of a timely appeal, to vacate a judgment of conviction, or to modify, or correct a sentence. Tesciona v. United States (1944) 9 Cir., 141 F.2d 811. Nor may we grant probation, nor modify it. That is the function of the court entering the judgment of conviction. Rule 32(c), Fed.R.Crim.P. 18 U.S.C.; 18 U.S. C. § 3651.

¶12Title 28 of the United States Code § 1651(a) authorizes this court to issue all writs necessary or appropriate in aid of its jurisdiction. With respect to a matter not within its jurisdiction, it has no power to issue writs in aid thereof.

¶13Title 28 of the United States Code § 2241 authorized the issuance of writs of habeas corpus by this court. That writ has been held broad enough to authorize this court to issue an order, in the nature of a writ of habeas corpus, requiring that a prisoner be brought before it for the purpose of arguing his appeal. Price v. Johnston, Warden, (1948) 334 U.S. 266, 68 S.Ct. 1049, 92 L.Ed. 1356. Title 28, U.S.C. § 2241(c) (5) permits a prisoner to be brought into court by the writ when necessary to testify.

¶14There being no matter before us over which we have jurisdiction, there is no necessity for testimony in this court.

¶15The “Motion for Probation of Sentence” is denied. The “Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus Ad Testificandum” is denied.

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