Dick Malone v. Sherman H. Crouse, Warden, Kansas State Penitentiary, 380 F.2d 741, 10th Cir. (1967)

380 F.
2d 741
Dick MALONE, Appellant,

v.
Sherman H. CROUSE, Warden, Kansas State Penitentiary,
Appellee.
No. 9224.
United States Court of Appeals Tenth Circuit.

July 14, 1967, Rehearing Denied Aug. 29, 1967.
Dean R. Vanatta, Denver, Colo., for appellant.

Daniel D. Metz, Asst. Atty. Gen. of Kansas (Robert C. Londerholm, Atty.
Gen. of Kansas, on the brief), for appellee.
Before JONES, * SETH, and HICKEY, Circuit Judges.
SETH, Circuit Judge.
The appellant, a prisoner in the Kansas State Penitentiary, has taken this appeal
from the order of the United States District Court for the District of Kansas
denying appellant's petition for a writ of habeas corpus.
In December 1963, appellant was tried in the State District Court of Sedgwick
County, Kansas, on charges of making a false check, passing and uttering a
false check, and obtaining money under false pretenses. The jury rendered a
verdict of guilty on all counts. Appellant was sentenced to life imprisonment
under the Kansas habitual criminal statute. On appeal the Kansas Supreme
Court affirmed appellant's conviction. State v. Malone, 194 Kan. 653, 400 P.2d
712 (1965). Appellant's applications for post-conviction relief were summarily
denied by the Kansas state courts without evidentiary hearings.
The United States District Court on appellant's petition for a writ of habeas
corpus conducted a full evidentiary hearing on the constitutional questions
presented. Sixteen witnesses, including appellant, testified before the District
Court, and the transcribed proceedings fill 744 of 1396 pages in the record
before us on appeal. The District Court made extensive findings of fact relating
to the constitutional questions and concluded that appellant's petition should be
denied. Additional facts will supplement our discussion of the questions
presented on appeal.
4
Appellant argues that his arrest was unlawful because the arresting officers had
no warrant for arrest and had no probable cause to believe that appellant had
committed a crime. Detective Burrows of the Wichita police had received
complaints from certain motel owners that a man calling himself 'Dick Malone'
had represented that he was an agent of a construction company and had
sought, and received, cash advancements from motel owners to feed and house
his construction crew. On July 25, 1963, about noon, the Wichita police were
notified by an unknown person that 'Dick Malone' was at the Napa Motel in
Wichita. Detectives Shackelford and Overman were advised by radio and they
responded. Upon arriving at the motel, the detectives discovered appellant,
carrying a suitcase, and preparing to enter a taxi. He was with a woman
companion who was carrying a box of clothing. The detectives asked appellant
if he was Malone, and appellant said that he was. Upon a request for
identification, appellant showed the detectives his billfold, which further
identified appellant as Dick Malone. After appellant was frisked for weapons
by detective Overman, appellant and his woman companion, together with his
suitcase and her box of clothing, were placed in a police car and taken to the
police station.
Appellant relies on Beck v. State of Ohio, 379 U.S. 89, 85 S.Ct. 223, 13
L.Ed.2d 142, on the arrest issue, but its facts are not similar to those in the case
at bar. Here detective Burrows testified that he had received complaints from
the Highway Inn and two other motels, had talked with people at the Highway
Inn, and had issued a pickup order for Malone. Burrows related this
information to a morning meeting of detectives, and Shackelford, one of the
arresting detectives, had personal knowledge that Malone was sought in
connection with fraud complaints. An anonymous informer told the police
where Malone could be found, not that Malone had committed, or was
committing, a crime. The Wichita police prior to notification by the informer
had probable cause to believe a man using the name Dick Malone had
committed a crime. When the appellant identified himself as Malone, the
detectives had probable cause to arrest him without a warrant. See Dailey v.
United States, 365 F.2d 640 (10th Cir.); Murray v. United States, 351 F.2d 330
(10th Cir.). Appellant's arrest was not unlawful because an unknown person
told the police where a person wanted could be found.
Appellant argues that evidence obtained from an unlawful search of his suitcase
was used against him during trial. The suitcase contained papers summarizing
appellant's prior criminal record and appellant's certificate of release from the
Nebraska State Penitentiary dated July 15, 1963, ten days before appellant's
arrest in Wichita. Appellant contends that the detectives' knowledge of his past
criminal record obtained by a search without warrant was the source of
references to appellant's prior arrests and convictions during trial. Appellant
also contends that the same unlawfully obtained information was used to
invoke the Kansas habitual criminal statute during sentencing. The District
Court found that nothing from the suitcase was introduced in evidence against
the appellant, and that no evidence in appellant's trial was the fruit of any
violation of appellant's constitutional rights. The court also found that appellant
had voluntarily discussed his prior criminal record with the detectives.1
Substantial evidence in the record supports these findings, and we agree with
the District Court's conclusion that the search was incident to a lawful arrest.
7
The detectives opened the suitcase in appellant's presence at the police station
within an hour or so of appellant's arrest at the motel. No search warrant was
obtained. A reasonable search without warrant and incident to a lawful arrest
does not offend the fourth amendment to the Constitution.2 See Preston v.
United States, 376 U.S. 364, 84 S.Ct. 881, 11 L.Ed.2d 777; Ker v. State of
California, 374 U.S. 23, 83 S.Ct. 1623, 10 L.Ed.2d 726; Harris v. United States,
331 U.S. 145, 67 S.Ct. 1098, 91 L.Ed. 1399. A reasonable search incident to a
lawful arrest may extend to things under the accused's immediate control. See
Preston v. United States, supra; Carroll v. United States, 132, 45 S.Ct. 280, 69
L.Ed. 543, 39 A.L.R. 790. The suitcase was under appellant's immediate
control when he was arrested and seizure of the suitcase occurred immediately
thereafter or concurrently. Under the facts, we hold that the search was
contemporaneous with the arrest, Stoner v. State of California, 376 U.S. 483,
84 S.Ct. 889, 11 L.Ed.2d 856, and was not conducted at 'another place,' within
the meaning of Preston v. United States, supra. The search without warrant is
not unlawful merely because the search was conducted within a relatively short
time after appellant and the suitcase had been transported to the police station,
rather than at the motel immediately after appellant was arrested. Cf.
Baskerville v. United States, 227 F.2d 454 (10th Cir.); Cotton v. United States,
371 F.2d 385 (9th Cir.).
Appellant argues that he was denied a fair trial because a Wichita newspaper
published a prejudicial and inaccurate article concerning appellant's criminal
record on the night before closing arguments and submission of the case to the
jury. It appears that only one juror admitted reading the article, and he said that
he had not been influenced by it. This issue was raised by appellant on direct
appeal from his conviction, and the Kansas Supreme Court devoted the greater
part of its opinion to the question of jury prejudice resulting from publication of
the article. State v. Malone, 194 Kan. 563, 400 P.2d 712 (1965). The United
States District Court adopted the findings of the state courts and concluded that
the jury was not subjected to influence amounting to a denial of due process of
law. We agree. The totality of circumstances in the case at bar is not remotely
comparable to that with which the Supreme Court was concerned in Sheppard
v. Maxwell, 384 U.S. 333, 86 S.Ct. 1507, 16 L.Ed.2d 600. See also Marshall v.
United States, 360 U.S. 310, 79 S.Ct. 1171, 3 L.Ed.2d 1250; Welch v. United
States, 371 F.2d 287 (10th Cir.).
9
References to appellant's prior convictions were admitted over objection during

trial. Appellant argues that these trial references and the newspaper article
combined to cause jury prejudice amounting to denial of due process. The
potential prejudicial effect of introducing prior convictions during trial is
recognized, but such evidence may be introduced when it has particular
probative value. See Spencer v. State of Texas, 385 U.S. 554, 87 S.Ct. 648, 17
L.Ed.2d 606 (January 23, 1967), and cases cited therein. State practice
permitted the introduction of this evidence. There appear to be three principal
references to appellant's prior difficulties with the law. On the first occasion an
unspecified objection was made and sustained; on the second when a witness
described statements made by the accused as to his whereabouts no objection
was made. On the third reference objection was made that the accused should
be tried only for the present charge, but the court permitted the evidence of
prior similar offenses to be admitted to show a common mode of operation. As
indicated this was in conformance with state practice, and under Spencer v.
State of Texas, supra, there are no constitutional prohibitions against it. The
trial references and publication of the article, considered together, did not in our
view create a situation where prejudice was inherently probable. See Estes v.
State of Texas, 381 U.S. 532, 85 S.Ct. 1628, 14 L.Ed.2d 543. We find no denial
of due process.
10
Appellant argues that he was denied a fair trial because his appointed trial
counsel was incompetent. The transcript of appellant's trial was before the
District Court. Appellant's trial counsel and the state judge who presided at the
trial both testified during the habeas corpus proceedings. The District Court
made findings from substantial evidence and concluded that appellant was
afforded his constitutional right to adequate and competent counsel. We agree.
11
Appellant argues that he was subjected to cruel and unusual punishment in

violation of the eighth amendment to the Constitution. Appellant contends that
he was beaten and physically abused by police officials, was denied medical
attention, and was placed in solitary confinement without proper food or
clothing. Substantial evidence in the record supports the District Court's

findings that appellant was not beaten, coerced, or physically abused by police
officials, that he was given medical attention for physical and emotional
complaints unrelated to alleged police mistratment, and that appellant was
placed in solitary confinement pursuant to the order of a state judge for
contempt of court. The District Court specifically found that no admissions,
statements, or confessions concerning the criminal charges were illegally
obtained from appellant. We find nothing in the record to suggest that
appellant's solitary confinement in any way prejudiced his right to a fair trial on
the criminal charges.
12
Appellant argues that he was improperly sentences to life imprisonment under

the Kansas habitual criminal statute because one prior conviction was invalid.
The state court relied on two prior convictions in Colorado and a prior
conviction of second-degree murder in Ohio in 1933. Appellant alleges the
Ohio conviction is invalid because he was not represented by counsel. From
review of court records, the District Court concluded that there was no
evidence rebutting appellant's contention, and that there was no conclusive
evidence that appellant had waived counsel in the Ohio case. However, the
District Court concluded that the two Colorado convictions were valid in all
respects and that appellant was properly sentenced. Appellant's conviction in
Kansas was a third conviction and the Kansas statute permits a life sentence
upon conviction of a third felony. See Kan.Gen.Stat.Ann. 21-107a (1949); State
v. Fountaine, 188 Kan. 190, 360 P.2d 1119 (1961).
13
Appellant argues that he was denied a fair trial by the cumulative effect of a
number of alleged wrongs. Appellant contends that his money was confiscated
and used to pay a judgment in a civil action which he was not permitted to
defend. We fail to perceive any connection between payment of a civil
judgment and a fair criminal trial. Appellant alleges that he has not been
provided with a jury list. Availability of the jury liss is a question of state law,
and the record discloses no denial of due process because the appellant has not
been provided with a jury list.
14
Appellant argues that he was not taken to a state psychiatric center before the
was confined in the penitentiray, contrary to the sentencing order of the state
trial court. This is a question of state law and is not related to appellant's right to
a fair trial. The record does reveal that appellant was examined by a psychiatrist
before trial. From substantial evidence in the record, the District Court found
that appellant was competent to stand trial in 1963, and that there was no
evidence showing that appellant was incompetent to participate in the instant
habeas corpus proceedings.
15
Appellant alleges that long and prejedicial delays occurred between arrest and
arraignment, thus denying his right to a fair and speedy trial, and that he was
denied a preliminary hearing as required by Kansas law. Substantial evidence
supports the District Court's findings that the preliminary hearing was waived
by appellant's appointed counsel, that appellant was not prejudiced by waiver of
preliminary hearing, and that any delay between arrest and arraignment was
caused either by appellant's conduct or by actions of appellant's counsel taken
in appellant's behalf. the District Court concluded that no prejudice amounting
to denial of due process resulted from any delay. We agree.
16
Appellant's final argument is that he was convicted of an offense for which he

was not charged. The second count of one information referred to a vilation of
Kan.GenStat.Ann. 21-628. After the jury had returned with its verdict, the state
trial court allowed amendment of the information to show 21-609, rather than
21-628, as a clericla error. The District Court found that the language of the
charge in the information was consistent with 21-609. Although the statutory
reference was incorrect, the language of the charge refers to a violation of 21609. The information alleged offenses against the laws of Kansas, and we
cannot say that appellant was convicted of an offense for which he was not
charged. Cf. Cole v. State of Arkansas, 333 U.S. 196, 68 S.Ct. 514, 92 L.Ed.
644.
17
By way of summary, the District Court's findings are supported by substantial

evidence, and we find no error in the court's conclusions of law.
18
The judgment of the District Court is affirmed.
Senior Judge of the Fifth Circuit, by Designation
The District Court also found that appellant was fully advised of his
constitutional rights and warned that anything he said could be used against
him, and that appellant understood his rights. These findings are not questioned
on appeal
In Warden v. Hayden, 87 S.Ct. 1642, 18 L.Ed.2d 782 (May 29, 1967), the
Supreme Court abandoned the distinction, under the fourth amendment,
between evidentiary materials, on one hand, and contraband and fruits and
instrumentalities of crime. Under Hayden, evidentiary material may be seized
under authority of a search warrant or by search incident to a lawful arrest

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380 F.

Dick MALONE, Appellant,

United States Court of Appeals Tenth Circuit.

Dean R. Vanatta, Denver, Colo., for appellant.

References to appellant's prior convictions were admitted over objection during

Appellant argues that he was subjected to cruel and unusual punishment in

clothing. Substantial evidence in the record supports the District Court's

Appellant argues that he was improperly sentences to life imprisonment under

Appellant's final argument is that he was convicted of an offense for which he

By way of summary, the District Court's findings are supported by substantial

The judgment of the District Court is affirmed.

Senior Judge of the Fifth Circuit, by Designation

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