Fagerstrom v. United States

• Decision Date: 15 January 1963
• Docket Number: No. 17052.,17052.
• Citation: 311 F.2d 717
• Parties: William Virgil FAGERSTROM, Appellant, v. UNITED STATES of America, Appellee.
• Court: U.S. Court of Appeals — Eighth Circuit

311 F.2d 717 (1963)

William Virgil FAGERSTROM, Appellant, v. UNITED STATES of America, Appellee.

No. 17052.

United States Court of Appeals Eighth Circuit.

January 15, 1963.

Sidney Lorber, Minneapolis, Minn. (Court appointed) filed typewritten brief for appellant.

Miles W. Lord, U. S. Atty., Minneapolis, Minn., and Patrick J. Foley, Asst. U. S. Atty., Minneapolis, Minn., filed typewritten brief for appellee.

Before SANBORN, VAN OOSTERHOUT and MATTHES, Circuit Judges.

SANBORN, Circuit Judge.

This is an appeal in forma pauperis by William Virgil Fagerstrom from an order of the District Court, dated March 14, 1962, denying his motion, under 28 U.S.C. § 2255, to vacate a judgment entered February 9, 1961, determining that he is a juvenile delinquent within the meaning of the Juvenile Delinquency Act, 18 U.S.C. § 5031 et seq., and committing him to the custody of the Attorney General until he reaches his majority.¹

Fagerstrom is a juvenile mixed-blood Chippewa Indian, of obscure parentage, with an eighth-grade education, born November 19, 1943 on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in northern Minnesota, and reared by the Ramsey County Welfare Board, St. Paul, Minnesota. He was accused of having stolen an automobile on the Reservation, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1153, and was brought before the District Court on January 30, 1961. In the presence of Judge Donovan and counsel for the Government, he signed a consent to be proceeded against under the Juvenile Delinquency Act.² Prior to the signing of the consent, the Judge offered Fagerstrom the assistance of counsel, which he refused. He was carefully apprised of his rights by the Judge and by counsel for the Government in open court and fully advised of the consequences of consenting to the proceeding under the Juvenile Delinquency Act. After Fagerstrom had signed the consent, counsel for the Government filed an information alleging that Fagerstrom was subject to adjudication under the Juvenile Delinquency Act, being under eighteen years of age and having, on or about January 12, 1961, violated a law of the United States. The prayer of the information was that he "be adjudged to be a juvenile delinquent" and that he be dealt with accordingly.

Fagerstrom was arraigned on the information, which was read to him in full. He entered a plea of guilty. The case was referred to the Probation Officer for a pre-sentence report. Fagerstrom came before the Court for sentence on February 9, 1961. The Judge had received the report of the Probation Officer and was undoubtedly fully advised as to Fagerstrom's past history and present difficulty. The record shows that Fagerstrom answered promptly, courteously and intelligently all questions asked him by the Judge. He admitted having committed various offenses during the years 1954 to 1959. When asked by the Judge how he became involved in the present difficulty, he answered, "I don't know, Your Honor, I just took the car." Throughout the proceedings, Fagerstrom had consistently refused the offers of Judge Donovan to appoint counsel for him. Apparently, nothing was brought to the attention of the Judge to cause him to think that Fagerstrom was unaware of what he was doing and was incapable of understanding the consequences of his consent. The proceedings were conducted by the Court and counsel for the Government with the utmost fairness and consideration for Fagerstrom and with meticulous regard for both the letter and spirit of the Juvenile Delinquency Act. The judgment determining that Fagerstrom is a juvenile delinquent and that he be committed to the custody of the Attorney General was entered at the close of the proceedings in open court, with Fagerstrom at all times present.

After Fagerstrom's adjudication he was first taken to the Federal Correctional Institution at Englewood, Colorado, and later — apparently in December of 1961 — was transferred to the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri. Thereafter he filed with the Clerk of the District Court his motion to vacate sentence under § 2255, asserting, in effect, that he, because of his youth, ignorance and insanity, did not understandingly and intelligently consent to be proceeded against under the Juvenile Delinquency Act. Judge Donovan on March 14, 1962, summarily entered an order denying the motion. Fagerstrom filed a notice of appeal. The Judge granted him leave to proceed on appeal in forma pauperis, but declined to appoint counsel to assist him.

On July 11, 1962, this Court, at the request of Fagerstrom, appointed Mr. Sidney Lorber, of the Minneapolis, Minnesota, bar, as his counsel. We are indebted to Mr. Lorber for an excellent brief in support of the view that Judge Donovan erred in summarily denying Fagerstrom's motion for vacation of judgment, based upon his claim that he was mentally incompetent to consent to the proceedings which resulted in his being adjudged a juvenile delinquent. It is persuasively argued that the Judge should have held a hearing on the motion, in order to determine Fagerstrom's mental competency at the time he was proceeded against, or should have determined his mental condition nunc pro tunc in conformity with the teachings of Krupnick v. United States, 8 Cir., 264 F.2d 213, 218.

It appears that on July 31, 1962, James V. Bennett, Director of the federal Bureau of Prisons, sent a letter to the Probate Judge of Ramsey County, Minnesota.³ A petition for Fagerstrom's commitment to a State institution as being a mentally ill person was filed in the Probate Court of Ramsey County by a representative of the Bureau of Prisons. The petition stated that: "Patient Fagerstrom is believed to be mentally ill, because he is destructive, hostile and antisocial. He cannot tolerate authority. He was on escape status from the State Training School at Red Wing, and was apprehended on Indian Reservation and committed to the custody of the Attorney General." Fagerstrom was committed to The State Hospital at Hastings, Minnesota, a mental institution, on August 22, 1962, but was thereafter returned to the United States Medical Center. There is in the record nothing to show when or why he was returned. It reasonably may be assumed that he was found not to be psychotic by the State authorities and was deemed ineligible for further retention by the State.

To be adjudged a juvenile delinquent and committed to the custody of the Attorney General under the Juvenile Delinquency Act, is not to be convicted of or sentenced for a crime. United States v. Borders, D.C.N.D.Ala., 154 F.Supp. 214; affirmed, Borders v. United States, 5 Cir., 256 F.2d 458; United States v. Kinsman, D.C.S.D.Cal., 195 F. Supp. 271, 273. The very purpose of the Act is to avoid the prosecution of juveniles as criminals. The Act does not provide for their commitment to the custody of the Attorney General as a punishment for crime, but as a means looking toward their rehabilitation....