U.S. ex rel. Barksdale v. Sielaff

• Decision Date: 21 November 1978
• Docket Number: No. 78-1278,78-1278
• Citation: 585 F.2d 288
• Parties: UNITED STATES of America ex rel. James BARKSDALE, Petitioner-Appellant, v. Allyn R. SIELAFF, Director Illinois Department of Corrections, Respondent- Appellee.
• Court: U.S. Court of Appeals — Seventh Circuit

Page 288

585 F.2d 288

UNITED STATES of America ex rel. James BARKSDALE, Petitioner-Appellant, v. Allyn R. SIELAFF, Director Illinois Department of

Corrections, Respondent- Appellee.

No. 78-1278.

United States Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit.

Argued April 5, 1978.

Decided Oct. 11, 1978.

Rehearings Denied Nov. 21, 1978.

Michael H. Salsbury, Jenner & Block, Chicago, Ill., for petitioner-appellant.

Thomas Connors, Chicago, Ill., for respondent-appellee.

Before CUMMINGS and WOOD, Circuit Judges, and VAN PELT, Senior District Judge. ^*

VAN PELT, Senior District Judge.

Barksdale appeals the district court's granting of summary judgment for respondent on three paragraphs of a seven paragraph petition for writ of habeas corpus. ¹ Barksdale contends the district court erred in granting summary judgment with respect to

1. the claim that he was denied a speedy trial;

2. the claim that his car was illegally searched in violation of the fourth amendment; and

3. the claim that the trial court admitted unreliable eyewitness testimony and evidence of other crimes which was so prejudicial as to deny him due process of law.

Having reviewed the various state and federal decisions and records, we conclude these contentions are meritless, and affirm.

I. SPEEDY TRIAL CLAIM

Barksdale was convicted in the Illinois state courts of aggravated kidnapping, rape and deviate sexual conduct. He appealed the conviction to the Illinois Appellate Court. The conviction was affirmed. See People v. Barksdale, 24 Ill.App.3d 489, 321 N.E.2d 489 (1974). Denial of a right to speedy trial was not alleged or dealt with in the state court appeal. The appellee argues that Barksdale's failure to raise this issue in the state courts and exhaust his state remedies is fatal to any review by a federal court on habeas corpus. This is generally the law. See Pitchess v. Davis, 421 U.S. 482, 486, 95 S.Ct. 1748, 1751, 44 L.Ed.2d 317 (1975). The statute, 28 U.S.C. § 2254, conferring habeas corpus jurisdiction on federal courts, provides:

An application for a writ of habeas corpus in behalf of a person in custody pursuant to the judgment of a State court shall not be granted unless it appears that the applicant has exhausted the remedies available in the courts of the State, or that there is either an absence of available State corrective process or the existence of circumstances rendering such process ineffective to protect the rights of the prisoner.

This court has previously found the Illinois Post-Conviction Hearing Act is an ineffective remedy as interpreted by the Illinois state courts. See United States ex rel. Williams v. Israel, 556 F.2d 865 (7th Cir. 1977); United States ex rel. Williams v. Brantley, 502 F.2d 1383 (7th Cir. 1974). Following a direct appeal, the Illinois state courts consider that the doctrines of res judicata and waiver apply to all claims which were raised in that appeal or could have been raised. Since Barksdale's claim could have been raised in the state courts, it would be deemed waived and he would have no state remedy. Therefore, we reach the merits of this issue, as did the district court.

Appellant claims that the district court failed to consider the balancing criteria set forth in Barker v. Wingo, 407 U.S. 514, 92 S.Ct. 2182, 33 L.Ed.2d 101 (1972), for speedy trial claims and that the district court erred in finding that Barksdale himself requested or agreed to all of the continuances.

The Barker court identified four factors which should be balanced in considering whether there has been denial of a speedy trial: Length of delay, the reason for the delay, the defendant's assertion of his right, and prejudice to defendant. Id. at 530, 92 S.Ct. 2182. It is clear from the opinion that failure of the defendant to object to delays weighs heavily against him.

We do not hold that there may never be a situation in which an indictment may be dismissed on speedy trial grounds where the defendant has failed to object to continuances. There may be a situation in which the defendant was represented by incompetent counsel, was severely prejudiced or even cases in which the continuances were granted ex parte.

Id. at 536, 92 S.Ct. at 2195. The district court was primarily concerned with the delay occasioned by Barksdale and his failure to object to the continuances. There was little to be weighed in Barksdale's favor.

The record here shows that appellant was arrested on August 2, 1971 and his trial commenced 15 months later, on October 31, 1972. The state court records indicate that on December 2, 1971 Barksdale's attorney moved for reduction of bail. At that time there were five indictments pending against him, four of which charged aggravated kidnapping, and three included rape. Bail was reduced and the record indicates that Barksdale was released on December 16 and remained free until he was arrested on March 18, 1972 on another rape charge. Prior to defendant's release in December, 1971 the case had been continued six times. The first three times there was an agreement made in open court with the defendant's express consent; the last three times the continuance was at defendant's request and during this period he changed counsel. During the time period the defendant remained free on bond, the case was continued seven times. Five times the continuances were at defendant's request and twice there was express agreement made in open court, with defendant, to continue the case. During this period, defendant again had a new attorney entering an appearance. Within less than a week after his March 18, 1972 arrest, defendant's counsel filed a motion to withdraw. On March 24, 1972, a fourth new attorney was appointed for defendant, and by express agreement of all parties the case was continued. This attorney requested continuances on April 11 and May 1. Counsel for defendant first demanded trial on May 17. For the remainder of the period, the state requested three continuances, Barksdale's attorney one, and the court ordered the case continued on its own motion nine times. Both counsel agreed in open court to continuances three times. As late as October 10, 1972 Barksdale asked for appointment of a new attorney and refused to cooperate with the attorney he had. There is no indication that his counsel was incompetent, and Barksdale's action can hardly be considered that of a man who is anxious to go to trial. Many of the court's orders continuing the case extended it only two, three or four days and presumably were due to scheduling difficulties. While a defendant may not forever be kept waiting because of overcrowded dockets, such delay must be viewed in light of the overall record. A substantial number of the delays were caused by his own counsel's request and the fact that he changed counsel three times. Although demand was made for trial on May 17, Barksdale did not object to the continuances. ² The speedy trial issue was never raised prior to trial or in any of the post-trial proceedings. There is no specific allegation that any witnesses were lost through the delay or that memories were dimmed. Barksdale did not spend the entire time in confinement.

Despite the district court's incorrect statement that each continuance was at defendant's request or with his consent, we conclude on the record in this case that the claim of denial of a speedy trial is unsupported.

II. FOURTH AMENDMENT CLAIM

Barksdale's pro se petition alleges that he was arrested without probable cause and without an arrest warrant and that his car was searched in violation of his fourth amendment rights. A search of the vehicle occurred simultaneously with the arrest, and a second warrantless search was conducted at police headquarters where Barksdale's car was impounded following the arrest. Police found a revolver inside the car during the initial search and a pair of glasses inside the car on the second search. Both items were introduced at the trial and identified by the victim as belonging to the assailant. The district court considered this claim on its merits and found probable cause for the arrest and search. Although Stone v. Powell, 428 U.S. 465, 96 S.Ct. 3037, 49 L.Ed.2d 1067 (1976) was decided prior to the district court's opinion in this case, ³ the court made no reference to Stone and apparently did not consider it. Because Stone limits federal habeas corpus relief where a state prisoner raises a fourth amendment claim, its applicability to this case must be considered. The Stone court stated:

(W)here the State has provided an opportunity for full and fair litigation of a Fourth Amendment claim, the Constitution does not require that a state prisoner be granted federal habeas corpus relief on the ground that evidence obtained in an unconstitutional search or seizure was introduced at his trial.

Id. at 482, 96 S.Ct. at 3046. The Government argues that Barksdale had an opportunity to raise this claim in the state courts; Barksdale argues that there has not been "full and fair" consideration where the state appellate courts have not addressed the issue.

The record shows that prior to trial a motion was made to quash the arrest and suppress the items found during the search of the car. After a hearing, these motions were denied by the trial court. Appellant appealed his conviction to the Illinois Appellate Court. The pro se notice of appeal alleged violations of Barksdale's first, fourth, fifth, sixth, eighth and fourteenth amendment rights in addition to alleged trial errors. However, the court-appointed attorney did not pursue the fourth amendment claim. Six specific grounds were advanced by appellant, one of which was

his motion to suppress evidence obtained as a result of an illegal arrest was improperly denied.

People v. Barksdale, 24 Ill.App.3d 489, 321 N.E.2d 489, 491 (1974). The Illinois Appellate Court later stated in the opinion that defendant's only real contention was that defendant's arrest was illegal. In order to deal with this...