United States v. Salerno

Decision Date04 May 1961
Docket NumberDocket 26261.,No. 350,350
Citation290 F.2d 105
PartiesUNITED STATES of America, Appellee, v. Louis A. SALERNO, Defendant-Appellant.
CourtU.S. Court of Appeals — Second Circuit

Rosemary Edelman, New York City (Anthony F. Marra, New York City, attorney for appellant, Rosemary Edelman, New York City, on the brief), for appellant.

David Klingsberg, New York City (Morton S. Robson, U. S. Atty. for the Southern Dist. of New York, David Klingsberg, George I. Gordon, Asst. U. S. Attys., New York City, of counsel), for appellee.

Before HAND, MEDINA and FRIENDLY, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM.

The petition, under 28 U.S.C. § 2255, of Louis Salerno, convicted, as a second offender, for violation of 21 U.S.C.A. §§ 173 and 174, on a plea of guilty, alleges that for various reasons including lack of effective assistance by counsel, coercion by the prosecutor and his own counsel, and failure of the Court to comply with F.R.Crim.Proc. 11, 18 U.S.C., his guilty plea was invalid. Opposing affidavits were filed by the Assistant United States Attorney then in charge, the Assistant United States Attorney now in charge, and Salerno's counsel; the District Court also had before it transcripts of various proceedings including those on plea and on sentence. Petitioner filed a traverse, largely argumentative but questioning some facts stated in the affidavits. The Court denied the petition, without hearing, in an opinion which refers to statements in the affidavits.

Section 2255 requires a hearing "Unless the motion and the files and records of the case conclusively show that the prisoner is entitled to no relief." Applying this language, the Supreme Court has frowned upon reliance on factual statements in opposing affidavits, since these are not "files and records of the case." Walker v. Johnston, 1941, 312 U.S. 275, 61 S.Ct. 574, 85 L.Ed. 830; Waley v. Johnston, 1942, 316 U.S. 101, 62 S.Ct. 964, 86 L.Ed. 1302; Com. of Pa. ex rel. Herman v. Claudy, 1956, 350 U.S. 116, 76 S.Ct. 223, 100 L.Ed. 126; United States ex rel. Farnsworth v. Murphy, 1958, 358 U.S. 48, 79 S. Ct. 76, 3 L.Ed.2d 46. The opinion here leaves us in some doubt whether the judge considered the denials in the affidavits as merely showing that petitioner's factual allegations were not to be deemed admitted for the purpose of determining whether a hearing should be had, which we understand is permissible, Waley v. Johnston, supra, at 104, or as affording a basis for finding...

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9 cases
  • Jones v. Cunningham
    • United States
    • U.S. Court of Appeals — Fourth Circuit
    • January 16, 1963
    ...202 F.2d 392, 394 (3d Cir., 1953); United States ex rel. House v. Swope, 232 F.2d 853, 854 (5th Cir., 1956); United States v. Salerno, 290 F. 2d 105, 106 (2d Cir., 1961). Doubtless, reliance on the affidavit as evidence was 5 Code of Virginia, § 19.1-259, 1950, as amended (1960). 6 Clark v.......
  • Parham, Application of
    • United States
    • Arizona Court of Appeals
    • August 4, 1967
    ...v. Cranor, 45 Wash.2d 278, 273 P.2d 985 (1954); Waley v. Johnston, 316 U.S. 101, 62 S.Ct. 964, 86 L.Ed. 1302 (1942); United States v. Salerno, 290 F.2d 105 (2d Cir. 1961); Watson v. United States, 104 U.S.App.D.C. 321, 262 F.2d 33 (1958); Vicory v. Taylor, 338 F.2d 954 (10th Cir. 1964); Uni......
  • Pilkington v. United States
    • United States
    • U.S. Court of Appeals — Fourth Circuit
    • March 2, 1963
    ...Alexander v. United States, 290 F.2d 252 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 368 U.S. 891, 82 S.Ct. 144, 7 L.Ed. 2d 89 (1961); United States v. Salerno, 290 F.2d 105 (2d Cir., 1961). More particularly, where, in petitions under 28 U.S.C.A. § 2255, it has been alleged that pleas of guilty were entered......
  • Reed v. United States, 24549.
    • United States
    • U.S. Court of Appeals — Ninth Circuit
    • April 30, 1971
    ...has not yet taken place. In addition to the cases cited above, we rely principally, in support of this ruling, on United States v. Salerno, 290 F.2d 105, 106 (2nd Cir. 1961); Machibroda v. United States, 368 U.S. 487, 494-495, 82 S.Ct. 510, 7 L.Ed.2d 473 (1962); Walker v. Johnson, 312 U.S. ......
  • Request a trial to view additional results
1 provisions
  • 28 U.S.C. § 2255 Federal Custody; Remedies On Motion Attacking Sentence
    • United States
    • US Code 2019 Edition Title 28. Judiciary and Judicial Procedure Part VI. Particular Proceedings Chapter 153. Habeas Corpus
    • January 1, 2019
    ...disputed issues of fact a hearing must be held. Machibroda v. United States, 368 U.S. 487, 494, 495 (1962); United States v. Salerno, 290 F.2d 105, 106 (2d Cir. 1961); Romero v. United States, 327 F.2d 711, 712 (5th Cir. 1964); Scott v. United States, 349 F.2d 641, 642, 643 (6th Cir. 1965);......

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