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James H. HALL, Appellant, v. C. H. LOONEY, Warden, United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth, Kansas, Appellee

United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit1958-05-29No. No. 5830
256 F.2d 59

Summary

Holding. The court affirmed the district court's dismissal of Hall's habeas corpus petition, holding that Hall is lawfully imprisoned because Alabama state authorities waived their right to prior custody and consented to the Kentucky federal court's authority to impose a concurrent sentence running with the earlier Alabama federal sentence.

James H. Hall, a federal inmate, challenged his lawful imprisonment by arguing that his sentences could not run concurrently as ordered. Hall had been sentenced to three years in federal court in Alabama in 1954, with the requirement that he first complete a two-year Alabama state sentence. After escaping and being recaptured, he was sentenced to five years by federal court in Kentucky in 1957. The Kentucky court ordered its sentence to run concurrently with the Alabama federal sentence, rather than sequentially after the state sentence as originally imposed.

Hall contended this concurrent arrangement violated the terms of his original Alabama federal sentence and made his imprisonment unlawful. The court rejected this argument, finding that the Kentucky federal court had authority to sentence Hall for federal crimes within its jurisdiction. Because Alabama state authorities did not object to the concurrent sentencing arrangement—and in fact lodged a detainer indicating acquiescence—the state effectively waived its priority claim to custody. The court noted that when a person violates laws of multiple sovereigns, each sovereign may prosecute and execute sentence without the prisoner's consent or preference regarding the order of service.

Summary generated by law.co from the public-domain opinion. The opinion text itself is public domain.

Key issues

  • Whether concurrent federal sentences violate the original sentencing condition requiring completion of state sentence first
  • Whether a state sovereign may waive custody rights and permit federal prosecution of an inmate in its custody
  • Whether silence and lodging of a detainer constitute consent to concurrent sentencing across sovereigns

Procedural posture

Hall appealed from a district court order discharging his habeas corpus writ and dismissing his petition challenging the legality of his confinement.

Authorities cited

No cited authorities resolved to law.co cases yet.

Opinion

majority opinion

PER CURIAM.

James H. Hall, an inmate in the United States Penitenitary at Leavenworth, Kansas, appeals from an order of the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, discharging a writ of habeas corpus and dismissing the petition.

The record discloses that on April 2, 1954 the petitioner, while in the custody of the Alabama State authorities, was sentenced in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama to be imprisoned for a period of three years, which sentence was to begin upon petitioner’s due and legal release from the custody of the State of Alabama. Petitioner was thereafter sentenced to serve a two year term by a State Court of Alabama. Before the completion of the Alabama sentence the petitioner escaped. He was arrested by Federal authorities in the Western District of Kentucky in 1957 for a violation of Federal Statutes. The petitioner was sentenced on April 9, 1957 in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky to imprisonment for a term of five years for this violation. The sentence made no mention of the Alabama State Court sentence, but provided that it should run concurrently with the Alabama Federal Court sentence. The crux of petitioner’s contention is that he is unlawfully held by the Warden because, under the terms of the Federal Court sentences, neither of them could begin to run until after the Alabama State Court sentence had been satisfied. This is an ingenious argument, but without merit.

The Kentucky Federal Court, with the physical possession and custody of petitioner, had the right to prosecute and sentence him for offenses committed within its jurisdiction. In attempting to permit the petitioner to serve the Federal sentences concurrently, it was provided that the Kentucky Federal Court sentence should be served concurrently with the Alabama Federal Court sentence. There is no showing that the Alabama state authorities objected to this procedure, and they apparently consented to it as they lodged a detainer with the Warden of the United States Penitentiary at Leavenworth. Furthermore, in the absence of any showing that the Alabama state authorities objected to the exercise of the Federal jurisdiction in Kentucky, it is presumed that they consented thereto. Hebert v. State of Louisiana, 272 U.S. 312, 47 S.Ct. 103, 71 L.Ed. 270, 48 A.L.R. 1102; Ponzi v. Fessenden, 258 U.S. 254, 42 S. Ct. 309, 66 L.Ed. 607; Rawls v. United States, 10 Cir., 166 F.2d 532, certiorari denied 334 U.S. 848, 68 S.Ct. 1498, 92 L.Ed. 1771; Wall v. Hudspeth, 10 Cir., 108 F.2d 865.

When a person is lawfully in the custody of one sovereign on a criminal charge, he remains exclusively in the jurisdiction of that sovereign until its jurisdiction has been exhausted. Wall v. Hudspeth, supra. But, the sovereign having the prior jurisdiction and the right to custody may waive that right and permit another sovereign to proceed with its prosecution and the execution of sentence. Strand v. Schmittroth, 9 Cir., 251 F.2d 590, certiorari denied 355 U.S. 886, 78 S.Ct. 258, 2 L.Ed.2d 186; Stamphill v. United States, 10 Cir., 135 F.2d 177. In Hayward v. Looney, 10 Cir., 246 F.2d 56, 57, we said:

“Either the Federal or a state government may voluntarily surrender its prisoner to the other without the consent of the prisoner. Whether jurisdiction and custody of a prisoner shall be retained or surrendered is a matter of comity and is to be determined by the sovereign having custody.

“If the prisoner has violated the law of both sovereigns, he is subject to prosecution by both and he may not complain of or choose the manner or order in which each sovereign proceeds against him.

“While the record before us may not affirmatively show that the Attorney General of the United States authorized the return of Hayward to the state authorities, there is a presumption that public officers will act lawfully and it will be presumed that the return of Hayward to the state authorities was duly authorized, absent an affirmative showing to the contrary.” (Footnotes omitted).

As the Alabama state authorities waived the right to the custody of the petitioner and consented to the action of the Kentucky Federal Court, the Alabama Federal Court sentence became effective and the petitioner is lawfully held for the concurrent service of the two Federal Court sentences.

Affirmed.