Blum v. Housewright
Blum v. Housewright
Opinion of the Court
The petitioner has moved this Court under Fed.R.Crim.P. 17(b) for the issuance of a subpoena directing Mr. Fredrick Worrell of Davis, California, to appear in this Court and give testimony relevant to the petitioner’s case. Whereas it appears that this Court may authorize the United States Marshal to pay Mr. Worrell's expenses in appearing at such action, it also seems that it cannot issue a subpoena ordering his appearance, in that he resides outside of the territorial limits of this Court’s jurisdiction.
It has long been held that petitions for writs of habeas corpus are civil actions, not criminal. Because of this, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure have been held applicable to habeas corpus actions. See Lyles v. Beto, 32 F.R.D. 248 (S.D.Tex. 1963); Fed.R.Civ.P. 81(a)(2); Rule 11 for Habeas Corpus Cases under 28 U.S.C. § 2254. Fed.R.Civ.P. 45(e) provides that a subpoena may issue in a civil case only inside of the district in which the court sits, or at any place outside the district which is within 100 miles of the courthouse. The Ninth Circuit has held this rule applicable to habeas corpus actions. See Chessman v. Teets, 239 F.2d 205, 211 (9th Cir. 1956), reversed on other grounds, 354 U.S. 156, 77 S.Ct. 1127, 1 L.Ed.2d 1253 (1956); see also,
IT IS, THEREFORE, HEREBY ORDERED, that the petitioner’s motion for the issuance of a subpoena under Fed.R. Crim.P. 17(b) is DENIED.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Chester Lee BLUM v. Vernon HOUSEWRIGHT Attorney General of the State of Nevada
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published