Mason v. Phillips
Mason v. Phillips
Opinion of the Court
OPINION
This is the second petition presented to the federal courts for a writ of habeas corpus to void a state court judgment of conviction. The petitioner’s first application was presented to the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York, within whose jurisdiction petitioner was then confined. The petition was dismissed upon the merits, as noted hereafter. Following his transfer from his then place of confinement to the Ossining Correctional Facility, Ossining, New York, which is within the jurisdiction of this
Petitioner is confined pursuant to a judgment of conviction entered in the Albany County Court, New York State, upon a jury verdict finding him guilty of the crime of burglary, third degree, and he is now serving a sentence of 3V2 to 7 years. The judgment of conviction was unanimously affirmed by the Appellate Division.
Following a reference by the district court to a magistrate, the district court judge approved and adopted the magistrate’s recommendation. The court found that petitioner had failed to exhaust state remedies as to the second, third and fourth claims listed above since the only contentions made with respect thereto to the state appellate court presented errors under New York State law and failed to allege any violation of federal constitutional rights. Accordingly, this aspect of his petition for a writ of habeas corpus was dismissed for failure to exhaust state remedies.
As to his claim of the use of perjured testimony, the magistrate’s report indicated that while there was some doubt that the state appellate court was sufficiently apprised of petitioner’s federal constitutional contentions, since his brief cited only state court rulings, which “may impose higher standards than those held to be necessary by the Supreme Court under the corresponding Federal constitutional provision,”
Evidently no appeal was taken from the Northern District Court’s denial of Mason’s petition for a writ. However, as already noted, following his transfer to Ossining Correctional Facility, he filed the instant petition, which parallels his prior petition in the Northern District Court. There can be no doubt that the second, third and fourth claims asserted have not been presented to the state courts as federal constitutional issues, and petitioner has not exhausted state remedies with respect
The petition is dismissed on the additional ground that it is the second one presented to the federal courts upon the same facts.
. People v. Mason, 55 A.D.2d 726, 389 N.Y.S.2d 427 (3d Dep’t 1976).
. Citing People v. Isaacson, 44 N.Y.2d 511, 519-20, 406 N.Y.S.2d 714, 718-19, 378 N.E.2d 78, 82-83 (1978).
. Cf. United States v. Barnes, 604 F.2d 121, 150 (2d Cir. 1979), cert. denied, 446 U.S. 907, 100 S.Ct. 1833, 64 L.Ed.2d 260 (1980); United States v. Kelly, 349 F.2d 720, 780 (2d Cir. 1965), cert. denied, 384 U.S. 947, 86 S.Ct. 1467, 16 L.Ed.2d 544 (1966).
. Picard v. Connor, 404 U.S. 270, 92 S.Ct. 509, 30 L.Ed.2d 438 (1971).
. Rose v. Lundy, - U.S. -, 102 S.Ct. 1198, 71 L.Ed.2d 379 (1982); Gulliver v. Dalsheim, 687 F.2d 655 at 657-658 (1982).
. Cf. Sanders v. United States, 373 U.S. 1, 15-17, 83 S.Ct. 1068, 1077-1078, 10 L.Ed.2d 148 (1963).
. Cf. Alexander v. Harris, 595 F.2d 87, 91 (2d Cir. 1979).
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Paul MASON v. Roger PHILLIPS
- Status
- Published