Chessman

This is an appeal from an order of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, Southern Division, Louis E. Goodman, Judge, denying a petition for a writ of habeas corpus.

The question presented is whether the district court erred in denying the application for the writ upon the ground that the state courts had adequately considered and disposed of the contentions made in the application.

Caryl Chessman was convicted in the California courts on 18 felony counts, including two for which the death penalty was imposed. The judgments were affirmed on appeal. People v. Chessman, 38 Cal.2d 166 , 238 P.2d 1001 . Simultaneously with the appeal, a petition for a writ of habeas corpus was filed with the state court. This petition was denied by a memorandum order and the United States Supreme Court denied certiorari, Chessman v. California, 343 U.S. 915 , 72 S.Ct. 650 .

Chessman’s petition is extremely lengthy and cites many instances in which he claims he was deprived of his rights under the Uni led States Constitution. These may be summarized as follows: (1) that Chessman was forced to go to trial unprepared; (2) that confessions obtained by force and…