Lanier Allison Ramer v. United States

Appellant, Lanier Allison Ramer, was convicted, after jury trial, of escape from confinement at the United States Penitentiary at McNeil Island, Washington, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 751 . Jurisdiction in this Court depends on 28 U.S.C. § 1291 .

The factual background leading to the conviction and appeal is not in serious dispute. The appellant did not take the stand to testify, except in preliminary matters out of the presence of the jury. Only one witness testified on behalf of the defendant, a psychiatrist, called to support a defense of insanity.

On September 21, 1965, Ramer began serving a sentence for bank robbery at the McNeil Island institution. On March 16, 1966, he was reported to be missing from his work detail on a road repair project, on the Island, but outside of the walls of the penitentiary proper. A search was immediately instituted and continued until March 21, 1966, at which time the appellant was discovered hiding among some items of machinery covered by a tarpaulin not far from the area where he had been assigned to work.

Appellant was immediately taken to the medical facility of the prison wher'e the chief medical officer conducted a complete physical…