Charles W. Dennis v. People of the State of California, and L. E. Wilson

This is an appeal from a judgment of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California which denied, without a hearing, the state prisoner’s petition for a writ of habeas corpus. An order to show cause was issued, and the district court judge, after examining the Return filed by the State, and petitioner’s Traverse to such return concluded petitioner’s basic contentions were that he was coerced into pleading guilty, and was not adequately represented by counsel. The district court carefully repeated petitioner’s charges, and decided that before he could fairly determine the issues presented

The district court then specifically pointed out the conclusionary language that needed amplification, and requested that the court be furnished:

Exhibits 1 to 4, inclusive, were furnished the district court, and petitioner filed a sixteen page supplement to his petition. The first twelve pages of this supplement relate to the events prior to his commitment to the Patton State Hospital in 1960. (C.T. 96-107.) In the next one-half page, from page 107, line 28, to line 13, page 109, petitioner describes what occurred after his return and his second arrest. At that time he…