John Allan London v. L. N. Patterson, Superintendent, Deuel Vocational Institution

This appeal is from the denial of petitioner’s request for a writ of habeas corpus, without an evidentiary hearing. The district court had jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 , this court’s jurisdiction on appeal is pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2253 , a certificate of probable cause having issued from the district court.

In 1964, petitioner, John London, was financial advisor to Mrs. Muriel T. Geddes. As a result of this relationship, on March 7, 1966, Mrs. Geddes filed suit against London in Superior Court for the State of Washington, alleging that London had obtained $740,000 from her: (1) as a cash loan which had not been repaid; (2) under a scheme to defraud her; or (3) under the guise of performing legal services, which he was not licensed to do. She prayed for a judgment against London for $740,000 plus six percent interest, and taxable costs.

Pursuant to pre-trial discovery procedures, London’s deposition was taken on March 24, 1966, during which he testified that he did not have Mrs. Geddes sign various documents, that he did not sign them for her, and that he had given a handwriting exemplar to the police. We do not know the outcome of that action.

On June 15, 1966, London…