Norman P. Felts v. Wayne Estelle, Warden

Appellant Felts was arrested on May 9, 1981 and subsequently convicted of five counts arising out of his sexual molestation of several young boys. Appellant served seven years of a thirteen-year sentence and is currently free on parole. After exhausting his state remedies, Felts sought a writ of habeas corpus in federal district court, arguing, inter alia, that he was denied due process because he was compelled to wear prison clothes at trial. The district court denied his petition. We reverse and direct the district court to issue the writ. Background

On October 5, 1981, approximately two weeks before the commencement of voir dire, appellant sought funds to acquire suitable clothing for his trial. Felts argued that his need was particularly acute since he intended to function as his own lawyer. He advised the court that all his clothing had been stolen from his car in the police impound lot. The court ruled that the t-shirt and jeans that appellant was wearing at the time of his arrest were adequate.

On the morning of trial, appellant renewed his motion. This time, he informed the court that jail personnel had now misplaced the t-shirt and jeans. Felts requested $475.00 so that…