Sanders v. United States
United States Supreme Court
373 U.S. 1 (1963)
- Written by Arlyn Katen, JD
Facts
Charles Sanders (defendant) was accused of robbing a federally insured bank. In 1959, Sanders appeared in federal district court without an attorney, waived his right to counsel, signed a waiver of indictment, and pleaded guilty. The district court sentenced Sanders to 15 years of incarceration and recommended, per Sanders’s request, that Sanders be housed at a prison with a drug-rehabilitation program. Sanders filed a habeas petition that alleged only legal conclusions with no supporting facts, and the district court denied it without a hearing. Eight months later, Sanders filed a second habeas petition, primarily arguing that he was under the influence of jail-administered narcotics when he pleaded guilty. The district court denied the motion without a hearing, finding that there was no reason that Sanders could not raise a mental-incompetency claim in his first petition. The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed. The United States Supreme Court granted certiorari.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Brennan, J.)
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