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Isaac P. Hill v. United States

Isaac P. HILL, Appellant, v. UNITED STATES of America, Appellee

Hill v. United States, 248 F.2d 635 (D.C. Cir. 1957)
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Court
Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit · U.S. Courts of Appeals
Decided
July 31, 1957
Docket
No. 13441_1
Judges
Bazelon, Danaher, Burger, Chambers
Citations
248 F.2d 635101 U.S. App. D.C. 3131957 U.S. App. LEXIS 3845

Opinion of the Court — Per Curiam

PER CURIAM.

Upon consideration of appellant’s motion for leave to appeal in forma pauperis, or, in the alternative, for leave to appeal without prepayment of Clerk’s fee and by typewritten brief, and of appellee’s opposition thereto, it is

Ordered by the Court that the aforesaid motion be, and it is hereby, denied.

Dissent — Bazelon

BAZELON, Circuit Judge

(dissenting).

The issue before the court is whether the appeal sought by appellant in this case is “frivolous or malicious.” 28 U.S.C. § 1915 ; Farley v. United States, 1957, 354 U.S. 521 , 77 S.Ct. 1371 , 1 L.Ed.2d 1529 ; Johnson v. United States, 1957, 352 U.S. 565 , 77 S.Ct. 550 , 1 L.Ed.2d 593 . There is no claim here that the appeal is “malicious.” The meaning of the word “frivolous” has crystallized in Supreme Court cases involving admission to bail pending appeal pursuant to Rule 46(a) (2), Fed.R.Crim.P., 18 U.S.C., 1 as well as in that Court’s recent decisions on petitions for leave to appeal in forma pauperis. See Farley v. United States, supra; Johnson v. United States, supra. I do not think that the issues raised here by counsel appointed by us to represent appellant, even on the abbreviated transcript available to appointed counsel, may justifiably be characterized as “frivolous.” And even under the more rigorous and out-moded “substantial question” test, this appeal cannot be regarded as insubstantial. Cf. Herzog v. United States, 1955, 75 S.Ct. 349 , 351. 2 I would grant leave to appeal in forma pauperis and direct that the stenographic transcript of the trial be provided at the expense of the United States.

See Ward v. United States, 1956, 76 S.Ct. 1063 , 1005, 1 L.Ed.2d 25 , 27, where Mr. Justice Frankfurter, sitting as Circuit Justice stated that bail should be allowed pending appeal unless the appeal is “so baseless as to deserve to be condemned as ‘frivolous’ or is sought as a device for mere delay.”

. Mr. Justice Douglas, sitting as Circuit Justice, noted that there is a “substantial question” when “there is a school of thought, a philosophical view, a technical argument, an analogy, an appeal to precedent or to reason commanding respect that might possibly prevail.”

Combined text as published — syllabus, headnotes and all opinions in one document

248 F.2d 635

Isaac P. HILL, Appellant, v. UNITED STATES of America, Appellee.

No. 13441.

United States Court of Appeals District of Columbia Circuit.

July 31, 1957.

Before BAZELON, DANAHER and BURGER, Circuit Judges, in Chambers.

PER CURIAM.

1

Upon consideration of appellant's motion for leave to appeal in forma pauperis, or, in the alternative, for leave to appeal without prepayment of Clerk's fee and by typewritten brief, and of appellee's opposition thereto, it is 2

Ordered by the Court that the aforesaid motion be, and it is hereby, denied.

3

BAZELON, Circuit Judge (dissenting).

4

The issue before the court is whether the appeal sought by appellant in this case is "frivolous or malicious." 28 U.S. C. § 1915; Farley v. United States, 1957, 354 U.S. 521 , 77 S.Ct. 1371 , 1 L.Ed.2d 1529 ; Johnson v. United States, 1957, 352 U.S. 565 , 77 S.Ct. 550 , 1 L.Ed.2d 593 . There is no claim here that the appeal is "malicious." The meaning of the word "frivolous" has crystallized in Supreme Court cases involving admission to bail pending appeal pursuant to Rule 46(a) (2), Fed.R.Crim.P., 18 U.S.C., 1 as well as in that Court's recent decisions on petitions for leave to appeal in forma pauperis. See Farley v. United States, supra; Johnson v. United States, supra. I do not think that the issues raised here by counsel appointed by us to represent appellant, even on the abbreviated transcript available to appointed counsel, may justifiably be characterized as "frivolous." And even under the more rigorous and out-moded "substantial question" test, this appeal cannot be regarded as insubstantial. Cf. Herzog v. United States, 1955, 75 S.Ct. 349 , 351. 2 I would grant leave to appeal in forma pauperis and direct that the stenographic transcript of the trial be provided at the expense of the United States.

Notes:

1

See Ward v. United States, 1956, 76 S.Ct. 1063 , 1065, 1 L.Ed.2d 25 , 27, where Mr. Justice Frankfurter, sitting as Circuit Justice stated that bail should be allowed pending appeal unless the appeal is "so baseless as to deserve to be condemned as `frivolous' or is sought as a device for mere delay."

2

Mr. Justice Douglas, sitting as Circuit Justice, noted that there is a "substantial question" when "there is a school of thought, a philosophical view, a technical argument, an analogy, an appeal to precedent or to reason commanding respect that might possibly prevail."

How later courts describe this case

No later court has written an explanatory parenthetical about this case yet.

1958: 11964: 21967: 11992: 119582026peak 1964 · 2

Relies on it most ⓘ

  1. W. Willard Wirtz, Secretary of Labor v. Baldor Electric Company337 F.2d 518 (D.C. Cir. 1964)
  2. United States v. Esters161 F. Supp. 203 (W.D. Ark. 1958)
  3. United States v. Davison Fuel and Dock Company, a Corporation371 F.2d 705 (4th Cir. 1967)
  4. In re Grand Jury Subpoena Dated November 12, 1991792 F. Supp. 1431 (S.D. Fla. 1992)
  5. United States v. Westland Oil Co.228 F. Supp. 85 (D.N.D. 1964)

Most recent

  1. In re Grand Jury Subpoena Dated November 12, 1991792 F. Supp. 1431 (S.D. Fla. 1992)
  2. United States v. Davison Fuel and Dock Company, a Corporation371 F.2d 705 (4th Cir. 1967)
  3. W. Willard Wirtz, Secretary of Labor v. Baldor Electric Company337 F.2d 518 (D.C. Cir. 1964)
  4. United States v. Westland Oil Co.228 F. Supp. 85 (D.N.D. 1964)
  5. United States v. Esters161 F. Supp. 203 (W.D. Ark. 1958)

Citing references are not a citator: they show that a later opinion cites this case, not whether it followed, distinguished, or overruled it. Check negative history before relying on this case.

Authorities cited 2

DepthCaseCited by
Johnson v. United States, 352 U.S. 565 (1957) 146
Farley v. United States, 354 U.S. 521 (1957) 64

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