No. 442 | M.D. Penn. | Jul 16, 1962
Eugene Williams is presently committed to the Farview State Hospital, a State institution for the criminal insane. He seeks to file in this Court a petition for writ of habeas corpus in forma pauperis.
The State is the “parens patriae” of the insane, In re Ryan, D.C. E.D.Pa., 47 F. Supp. 10" date_filed="1942-09-29" court="E.D. Pa." case_name="In Re Ryan">47 F.Supp. 10 (1942), and the adjudication and care of persons believed insane are traditionally and legally a matter of State concern, Ex parte Moore, D.C.Ore., 43 F. Supp. 886" date_filed="1942-02-02" court="D. Or." case_name="Ex parte Moore">43 F.Supp. 886 (1942), and as has been pointed out, the Statutes of Pennsylvania afford a person ample opportunity to raise the question of sanity, United States ex rel. Grove v. Jackson, D.C.M.D.Pa.,. 16 F. Supp. 126" date_filed="1936-09-12" court="M.D. Penn." case_name="United States ex rel. Grove v. Jackson">16 F.Supp. 126 (1936), (see also, Commonwealth v. Baldassarre, 399 Pa. 411" date_filed="1960-05-04" court="Pa." case_name="Commonwealth v. Baldassarre">399 Pa. 411, 160 A.2d 461 (I960)). “Inferential allegations are inadequate as a substitute for averments showing departure from constitutional requirements by a sovereign state to warrant issuance of a writ of habeas corpus by a federal court. Except in extremely rare cases, federal courts do not sit as appellate courts.” United States ex rel. Williams v. Tahash, D.C. Minn., 189 F. Supp. 257" date_filed="1960-12-07" court="D. Minnesota" case_name="United States ex rel. Williams v. Tahash">189 F.Supp. 257, 258 (1960). Furthermore, “This court will review a state court decision only if a federal question was presented to the highest court of a state having jurisdiction”, Hughes v. Heinze, 9 Cir., 268 F.2d 864" date_filed="1959-06-29" court="9th Cir." case_name="Henry Hughes v. Robert A. Heinze, Warden, Folsom State Prison">268 F.2d 864, 866 (1959), and only if a federal question is raised, United States ex rel. Sadowy v. Fay, 2 Cir., 284 F.2d 426" date_filed="1960-11-25" court="2d Cir." case_name="United States of America Ex Rel. John Sadowy v. Edward M. Fay, Warden of Green Haven Prison">284 F.2d 426 (1960).
The present petition shows no application to the State courts, shows no federal question involved and merely raised the issue of insanity. Such a petition seeking merely a trial of the question of sanity involves no question conferring jurisdiction on this Court, Hall v. Verdel et al., D.C.W.D.Va., 40 F. Supp. 941" date_filed="1941-09-06" court="W.D. Va." case_name="Hall v. Verdel">40 F.Supp. 941 (1941).
Order will be entered denying the petition.