Gunther Fiek

Innocent Victim of Mass Hysteria
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March - June 2008

Note: number in between brackets after the mentioning of a document represents the document number in the District Court’s Docket Report.

1.      An order [18] by Magistrate Judge Walter E. Johnson was issued on March 10, 2008, where Petitioner’s Motion for Appointment of Counsel was denied because “ at this time, there appears to be no basis for an evidentiary hearing “. The Magistrate Judge cited a case that said “Prisoners do not have a constitutional right to counsel where mounting collateral attacks to their conviction or sentences “.  Magistrate Johnson also stated that Federal Courts can, however, appoint counsel in post-conviction proceedings if the court determines that the issues presented call for an evidentiary hearing. Nonetheless, he apparently does not believe there are grounds for an evidentiary hearing.

2.      Magistrate Johnson accepted Petitioner’s request to terminate Mr. Rodney Zell as counsel and granted Petitioner’s request to continue the proceedings as a prose litigant. He also granted Petitioner’s prose Motion for Extension of time to file Amended Petition and Brief [15]. Additional pleadings must be filed by June 20, 2008.

3.      A Motion for a 30 day Extension of Time [19] was filed by Petitioner in abundance of caution on June 16, 2008. Because of lack of funds used up on previous attorneys, Petitioner found it difficult to hire another attorney since Magistrate Johnson would not grant the request for appointment of counsel. Petitioner, acting prose, has had to prepare his Amended Petition and all pleadings on his own.