Case 3:03-cr-00177-JAJ-TJS Document 614 Filed 04/18/05 Page 1 of 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT IN AND FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF IOWA UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff, vs. CHRISTOPHER ORVILLE MYERS, Defendant. ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) CASE NO. CR 03-177 LRR-TJS COMBINED ORDER Currently there are pending, and subject to this order, 68 separate motions, most filed pro se, by Defendant Christopher Orville Myers. Many of these motions are duplicates of each other, and in a number of instances these motions are reiterations of earlier motions that defendant has filed pro se. At the outset, the Court would note that the sheer volume of the motions filed by defendant in his pro se capacity is sometimes overwhelming to the Clerk of Court’s office. The Court has earlier issued Case Management Orders requiring defendant when he files pro se motions to follow local rules, and to write on only one side of the page; using 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper, and write only in blue or black ink. For the most part, defendant has complied with those directives. The Court will not issue separate rulings on each motion, but will combine its rulings in this order, setting out each individual motion by the clerk’s number: 1. Clerk’s No. 503. This motion was filed by defendant’s stand-by counsel, Nicholas Drees. It is denied as being moot since it sought to have defendant returned from the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Los Angeles, California to this district. Defendant has been released from the Metropolitan Correctionalfacility, and is currently being housed at the Corrections Center of America (CCA) facility in Leavenworth, Kansas. Case 3:03-cr-00177-JAJ-TJS Document 614 Filed 04/18/05 Page 2 of 8 2. Clerk’s No. 505. This is plaintiff’s pro se request for an emergency hearing regarding his detention at the FederalCorrections Center in Los Angeles, during which time he was undergoing a mental evaluation. This motion is now denied as moot. 3. Clerk’s No. 507. This is a pro se motion, submitted through defendant’s stand-by counsel, regarding defendant’s claims that the Polk County Sheriff’s Department would not provide him with legal materials at the Polk County Jail. This motion is denied as being moot since defendant is no longer housed in that facility. 4. Clerk’s No. 511. This is a motion or request to be transferred to the Newton Correctional facility. This motion is denied. The motion correctly points out that defendant is currently held at the CCA facility in Leavenworth, Kansas, also and claims he is being denied access to legal supplies. The issue of legal supplies has been dealt with by the Court, and adequate directives have been initiated in that regard. The transfer of defendant to the CCA facility in Leavenworth, Kansas is within the discretion of the United States Marshal Service. This has been necessitated in large part by defendant’s own actions at various facilities, including but not limited to the Muscatine County Jail, the Polk County Jail and the Newton Correctional Facility. Defendant’s motion is denied. 5. Clerk’s No. 515. In this motion, defendant claims the CCA officers have refused to feed defendant and provide him with medications. The Court has discussed these issues with CCA officials, the United States Marshal Service, and the government’s attorney, along with defendant’s stand-by attorney in open Court, and is satisfied that plaintiff is being adequately cared for, and that his hygiene items, as well as medications, as required by prescription, are being provided to defendant. This motion is denied. -2- Case 3:03-cr-00177-JAJ-TJS Document 614 Filed 04/18/05 Page 3 of 8 6. Clerk’s No. 515. This pro se motion alleges, again, that CCA officials are refusing to comply with the orders entered by the undersigned magistrate judge. For the reasons set forth in the ruling as to Clerk’s No. 511, this motion is and shall be denied. 7. Clerk’s Nos. 516 and 532. Clerk’s No. 516 is defendant’s pro se motion challenging Dr. Ihle’s report. Clerk’s No. 532 is a pro se motion to have the Court order subpoenas issued regarding the competency hearing. Both these motions are denied as being moot. The Court has granted stand-by counsel’s motion to withdraw the motion for competency hearing. See, Order (Clerk’s No. 574). 8. Clerk’s Nos. 517, 520 and 538. These three motions are all interrelated. Clerk’s No. 517, again, is a motion by defendant wanting a monthly stipend in the amount of $350 for legal supplies, as well as ink pens, paper, folders, envelopes, exhibit labels, etc.; Clerk’s No. 520 is defendant’s request to hire two private investigators, in addition to the investigators already working on defendant’s behalf from the Federal Defender’s Office; Clerk’s No. 538 also seeks funds to allow defendant to hire private investigators. All these motions are denied. Defendant has previously been a beneficiary of numerous orders by both District Judge Linda R. Reade and the undersigned magistrate judge, ordering that he be provided legal materials, including writing instruments, paper, envelopes and stamps. The fact that the Federal Defender’s Office has utilized its own investigators, and continue to do so, serves as abundant substantiation for denying defendant’s motion to be allowed to hire private investigators. Notwithstanding those facts, it is impossible for defendant in his current situation to even be able to communicate with, or direct, an appropriate investigation by any privately retained investigators. -3- Case 3:03-cr-00177-JAJ-TJS Document 614 Filed 04/18/05 Page 4 of 8 9. Clerk’s No. 518. This motion was sealed, without Court order, by defendant, and alleges, inter alia, that CCA officials have denied defendant medical treatment. The Court is satisfied, based upon its inquiries to the United States Marshal Service, both within open Court proceedings and without that defendant is not being mistreated medically at the CCA facility in Leavenworth. This motion shall be and is denied. 10. Clerk’s Nos. 519, 528, 530, 536, 549, 557 and 562. All these motions deal with defendant’s pro se request to fire current stand-by counsel, Nicholas Drees, and to hire a second stand-by counsel. All these motions are denied. Defendant has periodically requested that the Court remove Mr. Drees, only to then rescind his request. Mr. Drees is not defendant’s first stand-by counsel, but he will be the last stand-by counsel. Defendant, again, has shown no basis for the extreme relief he seeks. Mr. Drees is very familiar with this case; he is very familiar with all the facts; and he has dealt quite well with defendant throughout the current proceedings. All these motions are denied. 11. Clerk’s Nos. 525, 550 and 563. These three motions allege torture of defendant by CCA officials at the Leavenworth facility. These motions are denied to the extent that defendant has proven none of these allegations, even though he continues to allege such adverse treatment whenever he is required to abide by the rules of the facility in which he is then being housed. The Court would note that it does not endorse or countenance, or in any way approve any inappropriate, inhumane or illegal methods of detention and/or discipline. Having said that, the Court would note that it has discussed at length these issues with the United States Marshal Service, and is satisfied that the marshal service is adequately monitoring defendant’s situation at the Leavenworth facility. -4- Case 3:03-cr-00177-JAJ-TJS Document 614 Filed 04/18/05 Page 5 of 8 12. Clerk’s No. 542. In this motion, defendant consents to move his case to Rock Island, Illinois, which pursuant to statute can properly be the location of this trial, or to Sioux City, Iowa, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa. Defendant previously withdrew his consent to have this case proceed in the Central District of Illinois. This case is now set for trial on July 5, 2005, at the United States Courthouse in Des Moines, Iowa. See, Order of Judge Reade (Clerk’s No. 612). For that reason alone, this motion is denied. 13. Clerk’s No. 529. In this pro se motion, defendant raises a valid issue. The Court agrees with defendant that he is entitled to maintain attorney/client privilege with Nicholas Drees. To this extent, defendant’s motion is granted, and neither shall any officials and/or officers at CCA, Leavenworth, Kansas, nor the United States Marshal Service in any way compromise, impinge upon or infringe defendant’s right to communicate with legal counsel. On the other hand, defendant cannot expect the marshal service or the officers at CCA, Leavenworth, Kansas, to alter security measures and/or appropriate policies pertaining to his detention simply because defendant may believe that these policies or methods are invasive of the attorney/client privilege. To the extent that defendant can document threatened intrusions upon attorney/client privilege, or actual invasion of such privilege. The Court will consider ordering appropriate relief. For these reasons the motion is denied, without prejudice, but with the caveat contained herein. 14. Clerk’s Nos. 532 and 535. These two motions deal with defendant’s pro se request to have subpoenas issued for a competency hearing and his own earlier motion for a hearing on his competency. These motions are denied as being moot in light of the Court’s ruling in Clerk’s No. 574, granting the motion to withdraw the motion for hearing on defendant’s competency. -5- Case 3:03-cr-00177-JAJ-TJS Document 614 Filed 04/18/05 Page 6 of 8 15. Clerk’s No. 533. This motion, pro se, requests that the Court order the United States Marshal Service to transport defendant to all proceedings, rather than having officials from CCA, Leavenworth, Kansas be responsible for such transportation. The motion is denied. The marshal service determines the method of transportation, and the Court is satisfied that the marshal service has reviewed these issues, and will continue to monitor the services provided by CCA regarding transportation of defendant to necessary hearings in this district. 16. Clerk’s Nos. 534, 537, 539, 548, 556, 572, 575 and 580. These motions, inter alia, allege that CCA officials in Leavenworth, Kansas have mistreated and/or tortured defendant, including but not limited to punitive actions taken against him, and refusing to allow him to have legal materials. These motions are all denied. The Court has dealt with the issue of legal materials being delivered to defendant at the Leavenworth facility, much of which has been accomplished through defendant’s stand-by attorney. The Court is satisfied, based upon its discussions with the United States Marshal Service, that CCA officials have not tortured defendant, and that appropriate policies consistent with the rules and regulations of the United States Marshal Service for a contract facility are being implemented. 17. Clerk’s No. 545. This motion deals with matters pertaining to competency issues. It is denied as being moot pursuant to the Court’s ruling in Clerk’s No. 574. 18. Clerk’s Nos. 547 and 551. These two motions again deal with defendant’s repeated complaints about the lack of legal materials, writing materials and related tangible items. These motions are denied as being moot. The Court has repeatedly ruled on these issues, and is satisfied that defendant is in possession of appropriate legal materials, writing materials, writing instruments and related documents. The Court recognizes that defendant believes that he should have an unlimited amount of legal materials delivered -6- Case 3:03-cr-00177-JAJ-TJS Document 614 Filed 04/18/05 Page 7 of 8 to him, currently comprising of approximately 34 “banker boxes,” but the Court disagrees. Earlier examinations of claimed legal materials determined contraband items were included within boxes that defendant claimed to contain only private documents. For these reasons, the Court has deliberately limited what defendant can have, the amount of what he can have, and has directed that those materials be delivered to defendant by or through his stand-by counsel. These motions are denied. 19. Clerk’s Nos. 554 and 596. In these motions, pro se, defendant seeks to have the Court order the Clerk of Court to provide defendant, at the Court’s expense, copies of numerous exhibits which, for the most part, consist of prior civil cases that defendant has filed in this Court. The motions are denied. Defendant has made no showing of any type or nature as to why these civil case filings have any relevancy whatsoever to do with any aspect of this case. 20. Clerk’s No. 555. In this motion, defendant requests clarification of two orders entered September 2, 2004 by District Judge Linda R. Reade (Clerk’s Nos. 464 and 465). This motion is denied. The issue of competency and psychiatric examination has been concluded by virtue of the granting of the motion to withdraw the motion for hearing on competency. See, Court’s order of April 11, 2005 (Clerk’s No. 611). Further, defendant has now undergone two forensic evaluations which have established his competency. 21. Clerk’s No. 556. This motion seeks to have the Court issue a written order memorializing the minute entry order of January 25, 2005 at Clerk’s No. 514. This motion is denied. Defendant here seeks to again delve into matters relating to a competency hearing, which have now been resolved. -7- Case 3:03-cr-00177-JAJ-TJS Document 614 Filed 04/18/05 Page 8 of 8 22. Clerk’s No. 557. Defendant seeks to have the Court order funds be made available to him for the purchase of legal supplies and related materials. This motion is denied. The Court has made arrangements to have any necessary legal supplies made available to defendant through his stand-by counsel. To the extent necessary, the Court will reimburse stand-by counsel for those expenditures. Defendant shall not be provided separate funds. 23. Clerk’s Nos. 544 and 582 through 591; 597 through 610. All these motions deal with defendant’s pro se requests for Writs of Habeas Corpus relating to witnesses for competency hearings. These motions are denied as being moot pursuant to the Court’s ruling in Clerk’s No. 611. 24. Clerk’s No. 595. In this motion, defendant seeks to have the Court enter a temporary restraining order against CCA officials at the Leavenworth facility. This is a civil remedy, and not properly brought as part of a criminal case. The motion is denied as being improperly joined in this case. IT IS SO ORDERED. Dated this 15th day of April, 2005. -8-