Byrd v. Cardwell

ORDER

CRAIG, Chief Judge.

The question raised by this petition for writ of habeas corpus is whether or not petitioner was unconstitutionally denied a hearing on the issue of his competence to plead guilty under Sieling v. Eyman, 478 F.2d 211 (9th Cir. 1973).

Sieling requires a hearing whenever a trial judge has, or should have, a good faith doubt as to the competence of a defendant to knowingly and intelligently waive his-constitutional rights by pleading guilty. The defendant must be found to possess that degree of competence “. which enables him to make decisions of very serious import.”…