Lee Roy Ortiz v. J. E. Baker, Warden

The appellant, a state prisoner, contends that the district court erred in denying habeas relief without an evi-dentiary hearing. At a pre-Miranda jury trial in a New Mexico state court, he was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. The conviction was affirmed by the New Mexico Supreme Court. State v. Ortiz, 77 N.M. 316, 422 P.2d 355.

A confession was introduced at the state trial. Prior to its introduction, the state court held a hearing out of the presence of the jury to determine its admissibility. The defense called two doctors, one of whom was a…