Walter Ashe v. Luther D. Robinson

This appeal centers on the District Court’s dismissal, without an evidentiary hearing, of the petition of a patient seeking relief by way of habeas corpus from maximum confinement at Saint Elizabeths Hospital allegedly without treatment. The patient, our appellant, averred in support of the petition the denial of an expeditious Bolton hearing 1 and of a program of treatment pending the hearing. Our consideration begins with a summary of the events which gave birth to the controversy.

After a four-day trial in the District Court, appellant was found not guilty of carnal knowledge by reason of…