Ex Parte Martinez

. Mr. Justice Greenhill

delivered the opinion of the Court.

This is a habeas corpus case. The relator, Antonio Martinez, was jailed for failure to pay child support money to his former wife, Guadalupe P. Martinez. He was committed to jail upon an oral order of the district judge. Because there was no written order of commitment, we here hold that he should be discharged from custody.

In 1953, Guadalupe P. Martinez secured a divorce from' Antonio Martinez in Illinois. By that decree, Antonio Martinez was required to pay certain monies to Guadalupe P. Martinez for the support of three minor…