Wesley Robert Wells v. Louis S. Nelson

On this appeal from an order denying him a writ of habeas corpus, Wells makes several assignments of error, all of which have been considered and found to be without merit. We affirm.

Two of appellant’s contentions warrant discussion: (1) that he was denied counsel at a preliminary hearing in 1944 before a magistrate, and (2) that he was not advised at the trial of his privilege against self-incrimination.

Wells, then a prisoner in a California state prison, was charged with possession of a knife by a prison inmate, a violation of the state penal code. At a preliminary hearing, he was not…