Sam Miller v. J. R. Blalock, M.D., Superintendent, Southwestern State Hospital, Marion, Virginia, Sam Miller v. Joseph R. Blalock, M.D.

HAYNSWORTH, Chief Judge:

This is an appeal from orders of the Western and Eastern Districts of Virginia denying the petitioner’s applications for writs of habeas corpus.

The petitions challenge for a second time the validity of the procedures followed in committing Miller to a mental hospital. In a former opinion, Miller v. Blalock, 4 Cir., 356 F.2d 273, we found that Miller, an accused but unconvicted felon, had “been confined for an indefinite period of time without the essential rights of notice and hearing, or opportunity to be heard before a competent tribunal.” We remanded the case to the…