Cook v. State

On July 23, 1931, one Lawrence E. Cook was convicted of the crime of murder in the Jennings Circuit Court. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and immediately confined in the state prison. Within the six months period then allowed for appeal as of right by Indiana law, he prepared papers for appeal to this court. His efforts to file the same were frustrated by the warden, acting pursuant to prison rules. Subsequently, but after the six months period had expired, the ban on sending papers from the prison was lifted.

In 1937 Cook unsuccessfully sought review of his conviction by coram nobis.…