United States Ex Rel. Means v. Solem

MEMORANDUM DECISION

NICHOL, Chief Judge.

The petitioner, Russell Means, seeks a writ of Habeas Corpus claiming that his confinement in the South Dakota State Penitentiary is based upon an unlawful conviction obtained in state court. Petitioner raises many claims. His first claim is that he was forced to surrender his absolute right to trial by jury as guaranteed by the 6th and 14th Amendments to the United States Constitution because of (a) the combination of alleged mammoth prejudicial pretrial publicity concerning the petitioner and/or the American Indian Movement, (b) the trial court’s…