Christopher v. District Court of Iowa Ex Rel. Black Hawk County

Plaintiff: is a prisoner in the men’s penitentiary at Fort Madison under a sentence imposed by the district court of Black Hawk County upon his plea of guilty to a charge of false drawing and uttering of a bank check in violation of section 713.3, Codes, 1958, 1962. Contrary to custom, in view of plaintiff’s history shown in the court file, the trial court directed his then official court reporter to make shorthand notes of what transpired when the plea was entered and sentence pronounced. No appeal was taken from the judgment.

Several months later plaintiff filed in the district court a…