Donald A. Ridgway v. T.L. Baker, Potter County Sheriff

ALVIN B. RUBIN, Circuit Judge:

A father who had failed to comply with a Texas state court judgment ordering him to pay child support was imprisoned for contempt in a proceeding in which he was not represented by counsel, despite his request for counsel and his uncontroverted assertion of indigency. Having unsuccessfully sought relief in Texas courts, he sought a writ of habeas corpus on the ground that he was denied due process of law. The federal district court transferred the case to state court for further proceedings. Because a federal court has no power to transfer a case to a state court…