Murel v. Baltimore City Crim. Ct., 407 U.S. 355 (1972)

Murel v. Baltimore City Criminal Court


No. 70-5276


Argued March 229, 1972
Decided June 19, 1972
407 U.S. 355

CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT

Syllabus

In this habeas corpus challenge to the constitutionality of Maryland’s Defective Delinquency Law made by petitioners, who were convicted of various state crimes and committed to Patuxent Institution for indeterminate periods, held, that the writ of certiorari must be dismissed as improvidently granted, since one of the petitioners has been unconditionally released, and the others are subject to unexpired sentences barring their release even if their claims prevailed (cf. McNeil v. Director, Patuxent Institution, ante, p. 245); moreover, petitioners’ challenge to one Defective Delinquency Law should be considered in relation to other state laws regarding civil commitment for compulsory psychiatric treatment, Baxstrom v. Herold, 383 U.S. 107, and those laws are now being substantially revised to afford greater safeguards to committed persons.

436 F.2d 1153, certiorari dismissed as improvidently granted.