Pennsylvania Bureau of Correction v. United States Marshals Service

Summary

The Court, in an opinion by Justice Powell, affirmed the Third Circuit and held that, absent an express finding of exceptional circumstances, federal courts lack authority to compel the United States Marshals Service to transport state prisoners to a federal courthouse to testify in a prisoner's § 1983 action against county officials. The statutes defining the Marshals' duties do not independently authorize such orders; the habeas corpus statute places the production obligation on the prisoner's custodian; and the All Writs Act does not ordinarily supplement a statutory procedure merely because that procedure is inconvenient. The Court left open whether exceptional circumstances, such as serious security risks, could justify an order under the All Writs Act. Justice Stevens dissented alone, arguing that the historic relationship between federal courts and marshals supports reasonable transportation orders as an exercise of judicial discretion and that the order here was appropriate.