United States v. Chee, 24649.

Decision Date16 February 1970
Docket NumberNo. 24649.,24649.
Citation422 F.2d 52
PartiesUNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Sammy Becenti CHEE, Defendant-Appellant.
CourtU.S. Court of Appeals — Ninth Circuit

Lawrence C. Cantor (argued), Phoenix, Ariz., for appellant.

Lawrence Turoff (argued), Asst. U. S. Atty., Richard K. Burke, U. S. Atty., Phoenix, Ariz., for appellee.

Before BARNES, DUNIWAY and ELY, Circuit Judges.

DUNIWAY, Circuit Judge:

Chee and one George Roanhorse were charged with assault with a deadly weapon in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 11531 and Ariz.RS § 13-249, subsec. A and assault with intent to commit rape in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1153 and Ariz.RS § 13-252. In a separate trial Chee was acquitted of the first charge and found guilty of the second charge. He appeals.

At the trial the victim testified that she attended a Squaw Dance on July 31, 1967 at Klageto, Arizona and that she was attacked there by Roanhorse and Chee. She testified that she had been forced to leave her wagon and to accompany her aunt and uncle. Her aunt and uncle began to argue and she feared her uncle would strike her aunt. She attempted to intercede and her uncle struck her in the stomach. The aunt and uncle then wandered away leaving her alone. After a while, she decided to return to the wagon. On her way back she saw Roanhorse, whom she knew, noticed he had been drinking and ran from him. As she ran, Chee appeared in front of her and grabbed her and held her until Roanhorse caught up with them. Roanhorse reviled her for marrying a white man and said "we are going to rape you." Chee was holding her at the time. The two men then removed her pants and attempted to remove her underpants. She was struck by both men. She was stabbed in the chest and back by Roanhorse, and each of the men attempted to get on top of her and to undress themselves but were unsuccessful because of her struggles. She suffered a dislocation and fracture of the cervical region of the spine which left her paralyzed in all four limbs. The victim's story was partly corroborated by her stepsister.

Chee testified that his only contact with the victim was when he and Roanhorse attempted to intercede in a fight between the victim and her uncle.

Chee makes the following assignment of errors.

1. It was error to admit the hearsay statement of George Roanhorse.

2. Reference to another bad act of the defendant should have been cause for a mistrial.

3. Insufficiency of the evidence.

4. Inconsistent verdicts.

5. There was improper argument by the prosecutor.

1. Hearsay evidence.

Chee argues that it was error to allow the victim to testify to Roanhorse's statement, "We are going to rape you." He contends that allowing this statement violated the rule set down in Bruton v. United States, 1968, 391 U.S. 123, 88 S.Ct. 1620, 20 L.Ed. 476, in that Roanhorse was not present at the trial and was therefore not subject to cross-examination. This statement was made in Chee's presence and during the actual joint commission of the offense. It was properly admissible as part of the res gestae. Wilson v. United States, 9 Cir., 1963, 313 F.2d 317, cert. denied, 1963, 374 U.S. 848, 83 S.Ct. 1910, 10 L.Ed.2d 1068; United States v. Annunziato, 2 Cir., 1961, 293 F.2d 373; Jackson v. United States, 1966, 123 U.S.App.D.C. 276, 359 F.2d 260; cf. A.L.I. Model Code of Evidence, Rules 508(b), 512(a).

2. Reference to another bad act of the defendant.

When the victim was testifying she was asked how long she had known Chee. She responded, "Well * * * the first time I really have heard of his name and when I saw him was at the time he shot my * * *." At this point counsel for Chee objected and moved for a mistrial. The court denied the motion and advised the jury to disregard the statement. Chee now contends that it was error to deny the motion for mistrial. We find that the curative instruction by the trial judge was sufficient in this case. The sentence was never finished, so that the jury could not know what Chee had shot. It was not error to deny a mistrial.

3. Insufficiency of the evidence.

Chee claims that there was insufficient evidence to support the guilty verdict because there was no showing of intent. The facts belie the claim.

4. Inconsistent verdicts.

Chee argues that to be found guilty of assault with intent to commit rape he would have to be found guilty on a theory that he aided and abetted Roanhorse. Again, the facts belie the argument. He was a direct participant. His acquittal of assault with a deadly weapon is not inconsistent with his conviction of assault with intent to commit rape. The jury may have found him innocent of the first charge because he did not personally wield the weapon. Whether this is a proper legal ground for the acquittal is immaterial.

5. Improper argument by the prosecutor.

On direct examination, Chee testified that he left the scene of the crime because he had a criminal record. He was subsequently asked on direct examination, "do you carry any deadly weapons since you were convicted because of a deadly weapon"? His answer was "no." On cross-examination he was asked if he had even been convicted of a felony and answered yes. He admitted that he had harmed a lady and had been convicted of assault with a dangerous weapon. On redirect examination Chee's attorney again mentioned the prior conviction in order to establish that the deadly weapon involved was a gun, not a...

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8 cases
  • Carpenter v. United States
    • United States
    • D.C. Court of Appeals
    • 13 Abril 1981
    ...88 S.Ct. at 1627 (quoting Lutwak v. United States, 344 U.S. 604, 619, 73 S.Ct. 481, 490, 97 L.Ed. 593 (1953)).] See United States v. Chee, 422 F.2d 52, 54 (9th Cir. 1970) (witness stopped in mid-sentence to prevent inadmissible testimony of prior bad act); cf. Scott v. United States, D.C.Ap......
  • People v. Kelley, Docket No. 9973
    • United States
    • Court of Appeal of Michigan — District of US
    • 29 Marzo 1971
    ...courts have expressly held that admission of Res gestae hearsay does not violate an accused's confrontation right. United States v. Chee (C.A.9, 1970), 422 F.2d 52, is a leading In Chee, the Ninth Circuit held that it was not error for an alleged rape victim to testify to the statement of o......
  • Com. v. McLaughlin
    • United States
    • United States State Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts Supreme Court
    • 1 Noviembre 1973
    ...hearsay rule for statements of co-conspirators, there are decisions upholding the admission under other exceptions. In United States v. Chee, 422 F.2d 52 (9th Cir. 1970), the admission of the evidence was upheld under the 'res gestae' exception to the hearsay rule. A similar result was reac......
  • State v. Martinez, 87-2023-CR
    • United States
    • Wisconsin Supreme Court
    • 7 Junio 1989
    ...unnecessary to consider whether the statements fell within some hearsay exception. The court of appeals held, citing United States v. Chee, 422 F.2d 52 (9th Cir.1970), that John Martinez' statements were properly admitted against the defendant as part of the res gestae "part of what was goi......
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