Groppi v. Leslie

• Decision Date: 06 January 1971
• Docket Number: No. 18538.,18538.
• Citation: 436 F.2d 331
• Parties: James E. GROPPI, Petitioner-Appellee, v. Jack LESLIE, Sheriff of Dane County, Respondent-Appellant.
• Court: U.S. Court of Appeals — Seventh Circuit

436 F.2d 331 (1971)

James E. GROPPI, Petitioner-Appellee, v. Jack LESLIE, Sheriff of Dane County, Respondent-Appellant.

No. 18538.

United States Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit.

January 6, 1971.

Robert W. Warren, Atty. Gen., David J. Hanson, Sverre O. Tinglum, Asst. Attys. Gen., Madison, Wis., for appellant.

Percy L. Julian, Jr., Madison, Wis., William M. Coffey, Michael J. Zimmer, Milwaukee, Wis. (Robert J. Lerner, John D. Murray, Milwaukee, Wis., Steven H. Steinglass, Patricia D. McMahon, Milwaukee, Wis., of counsel), for appellee.

Before SWYGERT, Chief Judge, HASTINGS, Senior Circuit Judge, and KILEY, CUMMINGS, KERNER, PELL and STEVENS, Circuit Judges.¹

PELL, Circuit Judge.

This matter being before the court en banc following reargument pursuant to the granting of Groppi's petition for rehearing, we are not persuaded that the result, and reasoning in support thereof, reached by the panel originally hearing this appeal, as set forth in the court's decision of October 28, 1970, is other than correct.

The basic and simple issue remains whether the judicial power of summary punishment² for direct contempt is constitutionally exercisable by the legislative branch. We hold that it is for the reasons advanced in the original opinion of this court, which opinion we now adopt and confirm. Groppi v. Leslie, 436 F.2d 326 (7th Cir. October 28, 1970).

While the resolution adopted by the Wisconsin Assembly might well have spelled out the alleged misconduct of Groppi with greater particularity, it nevertheless is couched in terms of ultimate fact which we do not find lacking in adequate specificity. There is no indication to us that the contemnor failed to be fully and explicitly informed of the charge leveled against him and the exact nature of his misconduct.

Our decision is reached on the narrow issue before us, involving direct interference with "conducting public business" in "the immediate view of the legislative body." We do not purport to reach any decision on the matter of contemptuous behavior occurring outside the legislative chamber itself.

Other means for punishing contempts are available to the legislature and resort to such other procedures may be found sufficiently efficacious in the future. We here hold, however, that the basic public need for inviolability of the legislative processes of our government dictates the availability of the power of summary contempt punishment to the legislative branch. The Wisconsin legislature has seen fit in the circumstances of the case before it to exercise that power and we do not deem it in the public interest to interfere.

It is to be noted that Groppi's term of imprisonment under the resolution does not extend beyond the end of the legislative term, i. e., January 7, 1971. Both petitioner's and respondent's counsel have argued that the issue here involved is not mooted by this fact. This is our opinion also. See United States ex rel. Lawrence v. Woods, 432 F.2d 1073, 1074-1075 (7th Cir. 1970).

Reversed.

STEVENS, Circuit Judge, with whom SWYGERT, Chief Judge, and KILEY, Circuit Judge, join, dissenting.

At no time in this proceeding has petitioner asserted any claim of innocence, or any claim that his sentence was excessive. It may be assumed, as the Wisconsin Supreme Court plainly stated, that any such claim would have been promptly and fairly heard in some form of post conviction trial.¹ As the disposition of an isolated controversy, therefore, no one could criticize this court's judgment as unfair or unreasonable.

The case, however, must be decided in the context of our legal traditions. It raises only a procedural issue, but in my judgment that issue is of fundamental importance and requires that petitioner's conviction be set aside. Cf. Rex v. Justices of Bodmin 1947 1 K.B. 321.

The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution limits the procedures which a state may employ prior to the imprisonment of any person. The applicable clause states: "* * nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law." One of the oldest and most consistently accepted maxims in our legal tradition is the proposition that "no man shall be punished before he has had an opportunity of being heard." The King v. Benn and Church, 6 T.R. 198 (1795) (Lord Kenyon, Ch. J.); see United States v. Galante, 298 F.2d 72, 77 (2d Cir. 1962) (Friendly, J., dissenting).

The procedure which Wisconsin employed to deprive the petitioner of his liberty violated that ancient maxim. On October 1, 1969, without any prior notice to petitioner, and without giving him or his counsel an opportunity to be present or to be heard, the Wisconsin Assembly cited him for contempt, found him guilty of an offense which had been committed two days earlier, and sentenced him to imprisonment.² Although I recognize that the due process clause tolerates flexible procedures in varying situations,³ in my opinion the label "legislative contempt" does not exclude this ex parte conviction from the coverage of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Disorderly conduct on the floor of a legislative body is a well recognized species of legislative contempt.⁴ Historically acts of violence,⁵ like other legislative contempts such as attempted bribery,⁶ refusal to answer questions or produce documents before a legislative committee,⁷ and the destruction of subpoenaed documents,⁸ have been prosecuted by the Legislature itself. In such cases the accused has been brought before the bar of the House and given an opportunity to speak in his own defense before any punishment was imposed. As this type of proceeding was no doubt somewhat cumbersome, and since the duration of any imprisonment was limited to the remainder of the legislative session, Congress long ago provided for the prosecution of contempts in judicial proceedings.⁹ Apparently Congress never considered the possibility of avoiding the inconvenience of a prolonged legislative hearing by simply eliminating the accused's traditional opportunity to be heard in his own defense.¹⁰

Prior to October 1, 1969, no American legislature had found it necessary to employ ex parte procedures to punish disorderly or other contemptuous conduct. The fact that the exercise of summary contempt powers has been accepted as a necessary and appropriate aspect of our judicial processes does not support an argument that the Wisconsin Legislature needs or possesses like powers. Indeed, a comparison of the legislative and judicial experience with contempts leads to a contrary conclusion.

It is the business of judges to decide particular cases, to make determinations of guilt or innocence, to listen to arguments in mitigation, and to impose appropriate punishments. Although occasional abuses have required correction on review, by and large the judicial contempt power has proved useful in advancing the orderly disposition of litigation.¹¹ The conclusion that judges can safely be trusted with such powers is supported by analysis of the judicial function and by years of experience. The multitude of judicial contempt cases which have been decided in our history apparently include none in which a judge, two days after the offense, without giving the contemnor notice or any opportunity to be heard, entered an ex parte order sentencing him to prison.¹²

But that is the nature of the procedure employed by the Wisconsin Assembly in this case. This departure from tradition should itself point to the danger of entrusting summary contempt powers to bodies not accustomed to their exercise. The contempt power has been described as "perhaps, nearest akin to despotic power of any power existing under our form of government." State ex rel. Attorney General v. Circuit Court, 97 Wis. 1, 8, 72 N.W. 193, 194 (1897), and its exercise has been narrowly limited.¹³ Without reflecting adversely on the importance and dignity of the legislative function, it must be recognized that legislators are more responsive to the temporary moods of the body politic than are judges.¹⁴ Therefore, history's recognition of a frequent need for summary punishment of judicial contempts does not establish a need for co-extensive legislative contempt powers.

It is argued that there was no risk of error or abuse in this case because petitioner's disorderly conduct occurred "in the immediate view of" the Wisconsin Assembly. It is contended that no purpose could have been served by hearing from petitioner or his counsel because the Assembly already knew all the facts. This may or may not be true. It is entirely possible that conduct which certain legislators found particularly offensive was committed by other members of the "gathering of people" led by petitioner;¹⁵ it is possible that some legislators were particularly offended by insulting speech (perhaps even speech on other occasions)¹⁶ rather than conduct; and that certain conduct was viewed by some legislators but not by others. Even if each member of the Assembly who voted in favor of the resolution had perfect knowledge of the facts, a valid purpose would have been served by hearing from petitioner before voting on the resolution. It is presumed that argument may persuade judges even when they know the facts.¹⁷ I would give legislators the benefit of the same presumption.¹⁸

It is suggested that even if summary legislative contempt powers have been unnecessary historically, the modern day "politics of confrontation" have created a new necessity that requires abandonment of traditional procedures. I question the validity of the argument, even if limited in application to plenary sessions of state legislative bodies, for prompt police action is probably an adequate means of terminating disorder and enabling the legislative body to resume its work. If the argument of necessity were valid, it would prove too much. Confrontations occur in legislative committee hearings, union meetings, stockholders meetings, public parks, college...