Burke v. United States, 6194

• Decision Date: 27 February 1964
• Docket Number: 6195.,No. 6194,6194
• Parties: John E. BURKE, Defendant, Appellant, v. UNITED STATES of America, Appellee. Leo C. BURKE, Defendant, Appellant, v. UNITED STATES of America, Appellee.
• Court: U.S. Court of Appeals — First Circuit

328 F.2d 399 (1964)

John E. BURKE, Defendant, Appellant, v. UNITED STATES of America, Appellee.

Leo C. BURKE, Defendant, Appellant, v. UNITED STATES of America, Appellee.

Nos. 6194, 6195.

United States Court of Appeals First Circuit.

February 27, 1964.

Walter J. Hurley, Boston, Mass., for appellants.

Stanislaw R. J. Suchecki, Asst. U. S. Atty., with whom W. Arthur Garrity, Jr., U. S. Atty., was on brief, for appellee.

Before WOODBURY, Chief Judge, and HARTIGAN and ALDRICH, Circuit Judges.

HARTIGAN, Circuit Judge.

These are appeals from two judgments entered on July 8, 1963 by the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, following a jury trial, convicting the defendants-appellants, John E. Burke and Leo C. Burke, of mail robbery and conspiracy to rob the mails. The two appeals challenge the trial court's denial of timely motions made by both defendants to suppress as evidence a mail carrier's uniform, two .45 calibre bullets and a twenty dollar bill which were alleged to have been seized from defendants in violation of the Fourth and Fifth Amendments.

The facts as substantially found by the trial court and evidenced by the record are as follows. On December 26, 1962 Post Office Inspector Thomas E. Agnew, one of the inspectors assigned to investigate a mail robbery which had occurred in Dorchester, Massachusetts, on December 20, 1962, considered the defendant John E. Burke a suspect in the case and was engaged in investigating his background. Inspector Agnew was then in possession of information that John Burke had worked in the Fields Corner Post Office from February to March, 1962, that he was transferred to the Roxbury Post Office in March, and that he quit his Post Office job in July, 1962 for no good reason. Inspector Agnew knew that John Burke had done some letter-carrying, that he had formerly owned a mail carrier's uniform and that he had recently obtained a carrier's uniform. He also knew that John Burke met the description of one of the hold-up men given by the driver of the mail truck involved in the Dorchester robbery. There is no evidence in the record indicating that on December 26 or 27 Leo Burke was considered a suspect or was under investigation for the mail truck robbery by any federal law enforcement official.

On December 26, 1962, Inspector Agnew, who wanted to find John Burke and question him about the mail robbery, was searching the Dorchester area for him. He was assisted in his search by three Boston police officers who knew and could identify John if found. About 11:00 p. m. the police officers and Inspectors Agnew and Kelly went to John Burke's home at 99 Harvard Street, Dorchester. The policemen spoke to his wife who told them John was not there. The officers then proceeded to 174 Harvard Street where John Burke also maintained a room. This room was sometimes used by his brother, Leo Burke. Finding neither John nor Leo in the room at 174 Harvard Street, it was agreed that there was no need of the Post Office Inspectors "hanging around any later," since the police officers' shift required them to work until 3:00 a. m., and that the inspectors would go home and the police officers would notify Inspector Agnew if they found John prior to 3:00 a. m. when they went off duty. At 2:30 a. m., December 27, the police officers returned to 174 Harvard Street. In response to persistent ringing of the doorbell, the landlady opened the door, advised the officers that John Burke was not in, and offered to let the officers inspect his room. They looked around the room, under the bed and in the closet for John Burke, did not find him, observed a postal uniform jacket, and left. Nothing was seized at this time. The police officers did not have a search warrant nor did they then have probable cause as to either Burke.

As the officers were leaving 174 Harvard Street about 2:40 a. m., they observed a young man start to turn in the front walk who stopped when he saw the officers, made a half left turn and continued down Harvard Street. They apprehended the young man, who was under the influence of liquor, and he proved to be Leo Burke. He was arrested, taken in a cruiser to Police Headquarters, booked, searched, and sent to Boston City Jail. The search disclosed that he had in his pockets a wallet containing $118.00 and two bottles of pills.

After arrival at the police station, Detective Cunningham telephoned Inspector Agnew at about 3:20 a. m. and told him that the brother of John Burke had been picked up, that he had $118.77 on his person, that he had been drinking quite heavily and that there was no point in Inspector Agnew coming to the police station seeking to question Leo because he was then under the influence of liquor. At about 9:30 a. m. December 27, Inspectors Agnew and John J. Sullivan questioned Leo Burke at Boston Police Headquarters and prior to questioning Leo, Inspector Agnew fully and fairly advised him of his constitutional rights, including specific advice to the effect that the inspectors were investigating the Dorchester mail robbery, that Leo had a right not to talk with them, that he had a right not to answer any questions and that he had a right to counsel. Inspector Sullivan then asked Leo if the inspectors could look at what he had in his pockets and Leo brought out a wallet and emptied it. Inspector Agnew told Leo "We are not trying to kid you about this" and that some of the bills taken in the mail robbery were marked. The inspectors, who observed markings on two of the $20 bills that Leo had taken out of his wallet, requested him to swap the two marked bills for two other $20 bills. Inspector Agnew advised Leo that the marked bills could be identified by a Post Office Dispatch Clerk and that if Leo gave the bills to them they would be taken to the Dispatch Clerk for identification. Leo told them that he had received the bills in question from the First National Bank in Codman Square the previous afternoon and voluntarily swapped the two $20 bills.

On January 4, 1963 Inspectors Agnew and Sullivan met John Burke at the Field Cafe on Blue Hill Avenue, Dorchester, where he was seated in a booth with friends. Inspector Agnew, advising him of his rights, asked him if he would talk with them, and he stepped outside and entered an automobile with the inspectors. In the car Inspector Agnew again advised him of his right not to talk with them, of his right not to answer any questions, and of his right to counsel. The inspectors then advised him that they would like to see the carrier uniform. He said that they could and that it was at his home. The three drove to 99 Harvard Street, were led into the front bedroom by John who, after being advised of his right not "to show us this stuff" by Inspector Agnew, produced some articles of uniform including two pair of pants and a jacket. The inspectors requested and were granted permission to examine the pockets of the garments and Inspector Agnew, after advising him of his rights for a fourth time that day, patted the pockets of one of the carrier uniform pants and discovered two .45 calibre automatic live cartridges therein. The inspectors requested and were granted permission by John to take the jacket, pants and cartridges. There was no evidence offered indicating that the jacket observed by the police at 174 Harvard Street at 2:30 a. m. December 27 was the same jacket voluntarily turned over by John Burke on January 4, 1963. Before leaving the premises the inspectors received a written authorization signed by John Burke which reads as follows:

"I, John E. Burke, invited Postal Inspectors Agnew and Sullivan into my apartment, 99 Harvard Street, Dorchester, in order for them to examine my letter carrier uniforms.

"I was advised by the Inspectors before coming to my apartment that I did not have to show them anything or let them in the apartment or even talk to them. They advised me I was a suspect in the robbery of a mail truck which occurred on December 20, 1962.

"I authorized the inspectors to look in my uniform pockets and also advised them they could take these uniforms with them if they wished.

"While looking through the watch pocket of the uniform pants, Inspector Agnew produced two .45 shells.

"I hereby authorize the inspectors to take the trousers and bullets with them. I have placed my initials and today\'s date in the trousers. I also authorize the inspectors to take my uniform jacket and cap.

"Signed: John E. Burke."

The district court found the examination of the room at 174 Harvard Street to be an illegal search, but refused to hold applicable the "fruit of the poison tree" doctrine¹ and suppress the evidence since "Inspector Agnew already knew that John Burke had recently acquired a letter-carrier's uniform" and, therefore, "no new evidence was discovered during this illegal search." We agree that knowledge of information gained from an independent source does not become unusable merely because the same information is subsequently discovered during an illegal search. Silverthorne Lumber Co. v. United States, 251 U.S. 385, 392, 40 S.Ct. 182, 183, 64 L.Ed. 319 (1920); Coplon v. United States, 89 U.S. App.D.C. 103, 191 F.2d 749 (1951), cert. denied, 342 U.S. 926, 72 S.Ct. 363, 96 L.Ed. 690 (1952).

The arrest of Leo Burke at 2:40 a. m. on December 27 was found by the trial court to be an illegal arrest, one taking place without a warrant or probable cause. Henry v. United States, 361 U.S. 98, 102, 80 S.Ct. 168, 171, 4 L.Ed.2d 134 (1959). The only explanation given to Leo for his arrest, or to the court for that matter, was contained in the answer to a question from Leo while he was riding to Headquarters with the officers: "What is this concerned with?" Detective Cunningham replied "You are under suspicion of a mail robbery in Dorchester."

But not every statement or surrender of property made during an illegal arrest is created inadmissible because of the illegal arrest. "That fact does...