United States v. Brown, 26249
| Decision Date | 17 March 1972 |
| Docket Number | 30405.,No. 26249,26249 |
| Citation | 456 F.2d 1112 |
| Parties | UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. H. Rap BROWN, Defendant-Appellant. |
| Court | U.S. Court of Appeals — Fifth Circuit |
William M. Kunstler, Law Center for Constitutional Rights, New York City, Murphy Bell, Baton Rouge, La., Michael E. Tigar, Los Angeles, Cal., Howard Moore, Jr., Peter E. Rindskopf, Atlanta, Ga., for defendant-appellant.
Gerald J. Gallinghouse, U. S. Atty., Julian R. Murray, Jr., First Asst. U. S. Atty., New Orleans, La., for plaintiff-appellee.
Before WISDOM, COLEMAN and SIMPSON, Circuit Judges.
The appellant, H. Rap Brown, was convicted of violating Title 15, U.S.C., Section 902(e), and sentenced to five years imprisonment and a fine of $2,000.00. Upon direct appeal, this Court vacated the judgment below and remanded the case for a hearing consistent with Alderman v. United States, 1969, 394 U.S. 165, 89 S.Ct. 961, 22 L.Ed.2d 176. Brown v. United States, unreported order dated April 3, 1969, No. 26,249. After the hearing below, the district court, 317 F.Supp. 531, on July 24, 1970, found no error at trial and ordered Brown to appear for re-sentencing on September 9, 1970. When the appellant did not appear for re-sentencing, after several continuances to permit his appearance, the court on September 24, 1970, sentenced him in absentia, by reimposing the prior committed sentence of five years and fine of $2,000.00. Brown's counsel filed timely notices of appeal from both the order of July 24 and the judgment and sentence on September 24.
This panel of the court entered an order on May 26, 1971, striking the appeal from the docket pending the appellant's return to our jurisdiction.1 Brown has now moved to reinstate his appeal, asserting that he is in the custody of the State of New York and thus within our jurisdiction.
Upon an examination of the record on appeal, occasioned by Brown's motion for reinstatement of his appeals, we find that the judgment and sentence below were imposed in clear violation of Rule 43, F.R.Crim.P. While it is not error, in some circumstances, for a defendant to be absent during trial, see, e. g., Illinois v. Allen, 1970, 397 U.S. 337, 90 S.Ct. 1057, 26 L.Ed.2d 353, and Rule 43, F.R.Crim.P., a defendant must be present at sentencing. Only in the most extraordinary circumstances, and where it would otherwise work an injustice, should a court sentence a defendant in absentia, and then only under appropriate safeguards, as where the defendant has expressly waived his right to be present either by sworn affidavit or in open court for the record. See, e. g., United States v. Boykin, D.Md.1963, 222 F.Supp. 398.
We vacate the judgment and sentence below, and order this cause remanded to the district court for re-sentencing in compliance with Rule 43, after the procurement of Brown's presence by an appropriate writ. Upon...
To continue reading
Request your trial
-
Dorrough v. Estelle
...of Corrections, and executive clemency. All paroles shall issue upon order of the Board, duly adopted and approved by the Governor. 19 In the Brown case we It is common knowledge that appellant, H. Rap Brown, has disappeared and his present whereabouts are unknown. If his disappearance was ......
-
United States v. Butenko
...66 (D.N.J.1970) (the present case in the district court); United States v. Brown, 317 F.Supp. 531 (1970), rev'd on other grounds, 456 F.2d 1112 (5th Cir. 1972); United States v. Stone, 305 F.Supp. 75 (D.D.C.1969). Compare United States v. Smith, 321 F.Supp. 424 (D.C.Cal.1971) (distinguishin......
-
Tweedy v. State
...Cir.1988) (noting that "[t]he rule that the defendant must attend his sentencing is not subject to any exception"); United States v. Brown, 456 F.2d 1112, 1114 (5th Cir.1972) (stating that a defendant may only waive his right to be present at sentencing "in the most extraordinary circumstan......
-
Zweibon v. Mitchell
...419 U.S. 881, 95 S.Ct. 147, 42 L.Ed.2d 121 (1974); United States v. Brown, 317 F.Supp. 531 (E.D.La.1970), appeal dismissed, 456 F.2d 1112 (5th Cir.1972) (per curiam), aff'd, 484 F.2d 418 (5th Cir.1973), cert. denied, 415 U.S. 960, 94 S.Ct. 1490, 39 L.Ed.2d 575 (1974); United States v. Delli......