United States v. Denno

• Citation: 221 F.2d 626
• Decision Date: 07 April 1955
• Docket Number: Docket 23497.,No. 230,230
• Parties: UNITED STATES ex rel. COOPER et al., Relators-Appellants, v. Wilfred L. DENNO, Warden of Sing Sing Prison, Respondent-Appellee.
• Court: United States Courts of Appeals. United States Court of Appeals (2nd Circuit)

221 F.2d 626 (1955)

UNITED STATES ex rel. COOPER et al., Relators-Appellants, v. Wilfred L. DENNO, Warden of Sing Sing Prison, Respondent-Appellee.

No. 230, Docket 23497.

United States Court of Appeals Second Circuit.

Argued February 15, 1955.

Decided April 7, 1955.

Writ of Certiorari Denied June 6, 1955.

Nathan Kestnbaum, New York City, for relators-appellants.

Jacob K. Javits, Atty. Gen. of State of New York, Henry S. Manley, Sol. Gen., Albany, Vincent A. Marsicano, Asst. Atty. Gen., Joseph F. Gagliardi, Dist. Atty. of Westchester County, White Plains, N. Y., John J. O'Brien, White Plains, of counsel, for respondent-appellee.

Before FRANK and MEDINA, Circuit Judges, and BRENNAN, District Judge.

Writ of Certiorari Denied June 6, 1955. See 75 S.Ct. 906.

BRENNAN, District Judge.

This appeal brings for review the order of the District Court which dismissed a writ of habeas corpus based upon the application of three petitioners (the appellants herein) who stand convicted in a state court of the crime of murder in the first degree. The sufficiency of the evidence presented by the petitioners to establish the charge of a purposeful intrusion upon their rights to confer with counsel during the course of the trial is the principal question raised.

After conviction in the County Court of Westchester County, New York, the Court of Appeals affirmed the judgments People v. Cooper, 303 N.Y. 856, 104 N.E. 2d 917, and they were again affirmed in the U. S. Supreme Court, 346 U.S. 156, 73 S.Ct. 1077, 97 L.Ed. 1522. In accordance with state practice a motion in the nature of a writ of error coram nobis, attacking the validity of the judgments, was made in the court of original jurisdiction. Intermediate steps need not be enumerated but a hearing was eventually held. Oral evidence was submitted. It was stipulated that facts contained in affidavits filed should be considered as if offered by oral testimony and the motion was denied with a memo opinion. The Court of Appeals granted a reargument of the appeal from the judgment, taking into consideration the facts adduced in the coram nobis application. The previous convictions were affirmed, 307 N.Y. 253, 120 N.E.2d 813. The U. S. Supreme Court denied certiorari on Nov. 8, 1954, 348 U.S. 878, 75 S.Ct. 118. Applications for rearguments in the Court of Appeals and for a rehearing in the Supreme Court were later denied. A joint petition for a writ of habeas corpus was filed in the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on Jan. 10, 1955. Oral argument was had thereon and the District Court on Jan. 17, 1955 dismissed the writ upon the filing of a comprehensive opinion. This appeal followed.

The sufficiency of the prior legal proceedings are not challenged so that the contentions of the petitioners were properly before the District Court.

The court below, having the state court record available, made the determination that same was sufficient to resolve the contentions advanced and that a hearing, at which evidence would be received, was unnecessary. There seems to be no disagreement as to that phase of the decision.

Under the circumstances, it was the obligation of the lower court to make independent inquiry and examination of the state court record, to determine the existence of procedural due process, the correct application of legal precedents, the overall fairness of the proceedings and the soundness of the conclusion reached. Such inquiry and examination is to be made in the light of the present day concept of due process and with respectful appreciation of the prior determinations made in the state court which must not however override the independent action and judgment of the District Court. Brown v. Allen, 344 U.S. 443, 73 S.Ct. 397, 97 L.Ed. 469.

Our power and obligation on this appeal would seem to follow the rule in civil causes. Same is not to be rigidly confined since we are in as good a position as the lower court to make an overall appraisal of the state court record.

The contentions that the judgments of conviction are tainted with the knowing use of perjured testimony and that the prosecution suppressed material evidence were held to be without merit by the Court of Appeals and by the lower court, the same conclusion is reached here, no discussion is necessary.

The principal contention advanced by the petitioners is to the effect that their fundamental rights were violated in that police officer Rubin was "planted" in a seat reserved for spectators at the trial to overhear private and privileged communications between the parties and their attorneys during the course of the trial. If the allegation, without more, is supported by evidence which will justify such a finding, then petitioners' fundamental rights have been denied. That such action resulted in no prejudice to the accused does not void or excuse the violation. Glasser v. U. S., 315 U.S. 60, 62 S.Ct. 457, 86 L.Ed. 680; Coplon v. U. S., 89 U.S.App.D.C. 103, 191 F.2d 749, certiorari denied 342 U.S. 926, 72 S.Ct. 363, 96 L.Ed. 690; Caldwell v. U. S., 92 U.S.App.D.C. 355, 205 F.2d 879; Fusco v. Moses, 304 N.Y. 424, 107 N.E.2d 581. The question then as to whether lawyer-client confidential communication were in fact overheard or reported here becomes only important as it bears on the main question.

The lower court found as did the N. Y. Court of Appeals that "Defendants failed utterly to show that Rubin was planted to listen in on or report conversations between defendants and their lawyers". Our problem then becomes one of appraising the pertinent evidence bearing upon such a contention. The details of such evidence are referred to in the opinion of the Court of Appeals and in the opinion of the lower court. They are briefly summarized below.

Each of the petitioners has a rather impressive criminal record. During the trial, a deputy sheriff was seated behind and in close proximity to each of them. During the course of the trial, they conversed among themselves and with two of their counsel in the Yiddish language. On the last five days of the seven week trial, police officer Rubin, who understood the Yiddish language, occupied a seat in the spectators' box about four feet from the counsel table. He was not in uniform and he did not carry a weapon. He was the only member of the local police force who understood the Yiddish language. Petitioners offer evidence to the effect that the counsel table, above referred to, had been moved from a position about seven feet from the spectators' box to a position within three or four feet thereof. It is mainly upon the above evidence that the petitioners rely to establish an unlawful intrusion upon the client-lawyer relationship.

This evidence is met by positive denials that Rubin occupied his position in the court room for the purpose of listening to conversations taking place at the counsel table. Such denials are made by the members of the prosecutor's staff and those in charge of the provisions made for the safety of the public, the security of the prisoners and the orderly conduct of the trial. Rubin's presence in the court room with other peace officers is accounted for as an additional security measure taken when the authorities received information which led them to believe that the prisoners contemplated an escape during a lunch period.

It is fair to say that petitioners' evidence rests solely upon circumstances, inferences and suspicions. There is no positive evidence which supports the charge, the burden of which is upon the petitioners. Brown v. Allen, supra, 344 U.S. 458, 73 S.Ct. 407.

It is to be noted that petitioners failed to make inquiry from those in a position to supply the information as to the circumstances under which Rubin was assigned to the court room and the instructions he received upon such assignment. The petitioners in effect seem to combine the claim that the counsel table was moved to a position nearer the spectators' box with the presence of a Yiddish speaking police officer in a seat nearest to the table as substantial evidence sufficient to establish their eavesdropping contention. Such evidence is reduced in its weight by the positive affidavits of those in authority as to the assignment of additional officers upon the discovery of the so-called escape threat. The time relation of the discovery of the threat and the appearance of the police officer together with the fact that petitioners' own evidence seems to show that the counsel table was moved closer to the spectators' box some four or five days before the officer's appearance tend to destroy the factual basis to support an inference of purposeful intrusion.

As above stated, the petitioners appear to rely upon the claim that their rights were violated by an intentional, subtle intrusion upon the lawyer-client relationship. The argument is made, however, that even if Rubin's presence was justified for security purposes, his encroachment was unlawful because he was in a position to hear confidential lawyer-client communications. This argument is tantamount to the assumption that the right of privacy of lawyer-client communications overrides reasonable security measures. We do not agree. "The people of the State are also entitled to due process of law". Stein v. People of State of N. Y., 346 U.S. 156, at page 197, 73 S.Ct. 1077, at page 1099, 97 L.Ed. 1522. Such rights are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Each must yield to the rule of reason. In case of actual or possible conflict, the rule is to be applied by the court in the light of the existing circumstances.

Due process is tested by the setting in which it occurs. Betts v. Brady, 316 U.S. 455, at page 462, 62 S.Ct. 1252, 86 L.Ed. 1595. A crowded court room creates one situation. A vicious or insubordinate defendant may create another. Such situations are different from one wherein an attorney-client conversation is intercepted by wire tap or by intentional deceit or deception. In the...