United States v. McIntyre

• Decision Date: 04 October 1972
• Docket Number: No. 72-1186.,72-1186.
• Citation: 467 F.2d 274
• Parties: UNITED STATES of America, Appellee, v. Willie McINTYRE and Clifton Franklin, Appellants.
• Court: U.S. Court of Appeals — Eighth Circuit

467 F.2d 274 (1972)

UNITED STATES of America, Appellee, v. Willie McINTYRE and Clifton Franklin, Appellants.

No. 72-1186.

United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit.

Submitted September 15, 1972.

Decided October 4, 1972.

Certiorari Denied January 22, 1973.

Glenn K. Robbins, St. Louis, Mo., for McIntyre.

Edwin Rader, Clayton, Mo., for Franklin.

Daniel Bartlett, Jr., U. S. Atty., and John A. Newton, Asst. U. S. Atty., St. Louis, Mo., for appellee.

Before MATTHES, Chief Judge and LAY and HEANEY, Circuit Judges.

Certiorari Denied January 22, 1973. See 93 S.Ct. 972.

LAY, Circuit Judge.

Defendants Willie McIntyre and Clifton Franklin appeal their conviction of theft from an interstate motortruck shipment in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 659. Grounds of appeal asserted are (1) insufficiency of the evidence to sustain the convictions, (2) discrimination in selection of the jury panel because of the absence of members of the defendants' race (Negro) on the panel, (3) insufficient evidence that the property stolen was in excess of $100, and (4) denial of legal counsel at the time of police and FBI interrogations. Upon review of the entire record we find no merit to these contentions and affirm the convictions.

On January 10, 1972, at approximately 12:45 a. m. in St. Louis, Missouri, two security guards observed two individuals, whom they identified as the defendants, removing a case of whiskey from a truck trailer parked at the Eazor Express Company terminal. The case was transferred to a dock and placed alongside seven other cases. The security guards testified that they ordered the men to halt. The two men then fled past the guards' vehicle, entered their own automobile and were chased at high speeds to an area called "Produce Row." Defendant McIntyre ran from the car and was apprehended two blocks away. Franklin was arrested as he stepped from the car. Both men testified at trial and denied their presence at the scene of the theft. McIntyre denied that he was with Franklin that evening, except to see him at "Produce Row," and he testified that he was in "Produce Row" at the time of his arrest looking for employment. Franklin likewise claimed that he was in "Produce Row" seeking employment when arrested.

The credibility of the government's evidence is attacked on various grounds, however all conflicts in the evidence are to be resolved by the trier of fact. In United States v. May, 419 F.2d 553, 555 (8 Cir. 1969), where strikingly similar facts existed and where the government's evidence was alleged to be a "morass of incredibility," we observed:

"A reviewing court may only direct a motion for acquittal on the sufficiency of the evidence when (1) it may be said as a matter of law that there exists no evidence of guilt whatsoever upon the record or (2) where there exists no substantial evidence from which reasonable men may say that the defendant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt."

In the present case we would be hard pressed to say that substantial evidence of defendants' guilt did not appear on the record.¹

The defendants challenge the jury array although no objection was made at trial. This contention is denied under the authority of United States v. Williams, 421 F.2d 529, 532 (8 Cir.1970). The court in Williams observed:

"Appellant acknowledges that he had the burden of establishing a prima facie showing of discrimination in selection of the jury array. We have so held. cases omitted `That burden is not met by generalizations, unsupported by specific proof * * *.\' cases omitted . . . Appellant was not constitutionally entitled to have either a Negro or one of his `peers\' on his petit jury panel; rather, he was constitutionally entitled to a jury array which had been selected from a cross-section of the eligible persons in the community at large without systematic and intentional exclusion or discrimination as to racial, religious, political, economic, geographical or social status. cases omitted Appellant\'s burden was to show that the selection process was discriminatory and even positive proof that one particular product of that process, i. e., one jury panel does not represent a cross-section of the larger popular community cannot establish a discriminatory process, unless compounded with additional probative proof that a more than coincidental number of previous panels were similarly constituted." United States v. Williams, supra at 531-532.

The defendants have failed to meet their burden.

Defendants attack the government's proof that the value of the whiskey stolen exceeded $100. Defendants claim they were seen removing only one case which was valued at $34.75. This specious objection overlooks the fact that the defendant Franklin was seen placing this case on the dock with seven others. The jury had a right to infer that defendants were responsible for the theft of all eight. See generally, United States v. May, 419 F.2d 553, 555 (8 Cir.1969).

Defendants' final contention relates to the question of waiver of counsel at the time of the initial police and FBI interrogation. The trial court conducted a hearing outside the presence of the jury and found that both defendants had voluntarily waived counsel prior to any interrogation. Both signed waiver forms to this effect. Franklin acknowledged this at trial. McIntyre voluntarily answered questions...