United States v. Perry, Crim. No. 762-70.

• Decision Date: 18 January 1973
• Docket Number: Crim. No. 762-70.
• Citation: 353 F. Supp. 1235
• Parties: UNITED STATES of America v. Econuel PERRY, Jr., et al.
• Court: U.S. District Court — District of Columbia

353 F. Supp. 1235

UNITED STATES of America v.Econuel PERRY, Jr., et al.

Crim. No. 762-70.

United States District Court, District of Columbia.

January 18, 1973.

Harold H. Titus, Jr., U. S. Atty., John F. Evans, Asst. U. S. Atty., James E. Sharp, Asst. U. S. Atty., Washington, D. C., for the United States.

Bernard Kemp, Washington, D. C., for Econuel Perry, Jr.

David B. Lamb, Washington, D. C., for Richard G. Beard.

Stephen S. Millstein, and Reuben K. Millstein, Washington, D. C., for John C. Matthews.

O. B. Parker, Washington, D. C., for Bruce C. Smith.

Anton M. Weiss, Washington, D. C., for Tracy L. Jones, Jr.

Ben Paul Noble, and Thomas O. Mann, Washington, D. C., for John W. Jackson.

OPINION AND ORDER

HART, District Judge.

Defendants in this case have moved to dismiss for lack of a speedy trial as required by the Sixth Amendment of the Constitution.

The pertinent chronology of this case is as follows:

January 27, 1970      Alleged robbery committed
                January 29, 1970      Jackson and Smith arrested
                February 6-11, 1970   Perry, Beard and Matthews arrested
                May 12, 1970          Indictment returned
                May 25-26, 1970       All defendants arraigned
                June 5, 1970          Status hearing and trial date set for August 19
                                      1970
                June 9, 1970          Jackson and Jones arrested for threats against
                                      witness in this case
                June 17, 1970         Jones and Jackson indicted for threats in Criminal
                                      No. 1097-70
                June 24, 1970         Defendants arraigned in Cr. No. 1097-70 and
                                      held without bond
                July 31, 1970         Denial of bond in Cr. No. 1097-70, reversed by
                                      Court of Appeals and Gilbert hearing ordered
                August 17, 1970       Trial date of August 19, 1970, continued to indefinite
                                      date because Judge recovering from illness.
                August 20, 1970       Gilbert hearing held in Cr. No. 1097-70. Jones
                                      released on bond, Jackson held without bond.
                November 17-23, 1970  Hearing on Motions to Suppress identification
                                      of witnesses Crespo, Cook and Middleton and on
                                      Motion to Quash Indictment. Motions to Quash
                                      and to Suppress identification of Crespo and
                                      Cook denied. Motion to Suppress identification
                                      of Middleton granted.
                November 23, 1970     Trial date set December 1, 1970
                December 1, 1970      Trial date continued when Government announced
                                      it would take interlocutory appeal from
                                      ruling on Middleton.
                December 2, 1970      Order Suppressing all testimony by the witness
                                      Carlin P. Middleton signed.
                January 4, 1971       Government filed Notice of Appeal.
                February 12, 1970     Record received in Court of Appeals.
                March 16, 1971        Government's Motion to Extend Time to File
                                      Brief (granted).
                April 13, 1971        Government's Motion to Extend Time to File
                                      Brief (granted).
                May 11, 1971          Government's Motion for Leave to File Brief,
                                      Time Having Expired (granted).
                May 12, 1971          Defendant Jackson filed Motion to Dismiss Appeal
                                      (denied).
                May 25, 1971          Government's Brief filed.
                July 1-28, 1971       Various briefs for defendants filed.
                September 17, 1971    Government's Motion for Leave to File Appendix,
                                      Time Having Expired (granted). 

October 26, 1971      Government's Motion for Leave to File Reply
                                      Brief, Time Having Expired (granted).
                February 10, 1972     Judgment of Court of Appeals, affirming Judgment
                                      of District Court (no opinion).
                February 24, 1972     Government's Motion to Extend Time for Filing
                                      Petition for Re-Hearing (granted).
                March 29, 1972        Government's Motion to Extend Time for Filing
                                      Petition for Re-Hearing, Time Having Expired
                                      (granted).
                April 5, 1972         Defendants' Opposition to Extension of Time
                                      to File Petition for Re-Hearing.
                April 12, 1972        Government's Petition for Re-Hearing Filed.
                October 20, 1972      Judgment vacating Judgment of February 10,
                                      1972, and remanding case for further consideration.
                November 28, 1972     Certified copy of Judgment to District Court.
                

In the case of Barker v. Wingo, 407 U.S. 514, 92 S.Ct. 2182, 33 L.Ed.2d 101(1972), the Supreme Court identifies four factors which the Court should assess in determining whether a defendant has been deprived of his right to a speedy trial under the Sixth Amendment of the Constitution.These factors are:

1.Length of delay.

2.Reasons for delay.

3.Defendant's assertion of his right.

4.Prejudice to the defendant.

We will consider then the factors laid down by the Supreme Court as they apply to the case at bar.

1.LENGTH OF DELAY

The beginning of the period of delay is triggered by either arrest or indictment, whichever is first in point of time.In the case at barwe are dealing with six defendants.Various factors to be considered will vary to some extent with each defendant but since it is not deemed to be either practical or in the interest of justice to consider each defendant individually throughout each step of this opinion and, since generally the factors applicable to each will be applicable to all, they will be considered as a unit.

The first arrest occurred in this case on January 29, 1970.Other arrests followed until Febuary 11, 1970.The indictment was returned May 12, 1970.

The delay to date from arrests is just short of 3 years.Further, immediate trial at this time is not possible.Extensive discovery by way of interrogatories and depositions will be required under the mandate of the Court of Appeals in this case before trial.This discovery is presently in abeyance, pending decisions on the Motions to Dismiss for Lack of a Speedy Trial.If the Speedy Trial Motions are denied, it will be 2 to 3 months from the present before discovery can be completed and a trial can be had.For a convenient round figure, we may consider trial of this case delayed 3 years from arrest.

In Barker v. Wingo, supra, the Supreme Court said:

"* * * The delay that can be tolerated for an ordinary street crime is considerably less than for a serious, complex conspiracy charge."

The case at bar, although alleged to have occurred in the Department of Commerce Building, comes under the meaning of "street crime," as used in the Supreme Court.

In United States v. Rucker, 150 U.S. App.D.C. 314, 464 F.2d 823(1972), our Court of Appeals said:

"A delay of over one year between arrest and trial raises a Sixth Amendment claim of `prima facie merit.'Hedgepeth v. United States, 124 U.S. App.D.C. 291, 364 F.2d 684(1966).It places on the Government the necessity of justification, the burden of which increases with the length of the delay.Id. at 687.When the delay approaches a year and a half as in this case, the Government must provide a justification which convincingly outweighs the prejudice which can normally be assumed to have been caused the defendant."See also: United States v. Hines, 147 U.S.App.D.C. 249, 455 F.2d 1317(1972).

The delay of trial for three years in the case at bar, under the teachings of United States v. Rucker, supra, requires that "the Government must provide a justification which convincingly outweighs the prejudice which can normally be assumed to have been caused the defendant."

2.REASONS FOR DELAY

(Government's Justification for Same)

The Government attempts to meet the heavy burden of justification for the three year delay with the following assertion:

"In the instant case the entire relevant delay has been caused by the deliberate pace of the system of appellate review of a pre-trial ruling unfavorable to the Government after exhaustive hearings in the trial court."

The Government may well be in the position of a person who lives in a glass house who throws stones.

The Government required approximately 14½ months to accomplish the following actions: Return indictment after arrest; file interlocutory appeal; file briefs; file reply briefs; file petition for re-hearing.

Had the Government taken all the above steps in a timely fashion, the same could have been accomplished in 4 months.This means that the Government, through its failure to proceed in a timely fashion through the various steps from indictment through appeal, has delayed this case for approximately 10½ months.

With regard to actions in the Court of Appeals, the last Government brief was filed there on November 1, 1971, and the first opinion of the Court of Appeals, some 3 months later, on February 10, 1972.The Government's petition for rehearing was filed May 12, 1972, and 5½ months later, on October 20, 1972, the Court of Appeals issued its second opinion.Thus the total length of time this case was in the Court of Appeals subject to opinion, (not counting the delays permitted to the Government) was 7½ months.The overall time in the Court of Appeals was 20 months.It is not for this Court to say whether this length of time is necessary for a decision on a Motion to Suppress in the Court of Appeals.The United States Attorney, as such, is not responsible, but the Government is.

It is likewise true that unnecessary delays in the Trial Court, while not the responsibility of the United States Attorney, as such, are the responsibility of the Government.

In this case there was no deliberate attempt by the Government to delay trial in order to hamper the defense.The Government's delay can fairly be attributable to the shortage in the United States Attorney's Office of experienced personnel, both in the Grand Jury and in the Appellate Sections.

Any delay in the Trial and Appellate Courts is fairly attributable to an overcrowded...