Bruce Cooper v. United States

282 F.2d 527, 6 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5624, 1960 U.S. App. LEXIS 3727
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedSeptember 14, 1960
Docket16525_1
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 282 F.2d 527 (Bruce Cooper v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bruce Cooper v. United States, 282 F.2d 527, 6 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5624, 1960 U.S. App. LEXIS 3727 (9th Cir. 1960).

Opinion

FOLEY, District Judge.

Appellant, hereinafter referred to as defendant, was indicted in the Southern District of California under the false statement statute, 18 U.S.C.A. § 1001. 1

The indictment charged that:

“On or about the 27th day of March, 1956, defendant Bruce Cooper did wilfully and knowingly make and cause to be made false and fraudulent statements and representations in a matter within the jurisdiction of a department and agency of the United States by stating to Leslie Jacobs and William Flynn, special agents of the Internal Revenue Service, that he had never received any income derived from prostitution, at Los Angeles in the Southern District of California, Central Division, whereas, as he then and there well knew, he had received substantial income during the tax years *530 in question, namely, 1951, 1952, 1953 and 1954, derived from prostitution.”

The jury found “the defendant guilty as charged in the indictment.” The Court imposed a fine of $5,000 and committed the defendant to the custody of the Attorney General for the period of 18 months.

This Court has jurisdiction on appeal. 28 U.S.C.A. § 1291.

It was stipulated by counsel that if a Mrs. McManus, a reporter, were called to the witness stand and sworn on behalf of the Government she would testify in substance as follows:

“That on or about the 27th day of March, 1956, at the offices of the Internal Revenue Service at 417 South Hill Street, Los Angeles, California, the following persons were present: The defendant Bruce Cooper, his attorney Joseph T. Forno, William Flynn, Internal Revenue agent, and Leslie Jacobs, special agent;
“And that during the period they were present the following questions, among others, were asked of this defendant, to which he gave the following replies (under oath):
“Q. Have you ever been engaged in the following types of business or activities: * * *
“Q. How about prostitution or house of ill repute ?
“A. Never.
“Q. $3,000 taken from a Friday to a Monday morning from prostitution. Did you share in that ?
“A. No, I never shared in any kind of money that was derived from prostitution.”

Exhibit 1-B, containing the above questions and answers, was introduced and admitted in evidence. No contention is made that 1-B is not a correct extract taken from sworn statement of Cooper in the office of the Intelligence Division, Internal Revenue Service, 417 South Hill Street, Los Angeles, California, March 27, 1956.

Witnesses Jacobs and Flynn identified themselves as the Internal Revenue Agents who interviewed defendant Cooper on March 27, 1956. Mr. Jacobs testified that the purpose of the conference was, “It was an inquiry to determine Mr. Cooper’s tax liability.” And Mr. Flynn stated, “It was in connection with the audit made on Mr. Cooper’s income tax.” It is apparent from the testimony of Mr. Jacobs and Mr. Flynn that the questions and answers set forth in Exhibit 1-B were propounded to and given by the defendant in a matter within the jurisdiction of a department of the United States, namely, the Treasury Department, Internal Revenue Service, at and during the conference of March 27, 1956. Brandow v. United States, 9 Cir., 268 F.2d 559, 564; Cohen v. United States, 9 Cir., 201 F.2d 386, 392.

That the answers or statements given by the defendant Cooper at the conference of March 27, 1956, were false is supported by the testimony of the five female witnesses. The jury could fairly infer from the evidence that such false statements were fraudulent and were given for the purpose of defrauding the Government of revenue to which it was entitled. It is apparent from the record that the jury’s verdict is based upon substantial evidence.

Defendant complains of the denial by the District Court of his motions for dismissal of the indictment, for discovery and inspection of certain affidavits, and for a bill of particulars.

Defendant contends that the indictment is defective, and that the Court erred in denying his motion to dismiss the indictment. In United States v. Silver, 2 Cir., 235 F.2d 375, the indictment, under 18 U.S.C.A. § 1001, like that under consideration here, followed the language of the statute and was held to be fully adequate to inform the defendant of the essential facts constituting the offense.

*531 Considering indictments in the language of the statute, the Supreme Court in United States v. Debrow, 346 U.S. 374, 377, 74 S.Ct. 113, 115, 98 L.Ed. 92, held:

“The charges of the indictments followed substantially the wording of the statute, which embodies all the elements of the crime, and such charges clearly informed the defendants of that with which they were accused, so as to enable them to prepare their defense and to plead the judgment in bar of any further prosecutions for the same offense. It is inconceivable to us how the defendants could possibly be misled as to the offense with which they stood charged. The sufficiency of the indictment is not a question of whether it could have been more definite and certain. * * * ”

The motion to dismiss the indictment was properly denied.

The motion for discovery and inspection and the motion for a bill of particulars each seek access to and have photostats made of three affidavits taken March 27, 1956, by an agent of the Internal Revenue.

Paragraph I of the motion for discovery and inspection is as follows:

“Your petitioner, Bruce Cooper, hereby asks this Court to require the Attorney for the United States of America for the Southern District of California, Laughlin E. Waters, to allow your petitioner, Bruce Cooper, to have photostats made of the three affidavits in the United States Attorney’s possession. These affidavits were taken March 27, 1956 by one Harry Lockman of the Internal Revenue Department of the United States Government; said affidavits purportedly stating that money was given to your petitioner for purposes of prostitution during the period, 1951 through 1954.”

Paragraph III of said motion for discovery and inspection reads:

“Your petitioner respectfully moves under Rule 16 of the Federal Code of Criminal Procedure that this Honorable Court compel the United States Attorney to allow these affidavits to be photostated at a time and place set out by this Court:
“Rule 16 Discovery and Inspection

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Bluebook (online)
282 F.2d 527, 6 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5624, 1960 U.S. App. LEXIS 3727, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bruce-cooper-v-united-states-ca9-1960.