Cox v. United States

357 F. Supp. 614, 1973 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14192
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. North Carolina
DecidedApril 3, 1973
DocketNo. 1206 Civil
StatusPublished

This text of 357 F. Supp. 614 (Cox v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cox v. United States, 357 F. Supp. 614, 1973 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14192 (E.D.N.C. 1973).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION and ORDER

LARKINS, District Judge:

On July 30, 1968, Earl French Cox, Jr., appeared in person and by Mr. Louis B. Meyer, his privately retained counsel, entered a plea of guilty before this Court to a charge of robbing a Goldsboro Bank the deposits of which were insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. § 2113(d). The petitioner, and his four co-defendants, were convicted and each was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of fifteen (15) years pursuant to the provisions of Title 18 U.S. C. § 4208(a)(2). Petitioner was seventeen (17) years of age at the time of the bank robbery and at the time of his conviction.

In November, 1970, petitioner filed a motion to vacate his sentence pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255, alleging (1) that the authorization by the Assistant Attorney General to proceed against him under the adult criminal procedure rather than as a juvenile as provided by 18 U.S.C. § 5032 was unconstitutional, and (2) that the sentence imposed by the court was unlawful, made without jurisdiction, and in excess of the maximum authorized by law in that: (a) the aforesaid direction by the Assistant Attorney General was invalid; and (b) that the sentence was imposed without a finding that petitioner would not derive benefit from the provisions of 18 U.S.C. § 5010(b) or (c). Petitioner’s motion to set aside sentence was denied by this Court in an order on February 16, 1971. The petitioner appealed to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the case was remanded by order dated September 12, 1972. The Circuit Court, held that this Court should have a hearing to determine whether or not treatment under the Youth Corrections Act would be beneficial to the petitioner, Earl French Cox, Jr.

On March 5, 1973, this Court, in accordance with said order from the Court [616]*616of Appeals, conducted a hearing in Wilson, North Carolina, to determine the above issue. Petitioner was represented by Mr. Joseph Forer and Mr. Jerry Paul, his privately retained counsel. This opinion is the result of that hearing.

FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

To determine whether or not treatment under the Youth Corrections Act would be beneficial to the petitioner, Earl French Cox, Jr., this Court looks first to whether treatment under said Act would have been beneficial to the petitioner when he was sentenced on July 30, 1968. At that time it was apparent to this Court that Cox was the leader of this group of five young men although he was seventeen years of age at the time, having been born on February 23, 1951. Convicted and sentenced with the petitioner were his co-defendants: Nathan Edwards, age 19, Goldsboro, N. C.; Frederick Leon Williams, age 19, Washington, D. C.; McKinley C. Joyner, Jr., age 20, Washington, D. C.; and Carl Merritt Jones, age 21, Washington, D. C.

After hearing testimony at the original trial and at this hearing, and after a careful examination of the records and files of this case, this Court is still of the opinion that Earl French Cox, Jr., was the leader of this group. The record indicates that Cox drove Jones, Williams, and Joyner from Washington, D. C., to Raleigh, North Carolina, where Jones went to college, in a car owned by Cox’s cousin. From Raleigh the group travelled to. the home of Jones’ college roommate, Nathan Edwards, in Goldsboro, North Carolina. It was at Edwards’ home where Cox suggested to the group that they rob a bank. Acting on this suggestion, the young men travelled to a bank where Cox went in and “cheeked out” the situation. Cox returned to the car and told the group they could rob this bank. The other members of the group did not agree, so Cox asked Edwards to direct them to another bank. They then travelled to the Branch Bank and Trust Company where the armed robbery occurred. A short time later the group was arrested and the money recovered. Both the armed robbery and the arrests occurred on June 5, 1968.

At the arraignment and trial all five young men were represented by counsel. Williams and Joyner had court-appointed counsel, while Edwards, Jones, and Cox each had privately retained counsel. James G. Akers of the F.B.I. testified for the government at the trial and was cross-examined. Petitioner’s attorney, Mr. Meyer, did not cross-examine the government’s witness. While Mrs. Rosa Edwards testified for her son, Nathan Edwards, and Felicia Hope Jones testified and presented character letters for her son, Carl Jones, there was no testimony on behalf of the petitioner regarding mitigation of sentence. Before sentencing petitioner stated to the Court that he felt that the crime he committed was “entirely wrong” and expressed his desire to be a “proper citizen” when he returned to society. Petitioner’s counsel, a distinguished member of the North Carolina Bar, requested that petitioner be sentenced under the Federal Youth Corrections Act because of his age, attitude, and intelligence. At that time the Court considered this request and implicitly found it would do no good. All five defendants were sentenced to fifteen (15) years imprisonment pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 4208(a)(2) thus becoming eligible for parole at such time as the Board of Parole may determine. It should be remembered that petitioner could have received the maximum sentence of twenty-five (25) years imprisonment and a $10,000 fine, therefore the sentence being served is a lenient one.

After petitioner pleaded guilty, a presentence report dated July 24, 1968, was submitted to aid this Court in determining the sentence to be imposed upon the petitioner. The pre-sentence report re-[617]*617fleeted that Cox had pending against him at the time the following charges:

“12-8-67 Housebreaking (commercial) — Circuit Court— Montgomery County— Rockville, Maryland— Pending.
4-7-68 Unauthorized Use of Vehicle — Juvenile Court— Washington, D. C., Pending.
4-16-68 Simple Assault — -Juvenile Court — Washington, D. C., Pending.
4-25-68 Unauthorized Use of Vehicle — Juvenile Court— Washington, D. C., Pending.
4-26-68 Petty Larceny (auto tags) - — Juvenile Court — Washington, D. C., Pending.
4-30-68 Robbery (armed holdup of a bus driver) — Juvenile Court — Washington, D. C., Pending.”
Pre-Sentence Report on Earl French Cox, Jr., July 24,1968, page 2.

The report further indicated that petitioner falsified his age, indicating that he was an adult, to arresting officers in the Rockville, Maryland, case. He also lied as to his age to the motor vehicle department where he obtained a District of Columbia driver’s license. The report noted that petitioner had an extremely antisocial attitude and a poor work record. It reveals that a reliable confidential source felt that Cox was the leader and instigator of this offense and was in need of incarceration in an institution at the time of the report.

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357 F. Supp. 614, 1973 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14192, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cox-v-united-states-nced-1973.