Hook v. Berkemer

606 F. Supp. 73, 1984 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22193
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Ohio
DecidedNovember 6, 1984
DocketNo. C-2-83-2269
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 606 F. Supp. 73 (Hook v. Berkemer) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hook v. Berkemer, 606 F. Supp. 73, 1984 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22193 (S.D. Ohio 1984).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

DUNCAN, District Judge.

Petitioner Frank L. Hook brings this action for a writ of habeas corpus pursuant to the provisions of 28 U.S.C. § 2254. This matter is before the Court on the petition, return of writ and supplement thereto, the petitioner’s traverse and the supplement thereto, and the exhibits of the parties, including the transcript of proceedings in State v. Hook, et al, No. 82-CR-05-1645A (Ohio C.P. Franklin Co. 1982).

Petitioner was indicted by the Franklin County, Ohio Grand Jury on May 12,1982.1 The indictment charged petitioner with one count of operating a gambling house in violation of R.C. 2915.03 and two counts of gambling in violation of R.C. 2915.02. Petitioner entered pleas of not guilty to the charges. The case was tried to a jury, which found him guilty of operating a gambling house in violation of R.C. 2915.03 and guilty of gambling in violation of R.C. 2915.02. A not guilty verdict was rendered on the remaining gambling charge. Petitioner was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of two to five years and a fine of $5,000.2 The sentence was suspended upon the condition that petitioner serve a 90-day term in the Franklin County Corrections Center and be placed on probation for a period of five years. Petitioner’s sentence was stayed pending appeals, and as of this date he has not yet served the sentence imposed.

Petitioner’s conviction was affirmed on appeal to the Ohio Court of Appeals, Tenth Appellate District. State v. Hook, No. 83-AP-71 (App.Ct. Franklin Co., Sept. 15, 1983). The Supreme Court of Ohio denied a motion for leave to appeal.

The habeas petition alleges that petitioner’s conviction was obtained in violation of the United States Constitution on the following grounds:

1. Where a sworn trial juror, in the presence of the rest of the jury, states that Petitioner looks like a criminal and questions why the criminals are permitted to enter through the front door of the courtroom, the trial court should, upon proper motion, conduct inquiry of trial jurors to determine what effect, if any, such prejudicial comments had on their ability to remain fair and impartial toward Petitioner; and where the trial court refuses to conduct such inquiry, Petitioner’s right to a fair trial and due process of law as guaranteed by the federal and state constitutions is violated.
2. Where during trial defense counsel discovers that the prosecution intentionally failed to disclose critical impeachment evidence concerning a key prosecution witness, despite timely and specific motions for discovery, pursuant to Rule 16 and Brady v. Maryland, the trial court should, upon proper motion, provide for an appropriate sanction or, alternatively, permit a short continuance; and where the trial court rejects such motion, Petitioner’s right to a fair trial and due process of law as guaranteed by the federal and state constitutions is violated.

Petitioner has fully exhausted his habeas claims as required by 28 U.S.C. § 2254(b), (c).

I

Briefly summarized, the testimony presented at trial shows that, in August of [76]*761981, the Columbus Police Department began an investigation into the possible gambling activities of defendants. Residences at 6547 Sawmill Road and 240 Odessa, in Dublin, Ohio, were placed under surveillance. A survey of the trash retrieved revealed sports schedules, mailing labels, envelopes, and bills addressed to petitioner Hook. On January 10, 1982, both premises were searched pursuant to warrants.

In executing the warrant for 6547 Sawmill Road, the officers were required to forcibly enter the premises. They also encountered two locked metal doors, one leading to the basement, the other in the basement leading to the room the officers intended to search. Three of the defendants, not including petitioner, were found in the locked basement room. Six telephones in the room had been destroyed by an axe. Sports schedules, water soluble paper, a telephone credit card bearing the name of Francis Tanner, and an Ohio Bell envelope sent to Francis Tanner at that address were found. The room was smoke-filled, and there were charred papers inside a sump pump. Partially dissolved paper was retrieved from a large aquarium in the room.

The Sawmill Road premises were served by five telephone lines, four of which bore consecutive numbers. This equipment was registered in the name of Francis Tanner, who was subsequently identified as petitioner Frank Hook. At trial, a number of witnesses testified to placing sports bets by calling 889-2900, one of the numbers in operation at the Sawmill Road residence. Furthermore, although petitioner had moved out of the Sawmill Road residence in 1978, he continued to pay rent for the premises.

At the 240 Odessa address, police confronted petitioner Hook handing money and a check to one of his daughters. The check was made out to cash for $4,416 and was signed by Lew Shore. Lew Shore testified that the check recovered at the Odessa address had been meant to cover his gambling debts with defendant Hook.

II

Because the Court reaches different conclusions as to the merits of petitioner’s claims, the Court will discuss those claims in reverse order.

In his second claim, petitioner contends that he was denied due process of law by the prosecutor’s failure to disclose allegedly vital impeachment evidence concerning an important government witness and by the trial court’s failure to grant a mistrial or a continuance, or to impose sanctions for the prosecutor’s alleged misconduct.

In Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 83 S.Ct. 1194, 10 L.Ed.2d 215 (1960) the Supreme Court stated that

the suppression by the prosecution of evidence favorable to an accused upon request violates due process where the evidence is material either to guilt or punishment, irrespective of the good faith or bad faith of the prosecution.

Id. at 87, 83 S.Ct. at 1196. Evidence favorable to an accused includes material which might be used to impeach a government witness. Giles v. Maryland, 386 U.S. 66, 87 S.Ct. 793, 17 L.Ed.2d 737 (1967); United States v. Sweeney, 688 F.2d 1131 (7th Cir.1982). In order to establish a breach of the Brady doctrine, petitioner must establish: (1) that the prosecution in fact suppressed the evidence; (2) that the evidence bears favorably on the defense at trial; and (3) that the evidence was material to the question of guilt or innocence. Moore v. Illinois, 408 U.S. 786, 794-95, 92 S.Ct. 2562, 2567-68, 33 L.Ed.2d 706 (1972). When a specific request for the evidence has been made, as in this case, the standard of materiality of whether the evidence, if disclosed, “might have affected the outcome of the trial.” United States v. Agurs, 427 U.S. 97, 96 S.Ct.

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Bluebook (online)
606 F. Supp. 73, 1984 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22193, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hook-v-berkemer-ohsd-1984.