Imperial Meat Co. v. United States

316 F.2d 435
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
DecidedApril 22, 1963
DocketNos. 7119-7121
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 316 F.2d 435 (Imperial Meat Co. v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Imperial Meat Co. v. United States, 316 F.2d 435 (10th Cir. 1963).

Opinion

SETH, Circuit Judge.

The appellants were jointly charged in an eighteen count indictment for making false claims to a supply agency of the United States Department of the Army in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. § 287. The defendant corporation was a supplier of boneless beef to the Army, and the claims involved were for payment for meat so supplied. The defendant Landers was an officer of this corporation and defendant Bethley was an employee. Appellants were tried by a jury in a trial that lasted several weeks, were convicted on all counts, and here appeal.

The appellants’ first point is that several of the Government’s witnesses used written reports “in aid of their testimony” and the court erred in refusing to strike this testimony. These witnesses were in charge of teams of inspectors -who examined shipments of meat at various destinations. A certain percentage of the cases would be opened and the individual cuts were examined for grade stamps and for evidence of the removal or absence of grade stamps. The witnesses in each instance directed the work and compiled the report. They testified that they themselves found and saw substandard cuts of meat and cuts bearing no grade stamps or an indication that a stamp had been cut off. The witnesses in most instances identified photographs of such cuts.

The reports prepared by the witnesses were to their superior officers and were compilations of notations made by the team members as to the number of boxes opened, number of cuts of meat in each box, and numbers of sub-standard or non-stamped items. These reports were in the witnesses’ possession at the time they testified and were not offered in evidence. The appellant urges that the witnesses used these reports for purposes beyond refreshing their recollections. The question whether the reports were being used to refresh the witnesses’ recollection or for some other purpose was carefully considered by the trial judge in each instance. For example, as to the witness Marshall, the court said: “We want to know whether the witness is relying upon the report or upon his memory refreshed from the report * * * ” The appellant conducted a voir dire in all but two instances on this point and in all instances the cross-examination was lengthy, searching, and tested this point. On direct examination the witnesses made it clear that the reports were used to refresh their recollection. In several instances the witnesses stated they could not remember the dates, the number of cuts in a box, or the number of boxes examined without reference to the report. Their memories were however clear as to sub-standard cuts found and seen by them during the inspection.

The appellants in most instances made no objection to the use by the witnesses of the reports until cross-examination and then moved to strike the testimony. These motions, with the exception of the [438]*438witness Tomayko, were directed to all the testimony without attempting to distinguish whether it was from recollection refreshed or whether it referred to dates and numbers. The appellants as to several of the witnesses on cross-examination asked them to examine their reports or to read from their reports as to certain matters. As to the witness Tomayko the motion to strike mentioned that the witness could not distinguish between the matters as to which his recollection was refreshed and as to others. However there was no voir dire by appellants and no objection was made during direct examination. As to this witness the appellants asked the witness specifically to “read them off,” referring to items in the witness’ report.

It was incumbent upon the trial judge to satisfy himself as to whether the witness was using the reports to refresh his recollection or not. The record shows that the trial judge carefully considered this matter, and his determination should be accepted by the appellate court under the circumstances presented here. In United States v. Riccardi, 174 F.2d 883 (3d Cir.), the court stated that the burden was on the trial judge to so satisfy himself and on these matters, in the reception of evidence much depends on the discretion of the trial judge. The distinction between past recollection recorded and present recollection refreshed or revived by a writing or some other device is well considered in the Riccardi case and also in Delaney v. United States, 77 F.2d 916 (3d Cir.), in Jewett v. United States, 15 F.2d 955 (9th Cir.), and need not be here further discussed.

The testimony of the witnesses in the record before us as to this point on direct examination and on the extensive cross-examination shows that the standards set out in the authorities have been met. The trial judge with his opportunity to observe the witnesses in their use of the reports during their testimony, and in otherwise evaluating their responses on voir dire concluded that the use was proper, and with this we agree. As to the matters of dates of inspections, numbers of cuts examined, numbers of cases and similar items, even if these are material matters and even if the witnesses did not recall these in detail the appellants cannot here object to the trial court’s rulings by reason of their failure to properly object. Thus the trial court’s rulings on the use of the reports were correct.

The second point urged by appellants is that the trial court erred in admitting records of a corporation which supplied meat to defendant Imperial Meat Company, and also in admitting this defendant’s records. These were offered by the Government to prove that the defendant corporation had for the period in question not purchased enough choice grade meat to fulfill the Government contracts and consequently must have used some inferior grade meat. This has been described as the prosecution’s “net worth” proof, although this is not an entirely accurate description. Appellant objects mainly that all of the records of meat purchases by the defendant corporation were not offered and that the seller’s records did not show grade.

These records of defendant corporation were produced pursuant to a subpoena which required production of al! documents. The court refused the several initial offers of these records until a. better foundation had been laid; extensive examination and re-examination of' the witness were had. The trial court inquired closely as to whether all defendant’s invoices were offered. A witness, an F.B.I. accountant, had examined these records at defendant’s place of business before the trial and testified that not. all the invoices he had previously inspected were now offered and stated which were missing. After further voir dire the invoices were admitted, and the judge remarked that the discrepancy between those previously examined by the witness and those offered “ * * * doesn’t appear to the court to be of such a magnitude as to effect the admissibility on that ground.” He also noted that the subpoena had required defendant to produce all these invoices. There were oth[439]*439er records of defendant’s receipt of meat shipments introduced in addition to the above invoices. There was no error in admitting defendant corporation’s invoices.

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Bluebook (online)
316 F.2d 435, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/imperial-meat-co-v-united-states-ca10-1963.