In Re Grand Jury Proceedings Re Lewis

384 F. Supp. 133, 1974 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6004
CourtDistrict Court, C.D. California
DecidedOctober 31, 1974
DocketMisc. 4443
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 384 F. Supp. 133 (In Re Grand Jury Proceedings Re Lewis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, C.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Grand Jury Proceedings Re Lewis, 384 F. Supp. 133, 1974 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6004 (C.D. Cal. 1974).

Opinion

FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW RE: CIVIL CONTEMPT

HAUK, District Judge.

This matter first came before the Court on October 18, 1974, on the request of the Federal Grand Jury for the Central District of California to report to the Court the failure of the witness, Will Lewis, to produce evidence before them pursuant to a Federal Grand Jury subpoena duces tecum.

The procedural record in this case shows as follows:

1. That on or about October 11, 1974, this Court issued a subpoena duces tecum directing Will Lewis to appear before the Federal Grand Jury to give testimony and to bring with him the following items:

“original copy of a communique, in the form of a letter, telegram, tape recording or other writing or recording, received by Will Lewis between October 5, 1974, and October 9, 1974, containing a certain message from the New World Liberation Front pertaining to certain bombings and threats of bombing by Units III or II of said New World Liberation Front, together with all envelopes, containers and/or wrappings in which said communique was delivered.”

2. That the above mentioned subpoena was duly served upon Will Lewis on October 11, 1974;

*135 3. That on October 15, 1974, Will Lewis appeared before the Grand Jury and refused to answer questions or turn over documents as commanded by the Grand Jury subpoena. The Foreman of the Grand Jury ordered Mr. Lewis to return at 10:00 A.M., on October 18, 1974;

4. That on October 18, 1974, the United States of America filed with the Court its ex parte application for immunity pursuant to Title 18, United States Code, Sections 6001, 6002 and 6003. Pursuant to that application, the Court ordered Will Lewis to give testimony before the Federal Grand Jury and to provide other information which he refused to give or to provide on the basis of his privilege against self-incrimination ;

5. That prior to the appearance of Will Lewis before the Federal Grand Jury on October 18, 1974, and after having received his grant of use immunity, the motion to quash filed by Mr. Lewis on October 18, 1974, was heard and denied;

6. That on October 18, 1974, after the Court denied the motion to quash, Will Lewis once again appeared before the Federal Grand Jury without bringing with him the items set forth in the subpoena and once again refused to answer various questions propounded to him on the basis of his rights under various constitutional bases including the First Amendment right to freedom of the press and the Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate himself as well as his reliance on the Attorney General’s guidelines regarding issuance of subpoenaes to news media, 28 C.F.R. § 50.10;

7. That later on October 18, 1974, after Will Lewis had concluded his appearance before the Federal Grand Jury, the Federal Grand Jury reported to this Court the witness’ failure to bring with him the items described in the subpoena and his failure to answer various questions. At that time, in open court, the United States moved for the disclosure of the Grand Jury testimony of Will Lewis of October 18, 1974, in connection with its motion that Will Lewis be held in civil contempt. The motion for disclosure was granted and the Grand Jury reporter testified from her notes as to that which transpired in the Grand Jury proceeding. The Court confirmed from the Foreman of the Grand Jury that in fact the court reporter’s transcription was correct and issued an Order to Show Cause re Civil Contempt. The parties were to file memoranda of law in support of their respective positions by October 25, 1974, with responses thereto to be filed by October 30, 1974. A hearing to determine whether or not Will Lewis should be held in contempt was to take place on October 31, 1974, at 9:30 A.M.;

8. That on October 31, 1974, the Court convened, argument was presented on behalf of the respondent Will Lewis and the United States of America and an order will be issued holding the witness in contempt and ordering the witness into the custody of the United States Marshal until such time as he purged himself of contempt by providing the items listed in the subpoena and by appearing before the Federal Grand Jury and answering their questions, or for the life of the Grand Jury.

THE COURT MAKES THE FOLLOWING FINDINGS OF FACT:

1. That the subpoena in question was served on Will Lewis on October 11, 1974, and that he read and understood the document;

2. That the items described in the subpoena exist and have been within the physical control, custody and possession of Will Lewis during the period from October 11, 1974, until and including October 31, 1974;

3. That on October 18, 1974, Will Lewis, after having been granted use immunity, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 6001 et seq., appeared before the Federal Grand Jury pursuant to the subpoena and did not bring with him the items demanded and refused to answer the *136 questions directed to him by the Assistant United States Attorney assisting the Federal Grand Jury;

4. That on October 8, 1974, Officers of the Los Angeles Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, working jointly in investigating the bombing of the Sheraton Airport Hotel, 9750 Airport Boulevard, Los Angeles, on October 5, 1974, became aware of the existence of a communique claiming responsibility for bombings which communique had been received by radio station KPFK. On that day Officers of the Los Angeles Police Department telephonieally contacted Will Lewis and discussed with him the matter of the original communique. Will Lewis refused to turn over the communique. On the same day, two Los Angeles Police Department officers arrived at the offices of KPFK and again requested the original of the communique. Lewis once again refused. At all times the agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation were aware of and were in fact participating in the attempts to obtain the original communique;

5. That on October 10, 1974, the Los Angeles Police Department executed a search warrant on radio station KPFK in an attempt to seize the communique in question. The search was unsuccessful;

6. That on October 11, 1974, agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation went to the office of the United States Attorney and pointed out that they were aware of a broadcast by KPFK at approximately 11:00 A.M., on October 8, 1974, in which the station released in typed form the entire contents of the communique in question; that the Los Angeles Police Department had been unsuccessful in attempting to obtain the original of the communique; and that a search of radio station KPFK pursuant to the search warrant had been unsuccessful. The agents indicated that negotiations to obtain the original of the communique had been unsuccessful and a Grand Jury subpoena duces tecum was requested;

7. That before the subpoena in question was issued, Paul G. Flynn, Assistant United States Attorney, called Mr. Brandon Alvey of the Criminal Division, Department of Justice, and explained to him the situation which he, Flynn, felt required the issuance of a subpoena to Will Lewis.

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