In Re Grand Jury Subpoenas Addressed to Patriarca

396 F. Supp. 859, 1975 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12742
CourtDistrict Court, D. Rhode Island
DecidedApril 22, 1975
DocketMisc. 75-57 to 75-64, 75-69, 75-70, 75-83 to 75-86
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 396 F. Supp. 859 (In Re Grand Jury Subpoenas Addressed to Patriarca) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Rhode Island 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 Subpoenas Addressed to Patriarca, 396 F. Supp. 859, 1975 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12742 (D.R.I. 1975).

Opinion

OPINION

DAY, District Judge.

This matter is presently before the Court on motions to quash eighteen grand jury subpoenas 1 which were is *861 sued by the Clerk of this Court pursuant to applications filed on behalf of the United States of America by S. Michael Levin, a “special attorney”, so-called, appointed and employed under the auspices of the United States Department of Justice. 2 The instant motions to quash essentially constitute a challenge to Mr. Levin’s legal authority to apply for the issuance of the grand jury subpoenas in question. 3 Specifically, each of the eighteen movants has posited the following allegations in support of his respective motion to quash:

(1) Mr. Levin’s commission as a special attorney should be considered null and void ab initio insofar as it was not executed by an appropriate government official authorized to make such an appointment.
(2) The procedures employed by the Department of Justice which culminated in Mr. Levin’s appointment as a special attorney did not conform to the statutory requirements set forth in section 515(a) of Title 28 of the United States Code. 4
(3) The purview of Mr. Levin’s scope of authority, as it is designated in his letter of appointment, is such as to preclude and prohibit his participation, in any manner whatsoever, in grand jury investigations such as the one in the case at bar.

In addition to the aforementioned allegations directed at Mr. Levin’s scope of authority, or lack thereof, the movants, with the sole exception of the movant Patriarca, have proffered the following somewhat less than substantive arguments in support of their instant motions to quash. Specifically, said movants contend that the subpoenas in question should be quashed insofar as—

1. Said subpoenas do not “entitle the proceeding”.
2. Said subpoenas are addressed to potential target defendants.

The Government has, on behalf of Mr. Levin, denied the validity of each of the aforementiond claims and has, in addition, submitted the further argument that the movants have no standing to prosecute the instant motions.

*862 Consideration of the merits of these arguments follows immediately below.

I. STANDING OF THE MOVANTS

As previously mentioned, the Government contends that the movants lack the requisite standing to successfully maintain the instant motions. The Government has cited the Supreme Court’s decision in the United States v. Calandra, 414 U.S. 338, 94 S.Ct. 613, 38 L.Ed.2d 561 (1974) 5 and the First Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision in In re Mintzer, 511 F.2d 471 (1st Cir. decided December 26, 1974), as ease law supportive of the contention that the movants lack the standing to seek an order quashing the grand jury subpoenas in question.

It is this Court’s considered opinion that the Government’s contention that the movants lack the requisite standing to prosecute the instant motions to quash is without merit. This is not a case where a suppression of allegedly illegally obtained evidence is sought. 6

Most certainly, this Court recognizes that—

“ ‘[cjitizens generally are not constitutionally immune from grand jury subpoenas . . .’ and that ‘the longstanding principle that “the public . has a right to every man’s evidence” ... is particularly applicable to grand jury proceedings.’ ” United States v. Calandra, supra, 414 U.S. at p. 345, 94 S.Ct. at p. 618.

Additionally, this Court acknowledges the need to avoid undue interference with, and delay of, grand jury deliberations. Accordingly, this Court adopts the conclusion set forth in the Calandra decision that a prospective witness is generally not—

“entitled ‘to challenge the authority of the court or of the grand jury’ or ‘to set limits to the investigation that the *863 grand jury may conduct.’ ” supra, at p. 345, 94 S.Ct. at p. 619.

It must be noted, however, that unauthorized parties cannot, and should not, be permitted to compel the attendance of prospective witnesses before a federal grand jury. Motions to quash grand jury subpoenas which have been issued pursuant to applications filed by an allegedly unauthorized Government official cannot, therefore, be considered premature. Parties who seek a court order quashing federal grand jury subpoenas which have allegedly been issued on the application of an unauthorized government official clearly have the requisite standing to file, argue and maintain their respective motions to quash.

II. MR. LEVIN’S AUTHORITY TO APPLY FOR THE ISSUANCE OF THE GRAND JURY SUBPOENAS IN QUESTION

Resolution of the inquiry as to whether or not Mr. Levin has lawfully been empowered with the authority to apply for the issuance of the grand jury subpoenas in question, of necessity, involves an analysis of the following three relevant questions:

1. Was Richard G. Kleindienst properly authorized to appoint Mr. Levin as a special attorney ?
2. Does Mr. Levin’s letter of appointment of May 20, 1971, satisfy the “specificity” requirements set forth in section 515(a) of Title 28 of the United States Code?
3. Does the alleged violation of federal law currently under investigation by the grand jury, and concerning which the movants were subpoenaed to testify, fall within the purview of Mr. Levin’s scope of authority as it is designated in his May 20, 1971 letter of appointment?

A. Mr. Kleindienst’s Appointment Powers

As previously mentioned, the movants contend that Deputy Attorney General Kleindienst was not, on May 20, 1971, authorized to appoint Mr. Levin as a special attorney. Specifically, the movants contend that the Attorney General of the United States had, on May 20, 1971, the exclusive and sole authority to appoint Mr. Levin as a special attorney. See section 515(a); Cf. United States v. Giordano, 416 U.S. 505, 94 S.Ct. 1820, 40 L.Ed.2d 341 (1974); United States v. Robinson, 359 F.Supp. 52 (S.D.Fla. 1973); United States v. Baldassari, 338 F.Supp. 904 (M.D.Pa.1972).

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Bluebook (online)
396 F. Supp. 859, 1975 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12742, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-grand-jury-subpoenas-addressed-to-patriarca-rid-1975.