In Re Lewis

377 F. Supp. 297, 1974 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7938
CourtDistrict Court, C.D. California
DecidedJune 24, 1974
DocketMisc. 4281
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 377 F. Supp. 297 (In 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 Lewis, 377 F. Supp. 297, 1974 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7938 (C.D. Cal. 1974).

Opinion

FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW FOR CIVIL CONTEMPT

HAUK, District Judge.

This matter came before the Court on June 19, 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 June 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 received of a communique from the Weather Underground, entitled same, consisting of three pages dated May 31, 1974 and envelope received therein; and the original of the tape recording which station KPFK played at about noon on June 7, 1974 on its station, purporting to be a message to the public from Patricia Hearst, Emily Harris and William Harris/’

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

3. That on June 12, 1974, before any appearance of the witness, Will Lewis, before the Grand Jury, Will Lewis caused to be filed a Motion to Quash the subpoena which motion was denied by the Court without prejudice to the witness, Will Lewis.

4. That on June 12, 1974, after the above described proceedings, Will Lewis appeared before the Federal Grand Jury without bringing with him the items set out in the subpoena duces tecum and at that time 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.

5. That on June 12, 1974, after Will Lewis had concluded his appearance before the Grand Jury, the Grand Jury re *299 ported to this Court the witness’ failure to bring with him the items described in the subpoena duces tecum and his failure to answer various questions. At that time, in open court, the Court set June 17, 1974 as the date upon which a hearing to determine whether or not Will Lewis should be held in contempt would take place, and ordered the parties to file appropriate pleadings and memoranda of law.

6. On June 17, 1974, the witness having filed a Supplemental Memorandum of Points and Authorities in Support of Motion to Quash Subpoena Duces Tecum and the Government having filed its Motion for Citation of Contempt and Opposition to Motion to Quash Subpoena, the Court convened and denied the Motion to Quash on its merits and on the Government’s Application for Immunity supported by the necessary Affidavits issued an order that the witness give testimony before the Federal Grand Jury and further granted the witness, Will Lewis, use immunity as to his testimony. The Court then ordered the witness to appear on June 19, 1974 before the Federal Grand Jury to give testimony and to bring with him the items described in the subpoena duces tecum issued on June 11, 1974.

7. On June 19, 1974 the Government filed with the Court its Supplemental Memorandum, and the witness appeared before the Federal Grand Jury without bringing with him the items described in the subpoena and refused to give the testimony as ordered. The Federal Grand Jury reported the above contempt to the Court on this same date and a hearing was held on the Motion of the Government for a Citation of Contempt in which the court reporter for the Federal Grand Jury read the proceedings before the Federal Grand Jury, argument was presented on behalf of the witness and an order was issued holding the witness in contempt and ordering the witness to 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.

THIS COURT MAKES THE FOLLOWING FINDINGS OF FACT

1. That the subpoena in question was served on Will Lewis on June 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 and custody and possession of Will Lewis during the period June 11, 1974 until and including June 19, 1974;

3. That on June 19, 1974 Will Lewis appeared before the Federal Grand Jury pursuant to the subpoena and did not bring with him the items demanded and refused to answer the questions directed to him by the Assistant United States Attorney assisting the Federal Grand Jury;

4. That on May 31, 1974 Special Agent Kayleen Drissell of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) went to radio station KPFK, Los Angeles, California, in response to a telephone message from that station’s personnel in which they had informed the agent that they had received a letter from the Weather Underground Group in which letter this organization claimed responsibility for the bombing of the California State Attorney General’s Office which bombing had taken place at approximately 2:30 a. m. on that date.

Special Agent Drissell was informed by Will Lewis, Station Manager, that he would not be willing to supply the original letter itself, on the grounds that such refusal was justified in order to protect the confidentiality of the source of the information.

5. That on June 7, 1974 at approximately 6:30 a. m. an employee at radio station KPFK received a telephone call from an anonymous individual stating that a tape recording from Patricia Hearst had been placed behind a mattress at the rear of the station. The caller stated that the recording was in a *300 manilla envelope and directed that it be played over the air. The tape was played on the radio station at approximately 12:00 noon on that date.

6. That on June 7, 1974 at approximately 10:00 a. m. Special Agent John Morrison of the FBI received a phone message in which it was stated that local radio station KPFK had in its possession a tape recording from the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) and that as a consequence of this call, Special Agent Raymond Spruill went to such station at approximately 11:45 a. m. on the same date and interviewed Will Lewis who refused to turn over the original tape and the manilla envelope in which it was received and refused to answer questions regarding the receipt by the station of the original tape. A copy of the tape was given to the agent by Mr. Will Lewis.

7. That on June 7, 1974 Special Agents Paul Chamberlain and John Keller of the FBI went to radio station KPFK and interviewed Mr. Will Lewis and his attorney, David Finkel, at approximately 1:00 p. m. Mr. Finkel stated that he might recommend to Mr. Lewis that the station furnish the necessary information to the FBI, if they could be assured that the original tape would never be subpoenaed. Chamberlain advised Mr. Lewis that he was not in a position to comment as to whether or not the tape would ever be subpoenaed by the government. Mr. Lewis refused to turn over the tape or to answer questions about the tapes.

8. During the period from June 7 until June 19, 1974 neither Special Agents James McCauley, Paul Chamberlain, or Assistant United States Attorney Arthur W. Vance, Jr.

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377 F. Supp. 297, 1974 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7938, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-lewis-cacd-1974.