In re the Extradition of Singh

124 F.R.D. 571, 1987 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15964, 1987 WL 49802
District Court, D. New Jersey·Decided November 2, 1987·No. Nos. 87-6160G-01, 87-6161G-01·Published·Cited by 9 cases

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

RONALD J. HEDGES, United States Magistrate.

INTRODUCTION

Defendants Suhkminder Singh and Ranjit Singh Gill, by Notice of Motion filed September 16, 1987, have again moved to compel certain discovery. The Court has considered their motion papers, together with the Government’s letter brief in opposition dated September 26, 1987. Oral argument was conducted on October 26, 1987.

DISCUSSION

Defendants reargue certain of their earlier requests for discovery which were denied by Letter-Order filed July 31, 1987. See Opinion filed September 1, 1987; Supplemental Opinion filed September 11, 1987.1 The Court remains satisfied that it has correctly addressed the requests again in issue. Accordingly, the pending motion warrants only limited discussion.

First, defendants seek to depose all eyewitnesses. They offer the following:

As discussed earlier, the reliability and credibility of the government’s witnesses are legitimate areas of inquiry. It is completely proper to introduce evidence which would rebut or obliterate probable cause by showing that witnesses had been induced or threatened into cooperating, or that the government had suggested testimony or otherwise induced the witness to make false or misleading statements. See, e.g., Republic of France, 617 F.Supp. at 781-784. While the government does not have to produce its witnesses for cross-examination, the defense must be given a reasonable opportunity to present other evidence which destroys the reliability of the government’s affidavits.
The reliability of the photographic identifications is also subject to challenge. This Court previously held that the facts and circumstances surrounding the identifications were not discoverable, as they were not ‘explanatory’ and were not properly presented in a preliminary examination. Opinion, at 19-20. Neither argument withstands scrutiny. [Paragraphs 32 and 33, Affirmation of Ronald L. Kuby].

The short answers to this request are that defendants may not attack an affiant’s credibility in this extradition proceeding, see Opinion filed September 1, 1987 at 3, and that such broad discovery would convert this proceeding into a full scale trial. See Opinion filed September 1, 1987 at 3-4, 17. Government’s letter brief in opposition at 2. Nor do the decisions cited by defendants support their position.

In Republic of France v. Moghadam, 617 F.Supp. 777 (N.D.Ca.1985), the court discussed the existence of probable cause as follows:

Extradition hearings under 18 U.S.C. § 3184 are in the nature of a preliminary hearing where the magistrate need only determine if there is probable cause which justifies the holding of the accused to answer to a charge. Charlton v. Kelly, 229 U.S. 447, 460, 33 S.Ct. 945, 949, 57 L.Ed. 1274 (1913); Sayne v. Shipley, 418 F.2d 679, 685 (5th Cir.1969), cert. denied, 398 U.S. 903, 90 S.Ct. 1688, 26 L.Ed.2d 61 (1970).
There is no uniform rule by which to determine how much evidence the court should hear. Charlton, 229 U.S. at 461, 33 S.Ct. at 949. Therefore the scope of evidence admitted is left to the sound discretion of the court guided by the distinction between contradictory and explanatory evidence set out below. Hook[573]*573er v. Klein, 573 F.2d 1360, 1369 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 439 U.S. 932, 99 S.Ct. 323, 58 L.Ed.2d 327 (1978).
Because of the narrow scope of the extradition hearing, the accused cannot introduce evidence which would be admissible at trial on the issue of guilt, but can introduce evidence rebutting probable cause. While the accused may produce evidence to explain matters, the court may exclude evidence which merely contradicts government testimony, poses conflicts of credibility or establishes a defense. See Collins v. Loisel, 259 U.S. 309, 315-16, 42 S.Ct. 469, 471-72, 66 L.Ed. 956 (1922) (permissible evidence is that ‘which might have explained ambiguities or doubtful elements in the prima facie case ... ’ and excludable evidence is that relating strictly to the defense.); Hooker v. Klein, 573 F.2d at 1369 (‘evidence of facts contradicting the demanding country’s proof or establishing a defense may properly be excluded.’); Matter of Sindona, 450 F.Supp. 672, 685 (S.D.N.Y.1978) (‘the accused has no right to introduce evidence which merely contradicts the demanding country’s proof, or which only poses conflicts of credibility’).
Courts have struggled to clarify the distinction. In Sindona, 450 F.Supp. at 685, the court stated that explanatory evidence is ‘reasonably clear-cut proof which would be of limited scope and have some reasonable chance of negating a showing of probable cause____ The decisions are emphatic that the extraditee cannot be allowed to turn the extradition hearing into a full trial on the merits.’ Shapiro v. Ferrandina, 355 F.Supp. 563, 572 (S.D.N.Y.) modified and affirmed, 478 F.2d 894 (2d Cir.) cert. diss’d, 414 U.S. 884, 94 S.Ct. 204, 38 L.Ed.2d 133 (1973) held that the magistrate should permit evidence that ‘tends to obliterate probable cause ... but not what merely contradicts it. The improbability or the vagueness of testimony may destroy the probability of guilt, but the tendering of witnesses who testify to an opposite version of the facts does not.’
The probable cause standard applicable in extradition proceedings is defined under Federal law. Sindona v. Grant, 619 F.2d 167, 175 (2d Cir.1980). Defendant argues that the government has not met the federal probable cause standard which requires ‘evidence sufficient to cause a person of ordinary prudence and caution to conscientiously entertain a reasonable belief of the accused’s guilt.’ Coleman v. Burnett, 477 F.2d 1187, 1202 (D.C.Cir.1973). Moghadam relies principally on the existence of the recantation letter as obliterating probable cause. In addition he stresses the conduct of law enforcement officials in this country, especially what he considers to be overreaching on the part of the United States government in seeking extradition to France.
The most significant aspect of the probable cause determination is Custer’s recantation letter which was later withdrawn. In Application of D’Amico, 185 F.Supp. 925, 930 (S.D.N.Y.1960), appeal diss’d sub nom. United States ex rel D’Amico v. Bishopp, 286 F.2d 320 (2d Cir.), cert. denied sub nom. Farace v. D’Amico, 366 U.S. 963, 81 S.Ct. 1924, 6 L.Ed.2d 1254 (1961) the court considered the fact that testimony against the defendant was recanted by the witness.

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In re the Extradition of Singh, 124 F.R.D. 571, 1987 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15964, 1987 WL 49802 (D.N.J. 1987).

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