In re Trials of Pending & Future Criminal Cases

306 F. Supp. 333, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8785
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Illinois
DecidedNovember 13, 1969
DocketNo. 69 C 2339
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 306 F. Supp. 333 (In re Trials of Pending & Future Criminal Cases) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Trials of Pending & Future Criminal Cases, 306 F. Supp. 333, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8785 (N.D. Ill. 1969).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

Petitioners, Sam Adam, Robert S. Bailey, William A. Barnett, Herbert Barsy, Daniel A. Becco, Charles A. Bellows, Jason E. Bellows, Harry J. Busch, Edward J. Calihan, George F. Callaghan, Kermit Coleman, George B. Collins, Chauncey Eskridge, Joseph T. Garlovsky, Anna R. Lavin, Melvin B. Lewis, Sherman C. Magidson, William J. Martin, Fleetwood M. McCoy, John J. Muldoon, Frank W. Oliver, George C. Pontikes, Jerome Rotenberg, Howard T. Savage, Mark L. Schwartzman, Julius L. Sherwin, Harvey M. Silets, Raymond J. Smith, William J. Stevens, Patrick A. Tuite, Carl M. Walsh, Gerald M. Werksman, Edward A. Williams, JoAnne F. Wolfson and Warren D. Wolfson, attorneys who state they practice before this court and engage in defense of criminal cases, lodged with the Chief Judge on November 6, 1969 a petition which in an attached motion they requested be considered by the Executive Committee of this court. Upon receipt by the Executive Committee the said petition was ordered filed and was considered by this Committee on November 7,1969.

Essentially the petition states that the above listed attorneys are concerned that their cases are likely to be affected by “extraordinary events”, which they attribute to the trial of the case of United States of America v. David Dellinger et al, 69 CR 180. The petition has no prayer for specific relief, but the petitioners request that the court “adopt measures to guarantee the impartial conduct of criminal trials before the courts in this district and to insure public confidence in the conduct of those trials.” In the press and on radio and television in this District on November 6, 1969, and in violation of the Canons of Professional Ethics, the designated spokesman for the group, one Frank W. Oliver, became more specific and demanded of the court postponement of all criminal cases pending in this District until the conclusion of United States v. Dellinger.

Though most inartfully drafted, the petition seems to express concern over two not necessarily related circumstances which petitioners allege are “extraordinary”. Those two are, (1) certain proceedings in United States v. Del-linger and (2) the security measures necessarily adopted in and around this Courthouse to protect against continuous bombing threats. We shall discuss each.

1. THE DELLINGER CASE

Petitioners cite a number of events alleged to have occurred during the trial and suggest that these events have created an atmosphere somehow remotely not conducive to fair and impartial deliberations by jurors in other cas[335]*335es. As examples of the so-called “atmosphere”, the petitioners point out that frequent protests and demonstrations have been conducted in the immediate vicinity of the Courthouse, “by persons who sympathize with the defendants in the case” and that “some demonstrations have included highly publicized utterances recommending revolution against the government of the United States”. This court is fully aware of the nature of the demonstrations, many of which have been promoted and attended by defendants in the Dellinger case. We believe, however, that this court, while permitting those defendants and their sympathizers to exercise their constitutionally guaranteed rights to protest, has also carefully and adequately protected the rights of all persons being tried in this Courthouse. Indeed there have been no objections to these demonstrations noted in the many other criminal and civil cases that have been tried during this period. This is undoubtedly due to the fact that this court has continuously obeyed all of the directives of the Supreme Court and of the Judicial Conference of the United States concerning a fair and impartial atmosphere for the conduct of criminal proceedings. (See Rule 34, General Rules of this Court; Rules 1.07, 1.08 and 1.09, Local Criminal Rules; See General Order, regarding picketing, parading and demonstrations, entered February 12, 1965. See also, Sheppard v. Maxwell, 384 U.S. 333, 86 S.Ct. 1507, 16 L.Ed.2d 600 (1966), and “Report of the Committee on the Operation of the Jury System on the Free Press-Fair Trial Issue”, adopted by the Judicial Conference of the United States, September 19, 1968). This Committee on behalf of the court here finds that nothing in any demonstration to date has been in any way disruptive of the orderly judicial process of any proceedings within this Courthouse.

Petitioners also refer to certain events . which have occurred in the courtroom during the trial of United States v. Dellinger and suggest that these events may affect other trials. For example, petitioners point out that it was necessary at one point in the proceedings for the court to order one of the defendants forcibly restrained so that he would not, “interrupt the proceedings by attempting to defend himself”. This suggestion is totally and irresponsibly inaccurate and unworthy of any member of the bar of this court insofar as it suggests that the restraining of the defendant was necessary because he “attempted to defend himself” instead of correctly noting that it was necessary because of the outrageous character of his conduct at the trial. In Seale v. Hoffman, D.C., 306 F.Supp. 330 (Nov. 5, 1969) a case decided by written opinion before this petition was filed, Judge Edwin A. Robson of this court fully discussed the circumstances surrounding the restraining of the defendant in the Dellinger case. As it is obvious the petitioners here have not read Judge Robson’s thorough and accurate opinion we quote at length from that opinion for their benefit:

“The complaint also alleges that Seale’s constitutional rights were violated by forceable gagging and handcuffing on October 30, 1969, and October 31, 1969. The complaint further alleges that while such restraints were terminated by direction of the trial judge on November 3, 1969, physical restraints are a continuing threat to him. The record reflects that these measures were invoked by the trial judge only after Seale had caused numerous disruptions of the Dellinger trial over a five-week period. The record discloses numerous contemptuous outbursts by Seale, often villifying the judge with derogatory and abusive name-calling. The record also indicates that these outbursts necessitated the removal of the jury and the suspension and delay of the trial proceedings.2 On each of these occasions the trial judge admonished Seale to refrain from such outbursts. While a defendant in a criminal case has an absolute right to be present during his trial, he does not have a right to brazenly make a shambles of [336]*336the criminal judicial process and attempt to force a mistrial. The Seventh Circuit has recently ruled that a trial judge may restrain disruptive and disrespectful conduct by whatever means necessary, even if those means include -physical restraints and gagging. United States ex rel. Allen v. State of Illinois, 413 F.2d 232, 235 (7th Cir.1969). While resort to such restraints is distasteful to all concerned, the record is clear that Seale unequivocally refused to conform his conduct with the minimal requirements of courtroom order and decorum. Instead, he stood in open defiance of the court’s authority. No other remedy was available to the trial judge. This court therefore does not find that physical restraints placed upon a contumacious defendant under the circumstances involved here infringes upon a constitutionally protected right.” (Opinion, pages 332 and 333)

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Bluebook (online)
306 F. Supp. 333, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8785, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-trials-of-pending-future-criminal-cases-ilnd-1969.