Kettenbach v. United States

202 F. 377, 120 C.C.A. 505, 1913 U.S. App. LEXIS 1023
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedJanuary 13, 1913
DocketNo. 2,080
StatusPublished
Cited by52 cases

This text of 202 F. 377 (Kettenbach v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kettenbach v. United States, 202 F. 377, 120 C.C.A. 505, 1913 U.S. App. LEXIS 1023 (9th Cir. 1913).

Opinion

GILBERT, Circuit Judge.

The plaintiffs in error were indicted under four indictments — Nos. 777, 779, 780, and 782 — all charging them with violations of section 5209 of the Revised Statutes ,(U. Si Comp'. St. 1901," p. 3497). " They entered a plea of “not guilty” to each indictment, and thereafter, upon their motion for the consolidation of the indictments, an order was made consolidating the same for trial. The jury returned a verdict of guilty on counts 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 of in.dictment 780, and returned a verdict of not guilty on the other indictments and on count 3 of 780.

[ 1 ] It is" contended that the court below erred in overruling the demurrer of the plaintiffs in error to the indictment, which was interposed on the ground that Kettenbach, who was the president of the Lewiston National Bank, was charged with aiding and abetting Kes-ter, the cashier thereof, in committing the offenses alleged. The statute denounces a penalty against every president, cashier, teller, clerk, or agent of a national bank who makes any false entry in any book, report, or statement of the association, and “every person who, with like intent, aids and abets any officer, clerk, or agent, in any violation of this section.” The contention is that, under this statute, one officer of a banking association cannot be charged with aiding and abetting another officer in committing the offense which is described therein, and that the provision in regard to persons who aid and abet any officer clerk, or agent of the association applies not to officers and em-ployés of the bank, but to outsiders, persons not connected with the banking association. The language of the statute is broad enough to include the officers of the bank among those who may be charged with aiding and abetting, for it refers to “every person,” and such, with possibly one exception, appears to have been the uniform ruling of the courts. United States v. Northway, 120 U. S. 327, 7 Sup. Ct. 580, 30 L. Ed. 664; Evans v. United States, 153 U. S. 584, 14 Sup. Ct. 934, 38 L. Ed. 830; Coffin v. United States, 156 U. S. 432, 15 Sup. Ct. 394, 39 L. Ed. 481; Cochran & Sayre v. United States, 157 U. S. 286, 15 Sup. Ct. 628, 39 L. Ed. 704; United States v. Berry (D. C.) 96 Fed. 842; Gardes v. United States, 87 Fed. 172, 30 C. C. A. 596. The case which seems to be out of harmony with the foregoing is Richardson v. United States, 181 Fed. 1, 104 C. C. A. 69. In that case it was contended that the cashier who was indicted under section 5209 should not have been charged as principal but as aider and abettor, because the false entries, although made at his instigation, were made by others. The court ruled against the contention and held that the cashier. [381]*381was a principal, notwithstanding that the entries and items falsified were made by clerks acting under his direction. The court said:

“Where an act is clone by the procurement of a person, it is Ms act in effect, even where it is made a crime.”

What the court" said in that case is in line with an expression in the opinion of this court in the case of Peters v. United States, 94 Fed. 127, 36 C. C. A. 105, in which Judge Hawley, speaking for the court, answering the objection of counsel to the indictment that the cashier was charged in one count with directing and procuring false entrieé to be' made by the bookkeeper, said:

“He is as guilty if he directed false entries to he made by the clerk or bookkeeper as if he made the entry in person.”

But in the Richardson Case the court went on to say that the aiding and abetting referred to in the statute “applies to those not connected with the bank who instigate, counsel, or incite those who are.” This was an expression of opinion unnecessary to the decision of the case. The question was whether the defendant in that case could properly be charged as a principal. The court held correctly, we think, that he could be. Kettenbach in this case might properly have been charged as a principal. He cannot complain that he is charged as aiding and abetting. By the express language of section 5209 the offense described, whether committed by the direct act of the accused, or by his aiding and abetting another to commit it, is a misdemeanor, and both offenses are of the same grade, and are subject to the same penalty, and those who commit both are in fact principals. Said the court in United States v. Gooding, 12 Wheat. 475, 6 L. Ed. 693:

“In cases of misdemeanor, all those who arc concerned in aiding or abetting, as well as in perpetrating the act, are principals.”

And this doctrine has been expressly applied to cases of prosecution under section 5209. Gallot v. United States, 87 Fed. 446, 31 C. C. A. 44; United States v. Hillegass (D. C.) 176 Fed. 445. See, also, Bliss v. United States, 105 Fed. 508, 44 C. C. A. 324. There was no error, therefore, in ’overruling the demurrer to the indictment

[ 2 ] We find no merit in the contention that the court erred in consolidating the indictments for trial. Not only was the order made under the authority of section 1024 of the Revised Statutes (U. S. Comp. St. 1901, p. 720), but it was made upon a motion and application of the plaintiffs in error, in which they alleged:

“That each and all of the charges against these defendants or either thereof grew out of one and the same transaction, to wit, the violation of the national banking laws of the United States, and under the law can be tried at one and the same time, and save great expense and many hardships in requiring these defendants to prepare for trial. * * * Wherefore these defendants, and each thereof, respectfully pray that a severance be had as to these two defendants, and that they be tried separately from the other defendants, that each and all the indictments involving these defendants or either thereof be consolidated and be tried at the same time.”

The application was supported by the affidavit of counsel for the plaintiffs in error, in which it was stated that the motion was made in [382]*382good faith, and not for the purpose of delay, and that it was well founded in law. No exception was saved to the order of consolidation, and the plaintiffs in error are now in no position to assign error to it.

[3] Equally without merit is the contention that the court erred in denying the right of the plaintiffs in error to exercise more than 10 peremptory challenges to jurors. In a second application for a consolidation of the cases and for a severance from Robnett and E. W. Kettenbach, who were indicted with them, the plaintiffs in error said:

“These defendants also waive their right to more than 10 peremptory challenges in case an order is made trying these said indictments at one and the same time, and a severance is granted as to the defendant Clarence W. Robnett, and a severance is granted as to the defendant Frank W. Ketten bach.”

That application was verified by the affidavit of the plaintiff in error William E. Kettenbach.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

The United States of America v. Nicholas A. Stirone
311 F.2d 277 (Third Circuit, 1963)
United States v. Cisneros
191 F. Supp. 924 (N.D. California, 1961)
Thomas Curtis Bush v. United States
267 F.2d 483 (Ninth Circuit, 1959)
Yoham v. Rosecliff Realty Co.
267 F.2d 9 (Third Circuit, 1959)
Yoham v. Rosecliff Realty Company
267 F.2d 9 (Third Circuit, 1959)
Wellman v. United States
227 F.2d 757 (Sixth Circuit, 1955)
United States v. Schneiderman
106 F. Supp. 892 (S.D. California, 1952)
United States v. Aaron
190 F.2d 144 (Second Circuit, 1951)
Smith v. Welch
189 F.2d 832 (Tenth Circuit, 1951)
United States v. Mangiaracina
10 F.R.D. 415 (W.D. Missouri, 1950)
Griffin v. United States
164 F.2d 903 (D.C. Circuit, 1947)
Chevillard v. United States
155 F.2d 929 (Ninth Circuit, 1946)
Orloff v. United States
153 F.2d 292 (Sixth Circuit, 1946)
Norwood v. Great American Indemnity Co.
146 F.2d 797 (Third Circuit, 1944)
Moore v. United States
132 F.2d 47 (Fifth Circuit, 1942)
United States v. McKay
45 F. Supp. 1001 (E.D. Michigan, 1942)
United States v. General Electric Co.
40 F. Supp. 627 (S.D. New York, 1941)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
202 F. 377, 120 C.C.A. 505, 1913 U.S. App. LEXIS 1023, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kettenbach-v-united-states-ca9-1913.