Murphy v. Commissioner

1975 T.C. Memo. 88, 34 T.C.M. 453, 1975 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 289
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedMarch 31, 1975
DocketDocket No. 5873-72.
StatusUnpublished

This text of 1975 T.C. Memo. 88 (Murphy v. Commissioner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Tax Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Murphy v. Commissioner, 1975 T.C. Memo. 88, 34 T.C.M. 453, 1975 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 289 (tax 1975).

Opinion

MALCOLM D. MURPHY, Petitioner v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
Murphy v. Commissioner
Docket No. 5873-72.
United States Tax Court
T.C. Memo 1975-88; 1975 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 289; 34 T.C.M. (CCH) 453; T.C.M. (RIA) 750088;
March 31, 1975, Filed
*289 Charles J. Sullivan, for the petitioner.
Bernard Nelson, for the respondent.

WILES

MEMORANDUM OPINION

WILES, Judge: This case is before the Court on petitioner's motion to compel production, inspection and copying of documents pursuant to Rule 72, Tax Court Rules of Practice and Procedure, which was filed on April 8, 1974. Petitioner requested voluntary production of the items subject to this motion by letters dated January 2, 1974 and March 20, 1974. By responses dated February 25, 1974 and March 25, 1974, respondent objected to production of all items sought by petitioner.

The statutory notice of deficiency in this case determined Federal income tax deficiencies for the years 1963, 1964 and 1965 in the amounts of $2,065.15, $4,530.15 and $8,672.73, respectively, and additions to tax under section 6653(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 in the amounts of $1,032.58, $2,265.06 and $4,336.37, respectively.

The facts are as follows. A special agent and a revenue agent of the Internal Revenue Service (hereinafter IRS) held four interviews with petitioner on August 31, 1966, September 7, 14 and 20, 1966. Petitioner contends that*290 the agents did not warn him of the scope or nature of the investigation until the conclusion of the fourth interview on September 20, 1966. On January 19, 1970, an indictment was issued against petitioner for criminal tax fraud for the year 1964. Petitioner, on October 14, 1970, entered a plea of guilty and the United States District Court, Southern District of Texas, entered a judgment pursuant to such plea on October 30, 1970.

The motion filed herein alleged that evidence obtained by the revenue agent and special agent of the IRS at the four interviews was obtained in violation of petitioner's constitutional rights through and by misrepresentation and/or coercion and/or fraud and/or deceit and/or trickery. The underlying case to which the motion relates deals with alleged civil tax fraud. Petitioner contends that the information requested is a necessary prerequisite to framing and requesting further motions, including (but not limited to) a motion to suppress evidence obtained in the four interviews held in 1966. Petitioner contends that he will prove by the documents requested and by evidence adduced from information contained in said documents that the special agent was required*291 (by the IRS) to give constitutional warnings during the initial visit and therefore the respondent based his determination in the statutory notice upon evidence obtained in violation of his constitutional rights.

Petitioner in his motion requests that respondent produce the following materials:

1. The portions of the Manual for Special Agents which set forth the procedures to be followed by the Special Agent at the time the investigation of a taxpayer's return is commenced by the Special Agent and any supplements or additions to said portions of the aforementioned Manual.

2. Any deletions, qualifications, substitutions, explanations, instructions, modifications, directions, transpositions, or restatements of the sections of the Manual for Special Agents as described in paragraph 1.

3. The portions of any and all "Investigation Guides" prepared, used, relied upon, and/or distributed by the IRS in 1965 or 1966 of the type described in the opinion of United States vs. Cymbala, a copy of which is attached to this letter as Exhibit A, which set forth the procedures to be followed by the Special Agent at the time the investigation of a taxpayer's return is commenced by the Special*292 Agent.

4. All IRS News Releases dealing directly or indirectly with procedures to be employed by Special Agents in dealing with taxpayers.

5. All suggestions and/or instructions by the IRS which touch upon, directly or indirectly, procedures or statements to be employed by Special Agents in contacting and communicating with any given taxpayer.

6. Any News Releases of the IRS prior to IRS News Release No. 827, which deals directly or indirectly with procedures and/or statements to be employed by Special Agents in contacting and communicating with a taxpayer whose return is to be examined.

7. The portions of handbooks provided a Special Agent and any supplements or additions to such handbooks which set forth the procedures to be followed by the Special Agent at the time the investigation of a taxpayer's return is commenced by the Special Agent.

8. Any and all deletions, substitutions, instructions, modifications, qualifications, explanations, directions, transpositions or restatements of any such handbooks described in the preceding paragraph.

9. All bulletins or directives issued to Special Agents in respect to the procedures and/or statements to be employed by Special Agents*293 on contacting and communicating with taxpayer whose return is being or is to be examined including any supplements, additions, instructions, deletions, substitutions, modifications, qualifications, explanations, directions, transpositions or restatements of any directives or bulletins issued to Special Agents during any of the aforementioned time periods.

10.

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Bluebook (online)
1975 T.C. Memo. 88, 34 T.C.M. 453, 1975 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 289, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/murphy-v-commissioner-tax-1975.