Nemirka v. United States

234 F. Supp. 463, 1964 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7285
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedOctober 15, 1964
StatusPublished

This text of 234 F. Supp. 463 (Nemirka v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Nemirka v. United States, 234 F. Supp. 463, 1964 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7285 (S.D.N.Y. 1964).

Opinion

SUGARMAN, District Judge.

Petitioner moves “for an order vacating and setting aside the sentence imposed upon” him “on February 18, 1959 * * * and verdict of guilty rendered January 27, 1959 by a jury after trial” in this court.

Petitioner’s affidavit in support of his motion having asked leave to proceed in forma pauperis, that request was granted heretofore by Judge Cashin by order filed August 17, 1964 and the motion was placed upon the criminal motion calendar for September 21, 1964 when it was marked submitted before me.

There have been considered on this motion the petitioner’s undated notice of motion, his affidavit sworn to August 14, 1964, in support of the motion; the affidavits of Andrew J. Maloney, James Carlinge, William S. Lynch, Benjamin Glass and Margaret Leary, sworn to on September 18, 8, 3, 2 and 18, 1964 respectively, in opposition; petitioner’s letter of September 24, 1964 to the clerk of this court, in reply; and records in petitioner’s case in the Court of Appeals.

In addition to facts supporting his application for leave to proceed in forma pauperis, petitioner’s affidavit of August 14, 1964 shows that he went to trial before a Judge and jury in this court on January 21, 1959, was found guilty on January 27, 1959 and was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on February 18, 1959, which sentence was reduced by the Judge to 8% years on July 19, 1960. It is further shown that petitioner’s conviction was affirmed by the Court of Appeals on July 19, 1960, United States v. Barrett and Nemirka, 280 F.2d 889 (2d Cir. 1960), rehearing denied (not reported), May 22, 1962.

The defect in the district court’s proceedings are alleged to be the “petitioner’s absence from Court at 3:20 p. m. on January 27, 1959 and because of the failure of those having custody of his person to produce him in Court at any time subsequent to the said time and date except upon commencement of the sentencing proceedings on February 18, 1959”.

Petitioner claims that he was not in court “at 3:20 p. m. when the jury was given certain exhibits * * * at 3:35 p. m. * * * 3:45 p.m. * * * 4:15 p. m.” when the jury received further instructions, and at 5:00 p. m. when the [464]*464verdict of guilty was taken, all on January 27, 1959. Petitioner says that he was taken to the Marshal’s quarters in this courthouse when the case went to the jury and returned to the courtroom at the Judge’s order only once, at 2:15 p. m., when the Court gave the jury further instructions in answer to a request therefor from the jury. Petitioner states that thereafter and at the times above stated he was never brought back to the courtroom and that at 3:20 p. m. when the jury was given the exhibits even his lawyer was not there because they were then conferring in the Marshal’s quarters.

Petitioner further states that although he was in the Marshal’s custody in the courthouse from 3:05 p. m. (apparently having been returned there after the 2:15 p. m. appearance in the courtroom) until after the taking of the verdict at 5:00 p. m. he first learned from Deputy Marshals of his conviction and of the date set for sentencing while being taken back by them from the courthouse to the Federal Detention Headquarters.

Petitioner emphasizes that, except as to the 2 :15 p. m. incident1 the trial record does not reflect his presence in court at any subsequent events on January 27, 1959.

The government in opposition to the motion submits the affidavit of Andrew J. Maloney, the Assistant United States Attorney presently handling the motion who admittedly has no personal knowledge of what occurred at the trial' on January 27, 1959. This affidavit does however state that “The defendant Nemirka having been previously convicted of murder in the 2nd degree was given a term of 20 years to life in prison, was released on parole in 1952. As a result of his confietion [sic — conviction] in this case the New York City authorities have lodged a detainer against the defendant pending his release on the Federal charge”.

The government also submits the affidavit of James Garlinge, the Judge’s bailiff at the time of the trial who states that “I recall several requests from the jury after they retired to deliberate and I recall that the defendant was present with his counsel when certain exhibits were given to the jury and additional charges were read * * * I specifically recall the defendant Michael Nemirka being present at the time the jury rendered its verdict * * * because * * * defendant Nemirka became very loud and boisterous”.

The government also filed in opposition to this motion the affidavit of William S. Lynch who was the Assistant who tried the case. Mr. Lynch states that the jury “made several requests for exhibits and clarification and to my recollection returned at least one time to the courtroom so the court could respond to a question posed by the jury. To the best of my recollection the defendant Michael Nemirka was in the courtroom when the jury returned for the court’s instruction and when the requests of the jury were discussed by” the Judge with counsel. Mr. Lynch’s affidavit further states that “At the time the jury returned with the verdict both defendants were in the courtroom sitting at counsel table with defense counsel. My recollection of this is particularly clear because shortly after the verdict was announced there was an emotional outburst by the defendant Michael Nemirka”.

Also in opposition to the motion the government submitted the affidavit of Benjamin Glass, who was petitioner’s counsel at the trial. Mr. Glass states, “after the jury retired to deliberate and thereafter returned for the production of certain exhibits and additional charges, [465]*465that both myself and my client were present” and that “It is further my best recollection that my client, Michael Nemirka, was present at the time the jury returned and rendered a verdict of guilty in this case”.

Finally the government filed the affidavit of Margaret Leary who was the deputy clerk of the court at the trial. She states that “My minute sheets of the trial reveal that there were several requests from the jury after they retired to deliberate. Each time the jury returned to the court room my duties required that I see to it that the defendant Nemirka, along with counsel, was present. To the best of my recollection, the defendant Nemirka and his counsel were present whenever the jury was in the court room * * * I recall specifically the fact that the defendant Nemirka was present when the jury rendered its verdict of guilty because of the loud and very explicit epithets which the defendant made to the jury concerning his being condemned to life imprisonment because of the verdict of guilty in this case”.

In reply petitioner has written a letter in which he states inter alia that “the official record of the trial proceedings makes no reference whatsoever to any loud and boisterous conduct by the defendant Nemirka, or goes so far as to reflect the defendant’s presence when the jury announced its verdict”.

The minutes of the pertinent parts of the trial show that the first message came from the jury at 2:15 p. m. when the absence of petitioner was noted by the Court (see note 1 supra) and he was produced before any further proceedings took place. After answering the jury’s questions the Judge gave them a copy of the indictment and they retired at 3:05 p. m. The trial minutes then show that at 3:20 p. m.

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Related

MacHibroda v. United States
368 U.S. 487 (Supreme Court, 1962)
United States v. George Barrett and Michael Nemirka
280 F.2d 889 (Second Circuit, 1960)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
234 F. Supp. 463, 1964 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7285, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nemirka-v-united-states-nysd-1964.