People ex rel. Bird v. Behagen

65 Misc. 2d 733, 320 N.Y.S.2d 696, 1971 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1791
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 4, 1971
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 65 Misc. 2d 733 (People ex rel. Bird v. Behagen) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People ex rel. Bird v. Behagen, 65 Misc. 2d 733, 320 N.Y.S.2d 696, 1971 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1791 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1971).

Opinion

Max Bloom, J.

Relators, Joan Bird and Afeni Shakur, seek, by habeas corpus, to review a determination by Mr. Justice Murtagh, made during the course of trial, revoking their bail and remanding them to custody pending further order of the court. The plain purpose of the application is to place the issue in a form appropriate for appellate review.

Bail for these two defendants was exonerated on February 8, 1971, under circumstances which, hereafter, will be adverted to. Thereafter, on February 19, 1971, relators brought this proceeding on before me. At the outset, I voiced the opinion that, despite my conceded power and jurisdiction to pass upon the issues in dispute (People ex rel. Klein v. Krueger, 25 N Y 2d 497; People ex rel. Shapiro v. Keeper of City Prison, 290 N. Y. 393; cf. People ex rel. Epton v. Nenna, 25 A D 2d 518), for one Judge of this court to sit in review of a determination rendered by another Judge of co-ordinate jurisdiction was of doubtful propriety. Such intervention, when sought to control the conduct of a trial then going on before another Judge, seemed to me to be grossly improper. By consequence, and in the interests of orderly procedure, I referred the matter to Mr. Justice Murtagh.

The application for the writ came on before Mr. Justice Murtagh on February 22, 1971. He, prompted by the punctilio of an honor the most sensitive, indicated that in fairness to the defendants Joan Bird and Afeni Shakur, it is believed that they are entitled to a determination of their application by [734]*734a justice other than the one who is directing their commitment. ’ ’ Accordingly, he referred the proceeding to Mr. Justice Riccobono. On February 25, 1971, when the matter came on to be heard before Mr. Justice Riccobono, counsel objected, insisting that since the matter was originally brought on before me it should be heard by me if it were to be heard before any Judge other than Mr. Justice Mubtagh. Although I am no more persuaded now of the propriety of action by me on this application than I was on February 19, I consented that the matter be referred to me so that there will be a determination from which appeal will lie.

The facts leading to the revocation of bail of these relators find origin in the following circumstances: On April 2, 1969, an indictment was handed down charging 22 persons, among whom were these relators, with a series of crimes including conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to bomb police precinct stations and other public offices, conspiracy to bomb various department stores and conspiracy to bomb sites along the New Haven Railroad tracks.

Of the 22 indicted, 3 were never apprehended1; two were in detention in New Jersey2; two were granted youthful offender treatment3; one4 obtained a severance because of illness; and one5 was released on bail and jumped bail prior to the commencement of the trial before Mr. Justice Mubtagh. The remaining 13, consisting of the 2 relators, Curtis Powell, Robert Collier, Ales McKiever, Lamumba Abdul Shakur, John J. Cass on, Walter Johnson, Clark Squire, Lee Roper, William King, Richard Moore and Michael Tabor, are currently on trial.

[735]*735Bail was fixed for all defendants except Roper and King6. Numerous habeas corpus proceedings were thereafter instituted (People ex rel. Tabor v. McGrath, 25 N Y 2d 804; People ex rel. Shakur v. Commissioner, 32 A D 2d 921; United States ex rel. Shakur v. Commissioner, 303 F. Supp. 303, affd. 418 F. 2d 243, cert. den. 397 U. S. 999; United States ex rel. Shakur v. McGrath, 306 F. Supp. 507; People ex rel. Shakur v. McGrath, 62 Misc 2d 484).

Of the total of 22 defendants, 8 made bail7.

On February 8, 1971, during the progress of the trial, Moore and Tabor, 2 of the 13 defendants currently on trial, absented themselves. The colloquy which ensued among counsel and the court leads clearly to the conclusion that they were no longer subject to the jurisdiction of the court. Indeed, a statement by the Assistant District Attorney in charge of the prosecution of this case gives hint that differences had arisen between Moore and Tabor and the leadership of the Black Panther Party. He stated on the record of proceedings for February 9 that, some two months earlier, Tabor had married a lady by the name of Connie Matthews; that Miss Matthews was an Algerian citizen and an official of the Black Panther party in California; that her visa will expire on March 3 or 5, at which time she would be required to leave the country and that on February 5, Tabor, Miss Matthews and Moore appeared on a radio program in New Haven and discussed the Black Panther Party and criticized its leaders.”

Immediately following the failure of Moore and Tabor to appear for trial on February 8, Mr. Justice Murtagh expressed his concern ‘ ‘ about the continuance of this trial with any defendant on bail.” Thereupon, pursuant to section 422 of the Code of Criminal Procedure8, he exonerated the bail of these relators and remanded them to custody pending further order of the court.

At the hearing of the application for the writ before Mr. Justice Murtagh on February 22 and prior to the reference to Mr. Justice Riccobono, Assistant District Attorney Phillips, [736]*736who is in charge of the prosecution, advised the court that information had come to him from the FBI that Zayde Shakur, the brother of Lamumba Abdul Shakur9, one of the defendants, went to Detroit on January 19, 1971, and contacted Black Panther Party officials in that city for the purpose of obtaining false identification cards and false work papers. Purportedly, he was arranging for the flight of some or all of those currently on trial who were then at liberty and desired these documents in that connection. It is further pointed out that, although Zayde did not specifically mention the names of any defendants in connection with the possible use of these documents, Moore, Tabor and Josephs have since absconded.

Mr. Justice Mubtagh briefly reviewed the status of the indicted defendants, pointing out that three were never apprehended. Of the remaining 19, 8 made bail. Of these 8, 4 have fled the jurisdiction, two who have not been before him10 are still on bail, and two, the relators-, have been remanded. He further indicated that the evidence now before the jury, if given credence, has a strong tendency to establish the guilt of the defendants, including these relators. He concluded that to insure the orderly continuance of the trial at least as to those defendants still before the Court ”, remand of the relators was required and he reaffirmed his direction of February 8.

Thus, at the very threshold, there is presented the problem of what evidence the court may take cognizance. Is February 8, the date upon which remand was ordered, the cutoff date? Or is consideration to be given to the evidence presented on February 22, when the decision of February 8 was reaffirmed?

Although no case has been brought to my attention which is directly in point, the circumstances leading to the disposition in People ex rel. Burley v. Agnew

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Related

People v. Torres
112 Misc. 2d 145 (New York Supreme Court, 1981)

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Bluebook (online)
65 Misc. 2d 733, 320 N.Y.S.2d 696, 1971 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1791, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-ex-rel-bird-v-behagen-nysupct-1971.