People v. Carcel

2 Misc. 2d 827, 150 N.Y.S.2d 436, 1956 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1990
CourtNew York City Magistrates' Court
DecidedMarch 30, 1956
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 2 Misc. 2d 827 (People v. Carcel) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York City Magistrates' Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Carcel, 2 Misc. 2d 827, 150 N.Y.S.2d 436, 1956 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1990 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1956).

Opinion

Jack L. Nicoll, M.

On the morning of February 22, 1956 the defendants John Carcel and Lydia Collazo appeared before the main entrance to the United Nations on the easterly side of First Avenue between 45th Street and 46th Street, New York City. The defendant Carcel stood quietly before the main entrance distributing leaflets to the persons passing by. The leaflets called for the independence of Puerto Bico upon the ground that the United States had invaded Puerto Bico and thus committed the crime of genocide. The leaflets further stated that the United States forces had established a reign of terror in Puerto Bico. The defendant Collazo walked back and forth in front of the main entrance within a space of 20 feet carrying a raised placard bearing on the front side thereof, ‘‘ Free the Puerto Bican Prisoners and on the reverse side, We demand Independence.” The defendant Carcel stood quietly distributing leaflets except to move from side to side to permit the passage of the many thousands seeking entry to the United Nations. The defendant Collazo was also quietly parading back and forth. Being Washington’s Birthday thousands of people were using the entrance, in addition to the personnel and officials of the 76 Member Nations of the United Nations; in addition thereto delegations, secretariat staff and those who came to transact business.

At about 10:30 a.m. of this morning, about 30 minutes after the defendants began their picketing a member of the New York police force approached the two defendants and stated that he had received a complaint from an official of the United Nations [829]*829relative to picketing and asked the two defendants to move over to the westerly side of First Avenue to do their picketing. The defendant Carcel answered, “ The sidewalk he was standing upon was international property and that the police officer had no jurisdiction there. ’ ’ The police officer then called the station house and returned to the scene of the picketing and stated he observed the two defendants blocking the main entrance to the United Nations and the free passage of the many people entering therein. A police sergeant then arrived pursuant to the police officer’s telephone call and the sergeant asked the two defendants to cross to the west side of First Avenue and continue their picketing on that side. The defendants refusing so to do were thereupon arrested and charged with disorderly conduct under section 722 of the Penal Law of the State of New York.

On June 26, 1947 the President of the United States was authorized to enter into an Agreement with the United Nations regarding the headquarters of the United Nations to be located in New York City. On August 4, 1947 the said Agreement was executed. (61 U. S. Stat. 756; 80th Cong. 1st Sess., ch. 4821, Public Law 357, hereinafter designated as the Agreement.)

Under Annex 1 of the Agreement the headquarters district of the United Nations was described as follows: “ The area referred to in Section 1 (a) (1) consists of (a) the premises bounded on the East by the westerly side of Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive, on the West by the easterly side of First Avenue, on the North by the southerly side of East Forty-eighth Street, and on the South by the northerly side of East Forty-second Street, all as proposed to be widened, in the Borough of Manhattan, City and State of New York, and (b) an easement over Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive, above a lower limiting plane to be fixed for the construction and maintenance of an esplanade, together with the structures thereon and foundations and columns to support the same in locations below such limiting plane, the entire area to be more definitely defined by supplemental agreement .between the United Nations and the United States of America.”

Section 8 of the Agreement provides in part as follows: ‘‘ The United Nations shall have the power to make regulations, operative within the headquarters district, for the purpose of establishing therein conditions in all respects necessary for the full execution of its functions. No federal, state or local law or regulation of the United States which is inconsistent with a regulation of the United Nations authorized by this section shall, to the extent of such inconsistency, be applicable within the headquarters district.”

[830]*830Subdivision (a) of section 9 in part reads as follows: “ The headquarters district shall be inviolable. Federal, state or local officers or officials of the United States, whether administrative, judicial, military or police, shall not enter the headquarters district to perform any official duties therein except with the consent of and under conditions agreed to by the Secretary-General. ’’

Subdivision (b) of section 9 provides as follows: “ Without prejudice to the provisions of the General Convention or Article IV of this agreement, the United Nations shall prevent the headquarters district from becoming a refuge either for persons who are avoiding arrest under the federal, state, or local law of the United States or are required by the Government of the United States for extradition to another country, or for persons who are endeavoring to avoid service of legal process.”

Article VI of the Agreement relates to police protection of the headquarters district, and subdivision (a) of section 16 provides as follows: ‘‘ The appropriate American authorities shall exercise due diligence to ensure that the tranquility of the headquarters district is not disturbed by the unauthorized entry of groups of persons from outside or by disturbances in its immediate vicinity and shall cause to be provided on the boundaries of the headquarters district such police protection as is required for these purposes.”

Section 18 of the Agreement provides in part as follows: The appropriate American authorities shall take all reasonable steps to ensure that the amenities of the headquarters district are not prejudiced and the purposes for which the district is required are not obstructed by any use made of the land in the vicinity of the district.”

Counsel for the defendants in his brief submitted herein waives the defendants ’ claim that the situs wherein the incident involved herein took place as being international in character and concedes the jurisdiction of this court, and accordingly the jurisdiction of the police department to act.

The defendants claim that under the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution of the United States and by sections 1, 3, 8 and 9 of article I of the New York State Constitution the arrest herein was a direct violation of their right to freedom of speech and assemblage and that the arrest herein operated in derogation of their rights.

The United Nations consists of 76 Member Nations and other States, not members thereof, send official representatives, as do many dependent territories and nongovernmental organiza[831]*831tions from all over the world. On any average day, even when the General Assembly is not meeting, more than 10,000 persons enter the building. Some 3,000 take the guided tours. The public seating capacity for those who come to attend meetings is 3,000. In addition there are delegations, secretariat staff and others who come to transact business. A city bus line has its stop there. Chartered buses, frequently several at one time, arrive and park in a recess at the main public entrance, which is also fed by a taxi rank.

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Bluebook (online)
2 Misc. 2d 827, 150 N.Y.S.2d 436, 1956 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1990, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-carcel-nynycmagct-1956.