People v. Higgins

172 Misc. 613, 15 N.Y.S.2d 737, 1939 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2447
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 22, 1939
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 172 Misc. 613 (People v. Higgins) 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 v. Higgins, 172 Misc. 613, 15 N.Y.S.2d 737, 1939 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2447 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1939).

Opinion

Conway, J.

The alleged contemnors, Bassett, Whiteside, Gorman and Pensky, are charged with criminal contempt under subdivision 3 of section 750 of the Judiciary Law. In addition the alleged contemnor Gorman is charged with violation of subdivision 1.

Subdivision 3 gives a court of record power to punish for a criminal contempt a person guilty of willful disobedience to its lawful mandate. In this instance the lawful mandate was the admonition required by section 415 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. That section reads as follows: “ The jury must also, at each adjournment of the court, whether permitted to separate or kept in charge of officers, be admonished by the court, that it is their duty not to converse among themselves on any subject connected with the trial, or to form or express any opinion thereon, until the cause is finally submitted to them.”

In the case of People v. Higgins et al., in which the alleged contemnors sat as jurors, this admonition was given at each adjournment as commanded by the Legislature. Not only was [615]*615the admonition given, but the court in addition sought to explain the reason for the legislative command. For instance, on September twenty-second, before counsel opened to the jury, at the time of taking the noon adjournment, the court admonished the jury as follows: Now, again, you are going to lunch and I instruct you, as I am required to do by statute, not to discuss this case among yourselves, or with anyone else, or to form or express any opinion about it until it is finally submitted to you, and that means at, the conclusion of all the evidence or the testimony, and after the charge of the court.”

On the same day, when the court adjourned in the afternoon until the following morning, the court admonished the jury as follows: “ Do not discuss the case now with anyone or form or express any opinion about it until it is finally submitted to you. You will find that making up your mind on anything until all the evidence is before you is not conducive to the arrival at the proper conclusion. So wait until you hear all the case and until you hear my charge.”

At an adjournment on September 26, 1939, the court admonished the jury as follows: “ Members of the jury, do not discuss the case among yourselves, nor with anyone else, nor form nor express an opinion about it until it is finally submitted to you. I have to tell you that each time we separate and you leave this court room, so you see how important the law thinks it to be, when I am required by the Legislature to say that to you every time you go from this court, so bear it in mind.”

On October 2, 1939, at the evening adjournment, the court said: “ I will adjourn until tomorrow at 10 o’clock, and say again to you, as the Legislature requires me to, do not discuss the case among yourselves, nor with anyone else, nor form nor express an opinion about it until the case is finally submitted. You can see how important it is to keep your minds open when I am obliged under the law to say that to you every time we separate.”

On October 4, 1939, at the noonday adjournment, the court admonished the jury as follows: Do not discuss the case amongst yourselves, nor with anyone else, nor form or express any opinion about it until the case is finally submitted to you. That probably becomes monotonous but, as I pointed out to you before, it is because that is very important and the Legislature commands, that I say it to you every time you leave the court room.”

The testimony establishes to my satisfaction beyond a reasonable doubt that the alleged contemnor Bassett contacted various jurors serving with him, before the final submission of the case, for the purpose of affecting their verdict by expressing an opinion as to [616]*616the innocence of the defendants on trial. When the jurors so contacted failed or declined to enter into a discussion of the defendants’ innocence, Bassett desisted in his attempts to so influence them, but continued as to the other jurors. The continuance of his endeavors indicates deliberateness and willfulness in disobeying the lawful mandate of the court. X shall refer to some of the testimony adduced on the hearing by the special assistant district attorney.

One Thomas B. Rogers, one of the jurors, testified that on Thursday or Friday night of the week preceding the Tuesday on which the trial ended, about ten o’clock in the evening, the alleged contemnors Bassett, Whiteside, Gorman and Pensky came to his room where he was reclining on his bed; that they came to the side of his bed and Bassett asked him would he go along with him on a quick acquittal of the whole gang;” that as to the other three men who were present Bassett said, “ They are with me;” that Bassett said that he wanted Rogers to go along with him and the other three for a quick acquittal of the whole gang; that Bassett said, “ We are going to make it in seven minutes, no longer.” Rogers testified that he said in reply that he had to hear the judge’s charge, and that he said, I am not interested in what you fellows want to do, absolutely.”

While it is true that Rogers testified that he did not remember a word the others said, if anything, it, nevertheless, is clear that the three with Bassett were aiding and assisting by their presence in the willful disobedience by Bassett of the mandate of the court, and I so find.

Another juror, John L. Fassett, testified that Bassett once or twice whispered on the side to him that there was nothing to the case or the evidence, some time in the second week of the trial, in the hall of the Statler Hotel where the jury had their rooms; that Bassett said they had no evidence against the defendants; that it was rotten; that Bassett said the defendants would be acquitted in a short space of time, probably half an hour.

Another juror, George J. Glauber, testified that he was the foreman on the conspiracy trial and that Bassett was his room mate; that Bassett spoke to him about, the case during the progress of the trial; that that was probably during the first week of the trial; that it was just an inquiry about what he thought about the case or what his opinion was; that it was while they were walking from the court to the dining room of the Statler Hotel. The witness said that he told Bassett that they would have to wait until all the facts were in to determine just exactly “ what was what.” He said that Bassett brought the subject up again probably two or [617]*617three times; that on such occasions Bassett would say, “Well, what do you think about it? ” or, “ What is your opinion? ”

Another juror, Norbert Gramse, testified that on one occasion Bassett spoke to him about the case; that that was when the witness walked down either to Whiteside’s room or to Bassett’s room; that it was some time during the first half of the case that Bassett asked how the witness felt about the trial; that when the witness said he had not heard it all and had not reached any conclusion, Bassett said, “ I don’t know how there could be a conviction of guilty.”

The special assistant district attorney called Mrs. Thelma Dauberger, a deputy sheriff assigned to service with the jury. She testified that the jury had its meals at the Buffalo Athletic Club; that in the dining room Mr. Glauber sat on her right during meals and Bassett on her left, with Mrs. Muscarella, another juror, on the other side of Bassett; that it was a large, round table, and that the male deputy sheriffs sat at the same table.

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Bluebook (online)
172 Misc. 613, 15 N.Y.S.2d 737, 1939 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2447, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-higgins-nysupct-1939.