People v. McCrea

6 N.W.2d 489, 303 Mich. 213, 1942 Mich. LEXIS 378
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 24, 1942
DocketDocket No. 51, Calendar No. 41,712.
StatusPublished
Cited by98 cases

This text of 6 N.W.2d 489 (People v. McCrea) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan 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. McCrea, 6 N.W.2d 489, 303 Mich. 213, 1942 Mich. LEXIS 378 (Mich. 1942).

Opinion

Starr, J.

Defendant Duncan C. McCrea and other defendants appeal from their conviction under the second count of an information charging a conspiracy to obstruct justice. In this opinion we consider only the appeal of defendant McCrea.

McCrea was elected at successive biennial elections and held the office of prosecuting attorney of Wayne county from January 1, 1935, until about September 13,1940, when he was removed from office by executive order of the governor of the State in ouster proceedings (1 Comp. Laws 1929, § 3353 [Stat. Ann. § 6.696]).

The chain of events leading to the indictment, arrest, trial, and conviction of defendant McCrea and other defendants was started in August, 1939, by the suicide in Wayne county of one Janet McDonald who left letters, in effect, accusing public officials of corruption and graft. Such letters of accusation were given wide newspaper publicity and resulted in a demand for some official investigation, of the charges made. At the time such letters were made *224 public in August, 1939, defendant- McCrea was in Florida. One William E. Dowling, chief assistant prosecuting attorney, was then acting as prosecutor during McCrea’s absence. Dowling promptly began an investigation of Janet McDonald’s suicide and .the accusations made in her letters. McCrea returned by plane from Florida and, according to the testimony of Dowling and other witnesses, ordered the investigation stopped. On August 17, 1939, the mayor of Detroit wrote to Assistant Prosecutor Dowling recommending that a “petition be filed before the proper tribunal requesting- a grand-jury investigation.” Dowling communicated with MeCrea, who was then in the Upper Peninsula, and informed him of the mayor’s letter and recommendation. McCrea declined to request such grand-jury investigation and stated that he did not have “the facilities to conduct a thorough and complete investigation of all these charges and counter-charges.”

Later in August, 1939, the circuit judges of Wayne county, sitting en banc, granted a private citizen’s petition for a grand-jury investigation and designated Circuit Judge Homer Ferguson to act as a one-man grand jury (3 Comp. Laws 1929, § 17217 [Stat. Ann. §28.943]). A'special prosecutor was appointed, who acted in co-operation with an assistant attorney general of the State. McCrea and other defendants, and also other persons, were called as witnesses before such grand jury. McCrea, when. called as a witness, claimed his constitutional privilege against self-incrimination (Const. 1908, art. 2, § 16) and refused to testify in response to certain questions of the special prosecutor, on the ground that his answers might tend to incriminate him. Ás a result of the grand-jury investigation indictments were returned and warrants were issued against *225 MeCrea and other defendants. The preliminary examinations were conducted before' Judge Ferguson, and McCrea and other defendants were held for trial.

The second count of the information charged defendant McCrea as prosecuting attorney and certain •public officials and persons therein named and also “divers other persons” with the common-law offense of a conspiracy to obstruct justice. Such information charged, in part,' that McCrea and others:

“Knowingly conspired together ■ # # wilfully and corruptly to assist and enable the keeping, maintaining or operating of houses of ill-fame # * * to assist and enable the keeping or Maintaining of a gaming room or a gaming table or a game of skill or chance, * * * to-wit, handbooks, wherein bets were made upon horse races, * * * card games, and craps, * * # and to assist and enable the keeping or maintaining of * * * slot machines * * * and to assist and enable the setting up or promotion or management * * * of a certain lottery or gift enterprise for money, to-wit, the Bed Horse Mutuels,. the Lucky Tiger Mutuels and the Northwestern Mutuels, all being in violation of the laws of the State of Michigan; and to procure the wilful, intentional and corrupt failure, omission and neglect on the part of said * * * McCrea (and other officials) in their respective official and public offices * * * to perform their respective official duties as public officials of said county # * * in the enforcement of the criminal laws of this State * * * relating to prostitution, gambling and lotteries; and as a result of said agreement and conspiracy certain houses of ill-fa’me # * * were permitted to be kept, maintained or operated at various places in said county * * * and as a further result of such agreement and conspiracy the keeping or maintaining of a gaming room or gaming table or a game of skill or chance or *226 partly of skill and partly of chance, used for gaming, for hire, gain or reward, to-wit, handbooks, wherein bets were made upon horse races, * * * card games, and craps, were permitted to be kept, maintained and operated at various places in said county # * * and as a further result of such agreement and conspiracy, certain games of skill or chance, or, partly of skill and partly of chance, used for gaming, namely slot machines, were kept or maintained for hire, gain or reward, in said county, * # * and as a further result of 'such agreement and conspiracy a certain lottery or gift enterprise for money was set up, promoted or managed within the State of Michigan and county of Wayne, to-wit, the Red Horse Mutuels, the Lucky Tiger Mutuels and the Northwestern Mutuels * * * and certain money was paid by the keepers of these houses, the operators of said gambling rooms, games and devices, and the operators of said lotteries, or by their agents or employees to the foregoing public officials as a consideration for this agreement, and certain gifts and gratuities were presented by them to the said defendant public officials as a consideration for this agreement and accepted by the latter; he, the said * * * Duncan C. McCrea, as such prosecuting attorney, * # * being then and there enjoined by law with the duty of enforcing all criminal laws of the State of Michigan, including the laws pertaining to the keeping, maintaining or operating of houses of ill-fame, the keeping or maintaining of gambling rooms or gambling games or devices, and the setting up or promotion, operation, or management of lotteries and gift enterprises for money.”

The trial of McCrea and other defendants charged as co-conspirators began about January 8,1941, and with various interruptions continued for over three months. At the conclusion of the people’s proofs the trial court discharged seven of the defendants. McCrea took the stand and testified in his own de *227 fense. At the conclusion of all proofs the prosecution stated its election to go to the jury on the second count of the information, and the first count was accordingly dismissed by the trial court. The jury acquitted defendant Noceri and found McCrea and all other defendants (except Angelo Scaduto) guilty as charged. Scaduto, having waived jury trial, was found guilty by the court. McCrea was sentenced for a period of 4% to 5 years and fined $2,000. His motion and supplementary motions for a new trial were denied, and, having obtained leave, he appeals.

McCrea contends that the evidence presented does not support the jury’s verdict.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

People of Michigan v. Richard Louis Baird
Michigan Supreme Court, 2022
People of Michigan v. Nicolas Lyon
Michigan Supreme Court, 2022
People of Michigan v. Nancy Peeler
Michigan Supreme Court, 2022
People of Michigan v. Louis Edward Laws
Michigan Court of Appeals, 2019
People v. Clary
833 N.W.2d 308 (Michigan Supreme Court, 2013)
Mays v. Schell
706 N.W.2d 892 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 2005)
People v. Dixon
552 N.W.2d 663 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1996)
People v. Hubbard
552 N.W.2d 493 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1996)
People v. Johnson
398 N.W.2d 219 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1986)
People v. Kelly
384 N.W.2d 49 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1985)
People v. Iaconnelli
317 N.W.2d 540 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1982)
People v. Austin
291 N.W.2d 160 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1980)
People v. Wilkins
266 N.W.2d 781 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1978)
People v. Gayton
265 N.W.2d 344 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1978)
People v. Parker
257 N.W.2d 109 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1977)
People v. Anderson
233 N.W.2d 620 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1975)
People v. Jones
217 N.W.2d 884 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1974)
People v. Ungurean
192 N.W.2d 342 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1971)
People v. Hodges
190 N.W.2d 703 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1971)
People v. Iaconis
185 N.W.2d 609 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1971)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
6 N.W.2d 489, 303 Mich. 213, 1942 Mich. LEXIS 378, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-mccrea-mich-1942.