People v. McDonough

51 Misc. 2d 1065, 275 N.Y.S.2d 8, 1966 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1367
CourtNew York County Courts
DecidedNovember 2, 1966
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 51 Misc. 2d 1065 (People v. McDonough) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York County Courts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. McDonough, 51 Misc. 2d 1065, 275 N.Y.S.2d 8, 1966 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1367 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1966).

Opinion

Albert A. Oppido, J.

This is a motion by the defendants to reargue a decision of this court, dated March 30, 1965. The previous decision of this court denied certain relief and granted a hearing to determine the legality of various legal processes, including a wiretap order. On the date set for a hearing, the court heard oral argument and no testimony was elicited. At the conclusion of the oral argument, the court directed that the District Attorney furnish counsel for the defendants with a copy of the wiretap order and affidavit. In addition, the court ruled that the wiretap order and affidavit demonstrated the requisite “reasonable grounds” for the issuance of the said order. (Code Grim. Pro., § 813-a.) Thereafter, the defendants were granted leave to reargue the previous decision. The defendants then brought on the instant motion. For the convenience of the court, the earlier motion, which has not as yet been finally determined, has been consolidated with the instant motion.

The motion to reargue is granted and upon reargument the original order is hereby withdrawn and vacated.

The question herein raises significant and far-reaching questions with respect to the extent of an attack on a judicially authorized wiretap order. New York courts have not passed directly on the extent to which a court may permit an examination of a wiretap order and supporting affidavit, when the wiretap order is sufficient on its face and the allegations contained in the supporting affidavit establish probable cause. Nor can this court overlook the possibility that Aviretapping itself might be brought Avithin the purvieAV of constitutional protection. A [1067]*1067case now pending sub judice before the United States Supreme Court, Osborn v. United States (35 U. S. Law W. 3148) has such a" possibility under consideration.

Specifically, the issue is raised herein because the supporting affidavit to the wiretap order states that the affiant received information from a member of the New York City Police Department. The affidavit further alleges in part: “ Petitioner’s informant did state that in compliance with a Court authorized wire tap he did hear the numbers 516 333-7559 dialed and that a party identified as CHARLES did answer this call. That the party calling did then relay to CHARLES horse bets.”

The defendants seek to inquire into the legality of the New York City wiretap order. They contend that if the New York City wiretap order was illegal, then the fruits of that order are tainted and .should not have been used to obtain the Nassau County wiretap order.

The People make an ipse dixit argument with reference to the New York County wiretap. They, in effect, argue that no inquiry should be made of the validity or invalidity of the New York County wiretap order since a Judge in that county has approved it.

Thus, this court must decide whether it should engage in a game of “ judicial dominoes ” during an examination into the legality of a wiretap order.

While it may be true that a Judge has approved the New York County wiretap order, it is manifest that if that wiretap was illegal or improperly obtained, then the “fruits” of such improper or illegal wiretap cannot be used. (Nardone v. United States, 308 U. S. 338; Nardone v. United States, 302 U. S. 379.)

Moreover, if the evidence was inadmissible against the immediate victim of the New York County wiretap order because of the improper activities of a public officer, Nassau County cannot accept it on a so-called “ silver platter” for use here. (Elkins v. United States, 364 U. S. 206; Rea v. United States, 350 U. S. 214.)

In People v. McCall (17 N Y 2d 152) the Court of Appeals stated that the preferable way to attack a wiretap order is to apply to the Judge who issued it. However, the Court of Appeals, cognizant of the fact that wiretap or eavesdrop orders are .secret and ex parte, also stated (p. 157) that: “ if an accused is unaware of the eavesdropping order or insufficiently advised about it before trial, he may move to suppress or raise appropriate objection on the trial and the question is saved for review on appeal from the judgment.”

[1068]*1068In addition, the court in McCall recognized that there is a normal reluctance of one Judge to review an order of another-Judge. (People v. Politano, 13 N Y 2d 852; People v. Cohen, 24 A D 2d 900.) However, the Court of Appeals, clearly stated that one Judge should review, if necessary, the order of another Judge. The court stated (p. 159): “A refusal to permit a defendant to examine the facts upon which his privacy has been broken into amounts to saying that any search warrant or order for interception is all right if a Judge has seen fit to sign it.”

In People v. Cohen (supra, affd. without opn. 18 N Y 2d 650) the Appellate Division, without further explanation, asserted: “ The original wiretap order was a proper subject of judicial review in the same manner and to the limited extent permitted with respect to a warrant for search and seizure.” It should be noted that the Appellate Division decided the Cohen case in November, 1965, one month after People v. Alfinito (16 N Y 2d 181), but did not cite the Alfinito case.

The Alfinito case involved a motion to controvert a search warrant. The Court of Appeals held that section 813-c of the Code of Criminal Procedure permits a defendant to attack a search warrant on the ground that the affidavit’s factual allegations were perjurious. This court (Kolbreuer, J.), has extended the principles of the Alfinito case to allow a defendant to attack a wiretap order on the ground that the supporting affidavit’s factual allegations were perjurious. (People v. Rizzo, 50 Misc 2d 458.)

The District Attorney contends that the existence of ‘ ‘ probable cause ” or “ reasonable grounds to believe ” is a question of law and not a question of fact. While this court agrees that the existence of probable cause may, in many instances, be determined from a review of the supporting affidavit or other exhibits or papers annexed to the wiretap order, it, nevertheless, remains within the discretion of the court to analyze the factual allegations of the .supporting documents by means of a hearing. (People v. Rogers, 46 Misc 2d 405.) This is particularly so where a court issues a wiretap or eavesdrop order which is in turn based on the fruits of a prior wiretap order. Where that fact pattern is present a defendant must be afforded an opportunity to have a Judge review the sufficiency of the papers upon which the prior wiretap order was based.

The recent cases from the New York courts of trial jurisdiction support this court’s holding. (People v. Rogers, 46 Misc 2d 860 [Seneca County CL]; People v. Beshany, 43 Misc 2d 521 [Sup. CL, Queens County]; People v. Grossman, 45 Misc 2d [1069]*1069557 [Sup.

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Related

People v. Adams
2 Misc. 3d 166 (New York County Courts, 2003)
Berger v. New York
388 U.S. 41 (Supreme Court, 1967)

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Bluebook (online)
51 Misc. 2d 1065, 275 N.Y.S.2d 8, 1966 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1367, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-mcdonough-nycountyct-1966.