People v. McGath

187 N.W.2d 904, 31 Mich. App. 351, 1971 Mich. App. LEXIS 2093
CourtMichigan Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 22, 1971
DocketDocket 7109
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 187 N.W.2d 904 (People v. McGath) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. McGath, 187 N.W.2d 904, 31 Mich. App. 351, 1971 Mich. App. LEXIS 2093 (Mich. Ct. App. 1971).

Opinion

Vander Wal, J.

On May 23, 1966, the manager of a Kroger Market located at 5931 Michigan Avenue, Detroit, was robbed at gunpoint of approximately $1500.

On September 2, 1966, Patrick Logan turned himself into the police, confessed commission of this and other crimes, and named as his accomplices defendant Maglaya and defendant McGath.

As a result, defendant Maglaya and defendant McGath were charged with the robbery of May 23, 1966.

Defendant Maglaya and Reece Hayes were charged with another armed robbery dated April 1,1966, and were found guilty.

Prior to examination on December 6, 1966, a proceeding was held before the Honorable Daniel J. Van Antwerp, the purpose of which was to determine whether a preliminary examination would be held. 1

It is clear that the proceedings dealt with both cases since all three defendants were brought in at the request of counsel.

Both cases are mentioned and all defendants claimed that they had a right to waive examination.

The people claimed that an examination was necessary to preserve Patrick Logan’s testimony, because threats had been made against his life.

A preliminary examination was held in both cases on December 16, 1966. Maglaya was represented in both cases by retained counsel.

*355 The defendants raise eight issues on this appeal for our review and decision, and we will treat each one of them separately.

I. A. Whether the court erred in withholding from the defense information which it had ordered its own psychiatric clinic to prepare, which information was highly relevant to the credibility of the key prosecution witness and would have been admissible at trial?

Defendants allege that reversible error was committed by the trial court in refusing access to the psychiatric file on Patrick Logan which was on file in the Recorder’s Court Psychiatric Clinic and that they were thereby denied a fair opportunity to properly attack the credibility of the witness Logan through enlightened cross-examination.

A motion was made by the defense for the appointment of a sanity commission to examine Logan. The officer in charge stated that defendant had been examined by the Recorder’s Court Psychiatric Clinic in connection with the charge on which he was waiting sentence.

Judge Van Antwerp, before the examination was held in the lower court, denied the motion, and also denied defendants’ motion to examine the psychiatric clinic’s file on Logan, on the ground that the records were confidential.

Thereafter, as noted above, examinations were held and McGath and Maglaya were bound over on the instant charge of robbery armed (133307) and Hayes and Maglaya were bound over on robbery armed in case number 133317. 17 Mich App 379.

During the trial of Hayes and Maglaya which was concluded on May 12,1967, several months before the beginning of the trial of the instant case, the attorney for both of the defendants in that case moved *356 to prevent Logan from taking the stand, on the basis of his prior commitment to Ionia.

The attorney stated that Logan had been referred to the psychiatric clinic “as a matter precedent to sentence.” The record of the trial (133317) is replete with facts going to the question of competency and credibility, including the 1966 examination by the Recorder’s Court Psychiatric Clinic. Moreover, counsel had reviewed that file during the course of the instant trial.

Finally Logan himself testified that he had had homicidal compulsions, used drugs, had been despondent and depressed, and had attempted suicide six years ago; and that he had been committed to the Ionia State Hospital as a “manic depressive”, and that he had been restored to competency.

Thus, the fact that Logan had mental problems and had been examined by the Clinic was known to Maglaya’s counsel as early as December 6, 1966. The people did in fact disclose the existence of the recorder’s court files. Thus, Giles v. Maryland (1966), 386 US 66 (87 S Ct 793, 17 L Ed 2d 737), Powell v. Wiman (CA 5, 1961), 293 F2d 605, and the other authority cited in support of appellants’ claim is not in point, since there was not in the instant case a withholding or suppression. The defense knew about these reports but didn’t subpoena the doctors for the purpose of offering the reports in evidence in this case. The reports and the witnesses were subject to subpoena and so there is no basis for a claim that the people suppressed such evidence, it not being in the people’s exclusive possession and it being reachable by the defendants.

I. B. Whether the circumstances surrounding prosecution’s treatment of witness Patrick Logan with *357 respect to the delay in sentencing on the prior charge were so revolting as to show such bias as demands reversal?

Defendants’ claim that repeated adjournments of Patrick Logan’s sentencing in case No. A131848 shows such prima facie bias as to require the reversal of their convictions, particularly in light of the fact that without the testimony of Patrick Logan a serious question of the sufficiency of the evidence would be raised.

Without furnishing a legal basis for their contention, appellants assert that the repeated adjournments of witness Logan’s sentence and his subsequent sentence to five years probation, invalidates the conviction herein because there was an “implied promise” to Logan of leniency in his sentence.

Factually, the record establishes that the sentence in Logan’s case was adjourned by the trial court pending completion of trial in cases 133317 and 133307. Thereafter, case no 133307 was adjourned four times, and case no 133317 was adjourned three times. Eleven months elapsed from the time of Logan’s plea, November 17, 1966, to the time of the instant trial.

Appellants have no standing to assert that a delay in Logan’s sentence violated their rights, People v. Goeppner (1969), 20 Mich App 425.

Secondly, Logan testified at the trial that he had not been promised anything in exchange for his testimony. Appellants claim that there was an implied promise of leniency is, in reality, their statement of disbelief of Logan, an issue which has been resolved by the jury’s verdict.

The fundamental inquiry is whether Logan’s testimony was true. The jury had before it the fact of previous adjournments, knew that Logan had been *358 released on personal bond, and cbose to believe his testimony. We find the assignment claim of error in this regard is without merit.

II. Whether the trial court erred in failing to instruct the jury sua sponte that evidence of other robberies committed by the witness Logan and accomplices was to be considered for a limited purpose?

The following colloquy occurred during the examination of witness Logan:

“Q.

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Related

Vincent Maglaya v. Raymond J. Buchkoe, Warden
515 F.2d 265 (Sixth Circuit, 1975)
People v. Marshall
218 N.W.2d 847 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1974)
People v. Chism
211 N.W.2d 193 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1973)
People v. Holcomb
209 N.W.2d 701 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1973)
People v. Carter
204 N.W.2d 703 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1972)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
187 N.W.2d 904, 31 Mich. App. 351, 1971 Mich. App. LEXIS 2093, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-mcgath-michctapp-1971.