Romero v. Squier

133 F.2d 528, 1943 U.S. App. LEXIS 3851
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedJanuary 29, 1943
Docket10242
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 133 F.2d 528 (Romero v. Squier) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Romero v. Squier, 133 F.2d 528, 1943 U.S. App. LEXIS 3851 (9th Cir. 1943).

Opinion

DENMAN, Circuit Judge.

This is an appeal from the judgment of the District Court for the Western District of Washington dismissing a petition for a writ of habeas corpus, in which appellant was the petitioner, and the appellee was the respondent. In the district court appellant contended that he was unlawfully imprisoned in the custody of the Warden, McNeil Island, Washington, under an order of commitment by a general court-martial at Fort William McKinley, Philippine Islands, on November 25, 1940, ordering that appellant be imprisoned for a period of 15 years. Appellant contends the conviction is in violation of Article IV and Article VI of the Amendments to the Constitution of the United States and of the Act of June 4, 1920, c. 227, subchap. II, Articles 17, 35, 70, 41 Stat. 790, 794, 802, 10 U.S.C.A. §§ 1488, 1506, 1542.

The charge before the court-martial was violation of the 96th Article of War, 10 U.S.C.A. § 1568, which provides, “§ 1568. General article (article 96). Though not mentioned in these articles, all disorders and neglects to the prejudice of good order and military discipline, all conduct of a nature to bring discredit upon the military service, and all crimes or offenses not capital, of which persons subject to military law may be guilty, shall be taken cognizance of by a general or special or summary court-martial, according to the nature and degree of the offense, and punished at the discretion of such court."

Appellant, a West Point graduate and a Captain in the United States Army, was at all times a Topographical and Intelligence Officer, having access to secret army maps showing the defenses of Bataan and other military installations in the Philippines. On the merits there is abundant evidence to support the findings of guilty on each of the following specifications of the charge;

*530 “Sp. 1: Communicating secret maps pertaining to national defense to persons not entitled to receive such information.

“Sp. 2: Reproducing uncensored ‘Secret’ maps of military installations without authority.

“Sp. 3: Conspiring to communicate secret maps pertaining to national defense.

“Sp. 4: Conspiring to reproduce uncensored ‘Secret’ maps of military installations without authority.”

The sentence was for 15 years imprisonment for the conviction on the four charges as a unit, there being no segregation of the number of years’ sentence for each specification on which appellant was found guilty. The sentence was approved by the Commanding General of the Philippine Division; the record — not containing the maps —forwarded for the action of the President; examined by the Board of Review of the Judge Advocate General’s Office in Washington, D. C.; the Board’s opinion, with recommendations of the Judge Advocate General, and the record were given the President, who confirmed the sentence and ordered it carried into execution.

The final decision after trial by court-martial, like that of any civil court, is subject to inquiry in a habeas corpus proceeding concerning the jurisdiction of the court-martial to render the judgment. United States v. John Grimley, 137 U.S. 147, 11 S.Ct. 54, 34 L.Ed. 636, 637.

Concerning the appellant’s claims of violation of the Fourth and Sixth Amendments, the Government makes no contention that these Amendments confer no rights on an accused in a court-martial proceeding. Since we hold that the evidence does not show either absence of counsel or an unreasonable search and seizure, it is unnecessary to give consideration to this question of jurisdiction, otherwise necessarily required.

A. Appellant contends that certain secret maps of the United States Army containing information concerning the fortifications of Bataan and other places in the Philippine Islands were procured by one Major Evans, Chief of Intelligence, Philippine Department of the United States Army, by an unlawful search and seizure in violation of the provision of the Fourth Amendment, as follows: “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”

The maps were introduced into evidence without objection by appellant, but, when the facts regarding the search for them and their seizure were later proved, their rejection as evidence was sought. It was not granted.

Appellant does not contend that the maps were his property, but claims a right to their possession for the purpose of studying the defense of the Islands, a military function, for which he should be prepared. However, it is unnecessary to consider whether the words “their papers” in the Constitution included papers to which the possessor had not legal title, but has the right to possession, or whether the appellant had any right to possess them, because, in our opinion, there was no illegal search for and seizure of the maps.

It was stipulated that a search warrant addressed to “Any Officer of the Law,” commanding a search “for the following property: ‘Stolen Maps Belonging to United States Army’ and, if you find the same or any part thereof, to bring it forthwith before me in the Justice of the Peace Court of Pasay, Rizal,” was issued and executed by competent authority under the laws of the Philippine Commonwealth. Appellee does not contend that Major Evans was one of the Philippine officers of the law to whom the warrant was addressed.

It appears that Major Evans, in the performance of his duty with reference to the return of the maps to the United States Army, to which they belonged, gave the information which led to the issuance of the search warrant so stipulated to have been “issued and executed by competent authority.” The search was made by a Captain of the Philippine Police of Constabulary and was accompanied by other police officers and by Major Evans, who could identify the maps belonging to the United States. It is entirely proper for the police, duly authorized to make a search, to take along persons for the identification of the property for which the warrant is issued. For instance, the owner of a watch advises the authorities that it has been stolen from him by John Brown and that the watch is in Brown’s house, whereupon the authorities issue a search warrant and the complaining owner accompanies the *531 search to pick his watch out from another or others in John Brown’s room. The Supreme Court has held that the searching authorities properly may procure such aid. Byars v. United States, 273 U.S. 28, 32, 47 S.Ct. 248, 71 L.Ed. 520.

The Police Captain testified that he was accompanied by Major Evans when they discovered the maps in a trunk in the automobile of the accused, located in the basement of the accused’s home. Major Evans identified them as secret maps belonging to the United States Army, and it is not questioned that they belonged to anyone else other than the United States Army.

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133 F.2d 528, 1943 U.S. App. LEXIS 3851, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/romero-v-squier-ca9-1943.