Siniscalchi v. Thomas

195 F. 701, 115 C.C.A. 501, 1912 U.S. App. LEXIS 1420
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
DecidedFebruary 13, 1912
DocketNo. 2,263
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 195 F. 701 (Siniscalchi v. Thomas) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Siniscalchi v. Thomas, 195 F. 701, 115 C.C.A. 501, 1912 U.S. App. LEXIS 1420 (6th Cir. 1912).

Opinion

WARRINGTON, Circuit Judge

(after stating the facts as above). [1] Although the proceedings involved in this case were begun and conducted under the immigration acts of Congress for the purpose of deporting Siniscalchi, yet they were objected to, and this appeal is pressed, upon the theory that the proceedings were so far criminal in their character as to require them to be considered in large measure according to the rules of criminal procedure. Such proceedings are in no proper sense a trial and sentence for a crime or offense. United States v. Hung Chang, 134 Fed. 19, 25, 67 C. C. A. 93 (C. C. A. [704]*7046th Cir.). They result merely in the ascertainment of whether the conditions exist under which particular aliens may remain within the country (Fong Yue Ting v. United States, 149 U. S. 698, 729, 730, 13 Sup. Ct. 1016, 37 L. Ed. 905), or under which they may be excluded or deported. The authorities are summed up by Judge Dodge in Re Jem Yuen (D. C.) 188 Fed. 350, 353:

“It is well settled tliat officers of tlie government, to whom the determination of questions of this kind is entrusted under statutes like those governing these proceedings, are not bound by the rules of criminal procedure, nor by rules of evidence applied in the courts. It is not enough for a review of their decision on habeas corpus that there was no sworn testimony, or no record of the testimony or of the decision. No formal complaint or pleadings are required- The alien’s opportunity to be heard need not be upon any regular set occasion, nor according to the forms of judicial procedure. It may be such as will secure the prompt, vigorous action contemplated by Congress and appropriate to the nature of the case.”

[2] It follows that despite the indefinite character of the warrant of arrest, especially in view of the certainty of the evidence and also of the first charge contained in the warrant of deportation, it was open to the Secretary of Commerce and Labor to consider the penal certificate (set out in the statement). True, it is insisted by counsel that the crime of rape appearing in that certificate cannot be made the basis of deportation. It is contended, in the first place, that, since the sentence was reduced from three years to four months, it amounts to nothing more than one of assault and battery; and, in the next place, that it is not shown that petitioner ever left this country after his first entrance, and he cannot therefore be charged with re-entry within three years of the date of his arrest. Counsel, however, fail to support their contention respecting modification of the sentence by any showing of the law of Italy on that subject; their reliance being placed upon the law of the state of Ohio. The record in terms states that the reduced period of detention was “for rape,” and it cannot be that this does not signify moral turpitude within the meaning alike of the charge and the act of Congress.

[3] Next, is the three years’ period applicable only to an alien’s first entry into this country? We think not. We have just passed on this question in Frick, U. S. Imm. Inspector, v. Lewis, 195 Fed. 693, and need only refer to that decision. We have examined the record with a view of testing a claim made that there is nothing to show that petitioner ever returned to Italy after his entry some 12 years ago. It is, in substance, stated in the sixth paragraph of the penal certificate that a man bearing petitioner’s name was convicted in the “Assize Court of Avéllino,- 8-2-910,” of willful homicide and sentenced to 28 years and 3 months reclusion and loss of civil rights. It appears by the marriage certificate that Augusto Siniscalchi is the son of Sebastiano Siniscalchi and Rosa Trione. This agrees with the statement in the penal certificate; and petitioner’s brother-in-law, Angelo Torti. who appeared as a witness, was shown a picture which he recognized as that of Augusto Siniscalchi. In a letter found in the record, dated at New York, September 5, 1911, from the Royal Consul General, it is stated that the sentence pronounced August 2, 1910, by the Court [705]*705of Assize of Avellino was inflicted on Siniscalchi for homicide committed in Quindici on the 14th of February, 1909.

While it is true that there is evidence showing that petitioner was in this country at the date of the conviction in Italy, yet this does not sbowr that he was not in Italy at the date of the homicide; and it is in vain to contend, in a case like this, that the portion of the record just pointed out in no wise tends to sustain the finding of the Secretary that petitioner landed in this country at some unknown port after February 4. 1909.

[ 4] The objection urged against the charge that Siniscalchi was “found receiving, sharing in, and deriving benefit from the earnings of a prostitute” is for the most part grounded on the fact that this was not stated in the warrant of arrest, but only in the warrant of deportation. A similar defect appeared in the Japanese Immigrant Case, 189 U. S. 87, 101, 23 Sup. Ct. 611, 47 L. Ed. 721, hut it was' in effect treated as immaterial because appellant had notice of ¿the purpose of the investigation in dispute. The executive officers engaged in the present case do not appear to have known of the facts on which this charge is based at the time tile warrant of arrest was issued; and tiie only question of merit upon the objection at last is whether the petitioner was given a fair hearing upon the charge. Chin Yow v. United States, 208 U. S. 11, 13, 28 Sup. Ct. 201, 52 L. Ed. 369; United States v. Ju Toy, 198 U. S. 261, 25 Sup. Ct. 644, 49 L. Ed. 1040; Davies v. Manolis. 179 Fed. 823, 103 C. C. A. 310 (C. C. A., 7th Cir.). We are satisfied from the record that, while petitioner and his counsel were not always given notice that testimony on this subject was to be taken, still petitioner was represented by counsel in the taking of part of the testimony, and a copy of all the testimony taken in this behalf was furnished to counsel and opportunity given to examine witnesses or to put in witnesses themselves. Petitioner did not see fit to take advantage of the opportunity. Counsel believed that the testimony taken at Richmond was immaterial; and when on October 6, 1911, the record as then made up and all the accompanying papers were presented to counsel for inspection, it was stated that they did not wish to offer anything further in the case and were ready to have it submitted. We may add that in the court below Judge Hollister found:

“The writ of habeas corpus, now under consideration, was not issued until October 24tb, the warrant of deportation having issued October 23d. In all of the time from October Gth to October 23d, no effort was made by the alien or his counsel to offer any evidence on the subject.”

If we have the right to disturb this finding, we are not warranted in doing so. Wong Hueng v. Elliot, 179 Fed. 111, 102 C. C. A. 408 (C. C. A. 9th Cir.).

[5] The charge is founded on the portion of section 3 of the act, as amended March 26, 1910, from which the three years’ limitation was removed by the amendment, and the manner of deportation prescribed by sections 20 and 21 substituted; and hence the question of re-entry involved under the first charge (passed on in the Frick-Lewis case) does not arise upon this branch of the present case. United States v. Prentis (D. C.) 182 Fed. 894, affirmed at April Session, 1911, Circuit

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Bluebook (online)
195 F. 701, 115 C.C.A. 501, 1912 U.S. App. LEXIS 1420, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/siniscalchi-v-thomas-ca6-1912.