United States ex rel. Hasan v. Gernert

297 F. Supp. 1301, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9162
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedFebruary 14, 1969
DocketMisc. No. 3527
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 297 F. Supp. 1301 (United States ex rel. Hasan v. Gernert) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States ex rel. Hasan v. Gernert, 297 F. Supp. 1301, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9162 (E.D. Pa. 1969).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

BODY, District Judge.

The relator seeks a writ of habeas corpus. A hearing on his petition was held on September 26, 1968 pursuant to an order of the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in United States ex rel. Hasan v. Gernert, 395 F.2d 193 (May 7, 1968, [1302]*1302per curiam). Briefs were filed by both sides. The relator was represented by John W. Packel, Esq. and Herman J. Pollock, Esq. of the Public Defenders’ Office.

The crux of the relator’s present action 1 rests on a contention that a certain valuable police report, known as a “75-48”, was denied to him and thereby deprived him of an opportunity to test the credibility of three of the government’s main witnesses. This, it is contended, amounted to an unconstitutional suppression of evidence by the Commonwealth entitling the relator to a new trial and discharge from the custody of the State Board of Parole.

FACTS

On November 10, 1964 the relator was tried before the Honorable Charles L. Guerin and a jury on three bills of indictment, September Sessions 1964, Philadelphia County, Nos. 507, 508, 509, charging inciting to riot, conspiracy and destruction of property. These indictments charged him with participating in and inciting disorders which took place on the night of August 28 and 29, 1964, in the vicinity of Twenty-second Street and Columbia Avenue in Philadelphia. At the trial three ministers and three policemen testified against relator. The relator presented three witnesses on his behalf and testified himself.

The Rev. William P. Stevenson testified that he observed the relator on the scene shortly after his arrival at 1:30 A.M. on August 29, 1964. He said that the relator was leading the crowd in chanting and yelling. Reverend Stevenson testified that he saw the relator from 1:30 A.M. when he arrived on the scene until 4:30 A.M. when he left. (Trial Notes 50)

The Rev. Roland V. Jones testified that he observed the relator sometime after 9:00 P.M. on August 28, 1964. Reverend Jones also stated he saw the relator in the area until “the morning hours, 1 to 2.” (Trial Notes 3)

The Rev. Wrennie Morgan testified that he saw the relator sometime after 12 midnight on August 29 and that the relator stayed there until 9:00 A.M. on August 29.

All of the above witnesses exhibited a degree of uncertainty in stating specific times at which they observed the relator.

Officers Reardon and Monahan testified that they saw the relator at about 9:15 P.M. or 9:30 P.M. on August 28, 1964 (Trial Notes 35, 43) Cecil Moore, Esq., who testified for the defense, stated he had seen the relator at 7:30 A.M. or 8:00 A.M. on August 29, 1964. (Trial Notes 61)

The relator testified to substantially the same facts at both the trial and the habeas corpus hearing on September 26, 1968. Between 11:00 and 12:00 P.M. on August 28 he was taken to the Temple University Hospital Accident Ward. He was released at about 3:15 A.M. He was then allegedly continued in police custody and held at the Seventeenth and Montgomery Police Station until 9:00 A.M. on August 29, 1964. The hospital records which were introduced indicated that relator was admitted at 12:05 A.M. on August 29, 1964 and was released at 3:15 A.M. (Trial Notes 120) The records also indicated that relator was brought to the hospital in Patrol Wagon 2200 of the 22nd Police District in police custody. (There was a large number of persons admitted during the course of the disturbances on the nights of August 28-29, 1964.)

Other witnesses stated they saw relator at the scene on the evening in question. (Trial Notes 69, 71, 74, 75) The relator admitted his presence at the scene at both the trial and the habeas corpus hearing. (Trial Notes 109, 110) The conflict concerns the time he was [1303]*1303present and what he did while there. Contrary to the Commonwealth’s witnesses, the relator states that he attempted to control rather than incite the crowds. What relator actually did at the scene of the disorders is, however, not for this Court to decide.

At trial relator’s counsel demanded production of the form “75-48” from the district attorney. Counsel indicated that he had made efforts but had been unable to obtain it. A discussion between the court and counsel was held off the record but there was no resolution or ruling indicated. The request for the form “75-48” was never pursued further by relator’s trial counsel as far as this Court knows. Further, it was stipulated at the habeas corpus hearing before this Court that the trial counsel and assistant district attorney would be unable to testify as to what was said at the sidebar conference or whether the form “75-48” had been in the assistant district attorney’s possession at the time of trial.

Relator testified at the habeas corpus hearing before this Court that he had requested his trial counsel to secure the attendance of a large number of witnesses who could have and would have testified to his activities on the night of the alleged offenses. These witnesses were not called and in some cases were not subpoenaed.

On November 16, 1964 relator was found guilty of inciting to riot, participating in a riot, and conspiracy to commit riot. On January 11, 1965 the Honorable Charles L. Guerin imposed a sentence of $1,000 fine and eighteen months to three years imprisonment in County Prison on September Sessions 1964, No. 507 (charging riot and inciting to riot); and two years probation, to run consecutively to the jail sentence, on No. 508 (charging conspiracy). A directed verdict of not guilty was returned on a charge of riotous destruction of property, September Sessions 1964, No. 509. Relator’s maximum sentence on No. 507 expired on August 12, 1967. His parole expires on August 12, 1969.

LEGAL CONCLUSIONS

This Court is of the opinion that relator should not prevail under the circumstances of this case. The relator labors under a considerable burden in that not only must he prove the existence of the “75-48”, but also that the form “75-48” would have contained the names of witnesses whose testimony would have buttressed the relator’s alibi.

While there was a demand for the form “75-48” at trial by defense counsel, there is no evidence based upon personal knowledge that the report, specifically referred to, ever existed. The result of the sidebar conference was not preserved in any manner and therefore what occurred is purely a matter of speculation at this time.

There was testimony by the Public Defender investigator, Preston Washington, a twenty-five year veteran of the Philadelphia police, that a form “75-48” would have been made out in such a situation by the police who took the relator to the Temple University Hospital. Such testimony alone, however, does not satisfy relator’s burden of proving that such a report existed, and in fact, was prepared and written. It seems quite possible that regular police practices concerning reports might have been suspended on the night in question due to the disorders.

Even if the report did exist, it was up to the relator’s trial counsel to follow up on his initial demand for it. A simple request at trial for a form “75-48”, together with testimony as to regular police practices in this area, without more, does not prove the existence of the report.

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Related

Commonwealth v. Jones
283 A.2d 707 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1971)
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335 F. Supp. 1186 (S.D. Texas, 1971)

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Bluebook (online)
297 F. Supp. 1301, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9162, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-ex-rel-hasan-v-gernert-paed-1969.