United States ex rel. West v. LaVallee

231 F. Supp. 809, 1963 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6395
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. New York
DecidedAugust 12, 1963
DocketCiv. No. 9686
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 231 F. Supp. 809 (United States ex rel. West v. LaVallee) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. New York 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. West v. LaVallee, 231 F. Supp. 809, 1963 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6395 (N.D.N.Y. 1963).

Opinion

JAMES T. FOLEY, Chief Judge.

Memorandum — Decision and Order

The petitioner, in a neat, handprinted application for habeas corpus, sets forth with clarity eight contentions that he deems worthy of federal consideration. In my judgment only two reach such stature and those are the now familiar claims first, that evidence seized by illegal search, and secondly, a confession extracted by coercion, were admitted in evidence at his trial. The petitioner was convicted after trial by jury in Albany County in October, 1959, of the crime of possession of narcotics with intent to sell, and sentenced as a third felony offender to a term of eight to sixteen years. The appeal reached the Appellate Division, Third Department, and was argued June 8, 1961; and when the important ruling with abrupt change from the past was handed down by the United States Supreme Court in Mapp v. Ohio, 367 U.S. 643, 81 S.Ct. 1684, 6 L.Ed.2d 1081, the matter was reargued. The Appellate Division, Third Department, reviewed the conviction and granted a new trial referring specifically to People v. Loria, 10 N.Y.2d 368, 223 N.Y.S.2d 462, 179 N.E.2d 478; People v. West, 15 A.D.2d 686.

Presiding Justice Bergan granted permission to appeal to the Court of Appeals, and after resettlement procedures it was certified by the Appellate Division, Third Department that its ruling embodied solely a question of law, and except for such asserted question of law that Court would have affirmed the conviction on the facts. (12 N.Y.2d 995, 239 N.Y.S.2d 124, 189 N.E.2d 620; 18 A.D.2d 1047). The Court of Appeals, New York, unanimously reversed the order of the Appellate Division and reinstated the judgment of the Albany County Court upon the specific ground that the voiced “no objection” of defense counsel to the admission of evidence alleged on appeal to have been illegally seized, preserved no question of law for review by any appellate court of New York despite the Mapp ruling. (People v. West, 12 N.Y.2d 1090, 240 N.Y.S.2d 159). It is significant to note that with this apparent [810]*810judicial and careful approach to the points raised on appeal both the Appellate Division and the Court of Appeals expressed the view in their opinions that other alleged errors lacked merit and substance.

The aftermath of the ruling in Mapp v. Ohio, supra, has been the creation of a patchwork of varying interpretations and distinctions with, I am sure, many more to come. The retroactive effect of the ruling is immersed, and may be for a long time before final definite ruling, in a cauldron of controversy. (Hall v. Warden, 4 Cir., 313 F.2d 483, cert. den. sub. nom. Pepersack v. Hall, 374 U.S. 809, 83 S.Ct. 1693, 10 L.Ed.2d 1032; Hurst v. People, (N.D.California), 211 F.Supp. 387, 395; Contra Gaitan v. United States, 10 Cir., 317 F.2d 494). New York, through its Court of Appeals in a series of opinions, has limited retroactive application and clarified the circumstances in which the Mapp ruling would be applied. (People v. Loria, 10 N.Y.2d 368, 223 N.Y.S.2d 462, 179 N.E.2d 368; People v. Coffey, 11 N.Y.2d 142, 227 N.Y.S.2d 412, 182 N.E.2d 92; People v. O’Neill, 11 N.Y.2d 148, 227 N.Y.S.2d 416, 182 N.E.2d 95; People v. Muller, 11 N.Y.2d 154, 227 N.Y.S.2d 421, 182 N.E.2d 99; People v. Friola, 11 N.Y.2d 157, 227 N.Y.S.2d 423, 182 N.E.2d 100; People v. Meyer, 11 N.Y.2d 162, 227 N.Y.S.2d 427, 182 N.E.2d 103; People v. Wade, 12 N.Y.2d 61, 236 N.Y.S.2d 36, 187 N.E.2d 111; People v. Kelly, 12 N.Y.2d 248, 238 N.Y.S.2d 934, 189 N.E.2d 477). More important, however, is the fact that Judge Brennan of this District Court in United States ex rel. McCrea v. LaVallee, Warden, D.C., 219 F.Supp. 917, expressly followed these rulings of the New York Court of Appeals and refused to apply the Mapp doctrine retroactively. In the interests of order and comity in this two-judge district, I adopted and followed the reasoning and ruling of Judge Brennan in this respect. (United States ex rel. Wilson v. Murphy, Warden, (NDNY), decided June 11, 1963). These serious questions that must await authoritative appellate ruling have been recognized but have not yet been decided, by the Court of Appeals, Second Circuit.: (United States v. Sobell, 2 Cir., 314 F.2d 314, 322, fn. 6; United States ex rel. Vaughn v. LaVallee, 2 Cir., 318 F.2d 499). The record of the trial has been furnished by the petitioner and at my request appellate briefs have been supplied by the Assistant District Attorney Lyons, of Albany County, who prosecuted the case, and shall be filed with the Clerk of this Court. Although I do not reach the merits of the illegal search and seizure challenge, it is clear in the trial record that the defense counsel unequivocally expressed himself as having “no objection” to the introduction of the heroin packets and containers. (pgs. 33-36, 132-34). The answer to be presumed for this position, of course, was the defense that the heroin was brought into the house of the defendant in a brown paper bag by his girl friend unknown to him. The girl friend testified at the trial that an acquaintance, known only by his first name, gave her the brown bag in a grill to take care of for a couple of hours, and she did not know the contents. The failure to object, done knowingly and pursuant to defense strategy, may waive constitutional infirmity if it did exist. (United States ex rel. Reid v. Richmond, 2 Cir., 295 F.2d 83, 89-90; Ker v. California, 374 U.S. 23, 83 S.Ct. 1623, 10 L.Ed.2d 726, 744, n. 15). It would also seem logical answer to deny federal intrusion at this time by reason of the failure to object because such strategy of defense counsel results in a situation where the State had no reason or opportunity to produce further evidence, if necessary, that would justify legally the search and seizure.

The coerced confession claim is one with which this District Court has had considerable experience. (United States ex rel. Kiernan v. LaVallee (NDNY), 191 F.Supp. 455). It is a troublesome, delicate challenge that results in sharp division and extensive writings by the highest authority. (See Spano v. New York, 360 U.S. 315, 321, n. 2, 79 S.Ct. 1202, 3 L.Ed.2d 1265). It is a . [811]*811field of law uncertain in guide and principle except for a statement of generalities to be applied to the facts. It is fundamental and settled that the totality of circumstances must be considered. (Fikes v. Alabama, 352 U.S. 191, 197, 77 S.Ct. 281, 1 L.Ed.2d 246). It did seem settled that in the federal review the federal courts should remain away from the disputed fact area. Thomas v. Arizona, 356 U.S. 390, 402-403, 78 S.Ct. 885, 2 L.Ed.2d 863; compare Townsend v. Sain, 372 U.S. 293, 83 S.Ct. 745, 9 L.Ed.2d 770.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

United States ex rel. White v. Myers
252 F. Supp. 832 (E.D. Pennsylvania, 1966)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
231 F. Supp. 809, 1963 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6395, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-ex-rel-west-v-lavallee-nynd-1963.