United States v. Agosto

557 F. Supp. 454, 1983 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19085
CourtDistrict Court, D. Minnesota
DecidedFebruary 22, 1983
DocketNo. Cr. 3-81-96
StatusPublished

This text of 557 F. Supp. 454 (United States v. Agosto) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Agosto, 557 F. Supp. 454, 1983 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19085 (mnd 1983).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM & ORDER

DEYITT, District Judge.

On January 23, 1983, defendant was found guilty on 18 counts of mail fraud, wire fraud, misapplication of bank funds, and conspiracy. After the verdict was read and received, the government moved the court to revoke defendant’s bond and place him in custody. The court found that defendant had not discharged his burden under Fed.R.Crim.P. 46(c) and 18 U.S.C. § 3148, revoked defendant’s bond, and placed him in the custody of the United States Marshal. The following day the court heard additional evidence from the defendant and the government. Once again the court found that defendant had not discharged his burden. Because the court was leaving the jurisdiction to attend a judicial conference, the matter was referred to the magistrate in the event defendant wanted to present additional evidence. On February 9, 1983, after several days of hearings, the magistrate ruled that defendant had met his burden of proof and imposed a number of conditions that had to be met prior to release.

The government appealed the magistrate’s February 9,1983 order to this court, and on February 14, 1983, this court stayed that order. Defendant moves this court for an order dismissing the government’s appeal of the February 9 order claiming this court does not have the power to review that order.

At the time this matter was referred, the magistrate’s power to hear the matter had not been resolved. Ignoring the jurisdictional question, defendant proceeded to present several days of evidence and testimony to the magistrate. It was not until the magistrate ruled and the government appealed that defendant raised the issue of the magistrate’s authority.

Defendant argues that a magistrate’s determination under section 3148 is not subject to review by the district court, apparently relying on 28 U.S.C. § 636(a)(2), which grants magistrates power to “impose conditions of release under section 3146 of title 18.” Defendant argues that because section 3148 incorporates section 3146 by reference and because section 3146 expressly allows a judicial officer to make the determination under that section, the magistrate had authority to make a final ruling under section 3148. In addition, defendant argues that because section 3148 is not specifically referenced in 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(B) (relating to the types of matters that may be referred to a magistrate for a report and recommendation), this is further support for the position the district court does not have the power to review the magistrate’s order. There are no reported decisions that address this precise issue. However, it is clear that the issue of a magistrate’s role and scope of authority is to be decided initially by the district court. See In re Worksite Inspection of Quality Products, Inc., 592 F.2d 611, 613 (1st Cir.1979); Bruno v. Hamilton, 521 F.2d 114, 117 (8th Cir.1975).

Congress’ intent in passing the Magistrate’s Act was “to cull from the ever-growing workload of the U.S. district courts matters that are more desirably performed by a lower tier of judicial officers.” H.Rep.[456]*456No. 1629, 90th Cong. 2d Sess., reprinted in [1968] U.S.Code Cong. & Ad.News 4252, 4255 [hereinafter 1968 House Report]. Although a magistrate has authority and responsibilities that derive from the statute itself, Bruno, 521 F.2d at 116; Administrative Office of the United States Courts, Legal Manual for United States Magistrate, § 3.06, at 3-9 (1980) [hereinafter Magistrate’s Manual], it must be remembered that “the magistrate is an officer of the U.S. district court, is appointed by article III judges of the court and subject at all times to the directions and control of the judges.” 1968 House Report, supra, at 4264; Mathews v. Weber, 423 U.S. 261, 96 S.Ct. 549, 554, 46 L.Ed.2d 483 (1976). The jurisdiction that a magistrate exercises is derived from the district court, delegated to the magistrate by the court pursuant to statute and local rule. Magistrate’s Manual, supra, § 3.01, at 3-2. Generally a magistrate’s duties can be classified into four categories:

a. Those duties which had formerly been handled by United States commissioners (primarily initial proceedings in federal criminal cases);
b. The trial of criminal misdemeanors upon the consent of the defendants;
c. The trial of civil cases upon the consent of the litigants; and
d. “Additional duties” delegated by the judges of the district courts to assist them in expediting the civil and criminal caseloads of the courts.

Id. The first category is codified in 28 U.S.C. § 636(a)(1) & (2) which provides:

(a) Each United States magistrate serving under this chapter shall have within the territorial jurisdiction prescribed by his appointment—
(1) all powers and duties conferred or imposed upon United States commissioners by law or by the Rules of Criminal Procedure for the United States District Courts;
(2) the power to administer oaths and affirmations, impose conditions of release under section 3146 of title 18, and take acknowledgements, affidavits, and depositions....

Taking the legislative history as a whole and reviewing the statutory predecessors to these sections, the inescapable conclusion is that Congress intended magistrates to have final decision-making authority only over matters that are ministerial in nature. See, e.g., 1968 House Report, supra; Magistrate’s Manual, supra, § 3.03. This authority is limited even further in felony cases. “[A] magistrate’s authority in a felony case is limited to: (1) the conduct of initial proceedings under 28 U.S.C. § 636(a); and (2) the conduct of other proceedings on reference from a district judge under 28 U.S.C. § 636(b).” Magistrate’s Manual, supra, § 3.12, at 3-19 (emphasis added); see 1968 House Report, supra, at 4263-65; Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, Reports of the Proceedings of the Judicial Conference of the United States at 54 (1971). It is within this context that 18 U.S.C. §§ 3146 & 3148 must be interpreted.

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Related

Mathews v. Weber
423 U.S. 261 (Supreme Court, 1976)
Patrick J. O'Shea v. United States
491 F.2d 774 (First Circuit, 1974)
Dorothy Bruno v. Hon. Calvin K. Hamilton
521 F.2d 114 (Eighth Circuit, 1975)
United States v. Peter Zuccaro
645 F.2d 104 (Second Circuit, 1981)
United States v. Clifton Thibodeaux
663 F.2d 520 (Fifth Circuit, 1981)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
557 F. Supp. 454, 1983 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19085, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-agosto-mnd-1983.