United States v. Armco Steel Corp.

255 F. Supp. 841, 1966 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6629
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. California
DecidedFebruary 14, 1966
DocketNo. 35326-Cr
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 255 F. Supp. 841 (United States v. Armco Steel Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Armco Steel Corp., 255 F. Supp. 841, 1966 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6629 (S.D. Cal. 1966).

Opinion

HALL, District Judge.

The indictment was filed in this case on September 28, 1965. After an order severing the trial — there were two counts —and setting the trial as to Count 2 before the trial of Count 1, the defendants filed a motion for a bill of particulars with nine paragraphs divided into 31 sub-paragraphs, all of which were granted except paragraph 7, which contained three subparagraphs, which was denied without prejudice to its renewal.

Without detailing the repeated efforts of the defendants and the repeated orders of the court to require the plaintiff to supply the particulars requested and [842]*842originally ordered, by Judge Crary, an order was made by me on December 20 and filed December 27, 1965 specifying the details wherein the Government’s particulars in its several previous documents were lacking.

In response to these various orders for bills of particulars the plaintiff up to January 26th had filed a bill of particula.rs, a second bill of particulars, a third bill of particulars and an appendix to a third bill of particulars.

After the appendix to the third bill of particulars was filed the defendants again complained and made a motion to dismiss the indictment for failure of the Government to comply with the orders of the court. This court was of the view that the record was such at that time that it would not then warrant a dismissal of the case.

The condition of the record is such now, with the various documents thus filed by the Government in response to the defendants’ motions and the court’s orders that it is practically impossible for anyone to determine from the lengthy and confusing contradictory statements made in 4he various particulars filed by the Government just what the Government intended its response to be to the defend-jails’ motions and the court’s orders, That was shortly before the trial.

Accordingly, the court then required the plaintiff to file on the commencement on the day of the trial, January 31st, one document in which it would set forth its responses to all of the various demands and various orders of the court, That document with its appendices is about 100 pages long.

It appeared to do little more than to take pieces out of other documents that the Government had filed and to repeat them.

Thereupon the defendants all joined in a notice of motion and the motion to suppress the evidence on the ground that the Government had failed to comply with the orders of this court requiring it to furnish the particulars set forth in the various defendants’ motions and the court’s orders, and on one other ground which I will advert to later,

The defendants also filed the motion to dismiss on other grounds, which I will advert to later.

The matters were fully argued February 7th, and the parties filed memoranda jn support of their motions.

The court has now had an opportunity stU(jy and examine not only the points and authorities cited in support of the parties’ motions but also to make such a detailed study of the consolidated bill of particulars that with the aid of the paste pot, a clipper, and scissors I have .now been able to divide them into two bill of particulars, one relating to Count 2 and one relating to Count 1.

Whüe the motion ig to quash aU the evidence relating to both Counts 1 and 2 f0r failure to comply with the request of an order of bill of particulars, the court will consider them separately and will take up the consolidated bill of particulars with relation to Count 2 first,

The particulars which the defendants contend the Government has not supplied are those described in the defendants’ original motion and in various orders made as to 2(a), 2(b), 3(f), 3(g) and 8 (f). I will advert to other particulars, however, in considering them.

An examination and careful study of the bill of particulars furnished by the Government in the consolidated bill of particulars on Count 2 discloses a gross inadequacy of response to the defendants’ motions and the court’s orders granting them.

2(a), the demand and the order was with respect to paragraphs 6 and 15 of the indictment. 6 related to Count 1, but 15 related to the second count, and therefore it becomes important,

It says: “State separately for each count (i) the date when the alleged combination, conspiracy was formed, (ii) the place where it was formed, (iii) the date when each defendant and each co-conspirator joined the alleged combination and conspiracy, and (iv) the periods of time which it is claimed [843]*843each defendant each (v) co-conspirator remained therein.”

And with respect to paragraphs 6 and 15 of the indictment- the demand in

2(b) says: “In the alternative, if Plaintiff asserts that it does not know the date when the alleged combination and conspiracy was formed, state separately for each count the date of the earliest act by each defendant known to Plaintiff, which Plaintiff asserts constituted the formation of, or a part of the formation of, or an act in furtherance of the conspiracy, and state the periods of time for which Plaintiff claims each defendant and each co-conspirator remained a party thereto.”

And skipping for a moment the intervening pages that relate to Count 1 and coming down to page 11 where it is headed “COUNT TWO,” this is in response to 2(a) and 2(b). The particular states:

“The earliest act by each defendant known to plaintiff which plaintiff asserts constituted the formation of, or an act in furtherance of the (Count II) conspiracy, as to each defendant is identified in Appendix C.”

And also this relates to another answer to another paragraph,

But as to Count II, the answer is: “The earliest act by each defendant known to plaintiff which plaintiff asserts constituted the formation of, or an act in furtherance of the (Count II) conspiracy as to each defendant”

was identified in the paragraph or paragraphs of the Government’s third bill of particulars, pages 9 to 14, pages 19 to 24 of this bill.

So we first go back to pages 75 and 77 for information as to what is the earliest act by each defendant known to plaintiff which plaintiff asserts constituted the formation of, or act in furtherance of (Count II) of the conspiracy as to each defendant is identified in Appendix C.

The defendants who remain in the case are entitled to know the particulars ordered by the court concerning the defendants who are not presently in the case on Count II as well as those who remain.

I shall now analyze the particulars relating only to the defendants who are still in the case on Count II. Having reference to the Government’s response to the court’s order to furnish defendants’ request of demand 2(a) and 2(b) we find the earliest date known to the Government which the Government asserts constituted the formation of or an act in furtherance of the conspiracy as to the defendant Armco is set forth on page 76 of the bill of particulars and is asserted to be paragraph 4 or 17 or 18 or 20 of the Government’s response to 2(c). We then have to revert back to page 19.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
255 F. Supp. 841, 1966 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6629, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-armco-steel-corp-casd-1966.