United States v. Ayotte

841 F. Supp. 2d 398, 2012 WL 112639, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3111
CourtDistrict Court, D. Maine
DecidedJanuary 11, 2012
DocketNo. 1:11-cr-00156-JAW
StatusPublished

This text of 841 F. Supp. 2d 398 (United States v. Ayotte) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Maine primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Ayotte, 841 F. Supp. 2d 398, 2012 WL 112639, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3111 (D. Me. 2012).

Opinion

ORDER ON MOTION TO DISMISS AND MOTION TO STRIKE SUR-PLUSAGE FROM INDICTMENT

JOHN A. WOODCOCK, JR., Chief Judge.

A defendant charged as a felon in possession moves to dismiss his indictment, claiming that it violates the Speedy Trial Act (STA), contains a multiplicitous charge, and charges an undifferentiated domestic violence assault which either does not meet the Armed Career Criminal Act’s (ACCA) definition of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence or renders the statute unconstitutional, and ásserting that the ACCA is unconstitutional because it is void for vagueness. The defendant also moves to strike the name and nature of his prior felony convictions from the indictment, claiming that they are surplusage. Concluding that the indictment does not contain surplusage and that there is no valid reason to dismiss the indictment, the Court denies both motions.

I. STATEMENT OF FACTS

A. Procedural History

The Government filed a complaint against Matthew Ayotte on April 8, 2011, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, possession of a firearm after a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, and possession of a stolen firearm. Compl. (Docket # 1). On April 25, 2011, after learning that Mr. Ayotte was detained on state charges, the Government moved for a writ of habeas corpus ad prosequendum so that Mr. Ayotte could make his initial appearance in federal court. Gov’t’s Application for Writ of Habeas Corpus (Docket # 5). The Magistrate Judge granted the motion and issued the writ of habeas corpus ad prosequendum the following day, April 26, 2011. Order Granting Mot. for Writ of Habeas Corpus (Docket # 6); Writ of Habeas Corpus ad Prosequendum Issued for Matthew Lucas Ayotte (Docket # 7).

On April 28, 2011, the Government moved for Mr. Ayotte’s pretrial detention. [402]*402Gov’t’s Mot. for Detention (Docket # 9). Also on April 28, 2011, Mr. Ayotte made his initial appearance, at which the Magistrate Judge appointed defense counsel and Mr. Ayotte waived preliminary hearing. Minute Entry (Docket # 10). No action was taken that day on the motion for detention and Mr. Ayotte remained in state custody. Minute Entry (Docket # 10). The Magistrate Judge held a detention hearing on May 4, 2011, Minute Entry (Docket # 15), and on May 6, 2011, she set conditions of release for Mr. Ayotte. Order Setting Conditions of Release (Docket # 19).

On May 6, 2011, Mr. Ayotte filed an unopposed motion to continue the indictment date and a speedy trial waiver. Def.’s Mot. to Exclude Time Under the STA (Docket # 18). On May 9, 2011, the Magistrate Judge denied the motion to continue. Order Denying Mot. to Continue (Docket # 21). Mr. Ayotte then moved for reconsideration, Def.’s Mot. to Reconsider Mot. to Exclude Time under the STA (Docket # 22), and after a hearing, the Magistrate Judge granted Mr. Ayotte’s motion, finding that the requested exclusion was in the interests of justice. Order (Docket # 24); Minute Entry (Docket # 25). The corresponding speedy trial order excluded the time from April 28, 2011 to June 16, 2011. Speedy Trial Order (Docket # 26).

On June 18, 2011, the Government moved ex paite for revocation of Mr. Ayotte’s order of release and issuance of an arrest warrant on the ground that Mr. Ayotte had violated the conditions of his release. Ex Parte Mot. for Hr’g for Revocation of Order of Release and for Issuance of a Warrant for Arrest (Docket #27). The Court issued an arrest warrant for Mr. Ayotte the same day, June 18, 2011. Arrest Warrant (Docket # 28). On August 29, 2011, Mr. Ayotte was located and arrested in the Western District of Kentucky. The Government declined to honor his request to remain in Kentucky and have the matter resolved there and, on September 1, 2011, the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky ordered him back to the District of Maine. Rule 5(c)(8) Documents Received Attach. 1 (Order Remanding Hr’g) (Docket # 29).

On September 23, 2011, in a three-count indictment, a federal grand jury indicted Mr. Ayotte for possession of a firearm after having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, possession of a firearm after a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, and possession of a stolen firearm. Indictment (Docket # 30). On September 29, 2010, Mr. Ayotte appeared for arraignment before the Magistrate Judge and entered a plea of not guilty on all counts. Minute Entry (Docket # 34). The Magistrate Judge ordered his detention pending trial, which was set for November 1, 2011. Order of Revocation and Detention (Docket # 37); Trial List (Docket # 36).

Mr. Ayotte moved to continue the pretrial motion deadline and trial date, as well as to exclude time from the STA calculations. Def.’s Unopposed Mot. for Continuance of Pretrial Mot. Deadline and Trial Date (Docket # 38). The Court granted the motions, pushing back the trial date to January 3, 2012. Speedy Trial Order (Docket # 39). The Court excluded the time period between October 13, 2011 and November 14, 2011 for pretrial motions and from November 1, 2011 to January 4, 2012 for trial. Speedy Trial Order.

On November 14, 2011, Mr. Ayotte stipulated to having a prior felony conviction. That same day, he filed the pending motions—a motion to dismiss and a motion to strike surplusage from the indictment. [403]*403Mot. to Dismiss (Docket # 41) (Def.’s Mot. to Dismiss); Mot. to Strike Surplusage from Indictment (Docket #42) (Def.’s Mot. to Strike). The Government filed its responses on December 5, 2011. Opp’n to Mot. to Dismiss (Docket #44) (Gov’t’s Dismiss Opp’n); Resp. to Mot. to Strike Surplusage from Indictment (Docket #45) (Gov’t’s Strike Opp’n). Mr. Ayotte replied on December 19, 2011. Reply to Resp. to Mot. to Strike Surplusage from Indictment (Docket #48) (Def.’s Strike Reply); Reply to Resp. to Mot. to Dismiss (Docket # 50) {Def.’s Dismiss Reply). He again moved to continue the trial date. Def. 's Unopposed Mot. for Continuance of Trial Date (Docket # 51). The Court granted the motion and issued a speedy trial order excluding the time period between January 4, 2012 and March 6, 2012 from calculations under the STA. Speedy Trial Order (Docket # 52).

B. The Indictment

The September 23, 2010 indictment alleges that Matthew Ayotte violated 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(e). Indictment at 2. Count One charges that on February 12, 2011, Mr. Ayotte, “having been convicted in the State of Maine of crimes which under the laws of the State were then punishable by imprisonment for terms exceeding one year ... knowingly possessed in and affecting commerce” a firearm and several rounds of ammunition, in violation of §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(e). Indictment at 1-2. The indictment details in chronological order the state crimes for which it says Mr.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
841 F. Supp. 2d 398, 2012 WL 112639, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3111, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-ayotte-med-2012.