United States v. Black

831 F. Supp. 120, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13540, 1993 WL 379496
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. New York
DecidedSeptember 7, 1993
DocketCR 92-689 (ADS)
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 831 F. Supp. 120 (United States v. Black) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.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 v. Black, 831 F. Supp. 120, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13540, 1993 WL 379496 (E.D.N.Y. 1993).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM DECISION AND ORDER

SPATT, District Judge.

The government commenced this prosecution against two brothers, Melvyn Black and Sanford Black, who are charged with knowingly and willfully conspiring to defraud the United States by preventing the Internal Revenue Service from ascertaining and col *121 lecting income tax from the defendant Melvyn Black. Melvyn Black and Sanford Black are also charged with one count of filing a false tax return for the calendar year 1985 on behalf of Melvyn Black and his wife. Additionally, Melvyn Black is charged with three counts of filing a false tax return for the calendar years 1986, 1987, and 1988.

The defendant Melvyn Black moved to dismiss the indictment on the ground that it was the product of an investigation and prosecution driven by a personalized, vindictive, and gender-based animus against him on the part of the IRS agent handling the case.

In addressing a claim of selective prosecution, the Second Circuit has stated that:

“in order to support a defense of selective prosecution, the defendant must make at least a prima facie showing both ‘(1) that, while others similarly situated have not generally been proceeded against because of conduct of the type forming the basis of the charge against [the defendant], he has been singled out for. prosecution, and (2) that the government’s discriminatory selection of [the defendant] for prosecution has been invidious or in bad faith, i.e., based upon such impermissible considerations as race, religion, or' the desire to prevent his exercise of constitutional rights.’” (United States v. Fares, 978 F.2d 52, 59 [2d Cir.1992] [quoting United States v. Moon, 718 F.2d 1210, 1229 (2d Cir.1983), cert. denied, 466 U.S. 971, 104 S.Ct. 2344, 80 L.Ed.2d 818 (1984) (quoting United States v. Berrios, 501 F.2d 1207, 1211 [2d Cir.1974]).

Since the Court initially determined that the defendant Melvyn Black made a prima facie showing of the two prongs set forth in Berrios, the Court directed that an evidentiary hearing be held before United States Magistrate Judge Orenstein.

At the conclusion of the hearing on February 25, 1993, Magistrate Judge Orenstein rendered his report and recommendation on the record.. This report and recommendation expressly stated that “this Court has not only considered this case under the terms of a claim of selective prosecution. This Court has also considered the claim of the defendant as a claim to dismiss the indictment based upon outrageous governmental conduct” (Tr. 1 at p. 4:208).

In addressing the claim of selective prosecution and the allegation that Agent Paradiso “hates men”, Magistrate Judge Orenstein stated:

“In this ease this Court expressly finds that Agent Borakove on November 2,1989, never stated that Special Agent Paradiso was a man-hater, recently divorced, a woman’s libber and wouid stay on Black’s case until she got him.
. Two, that even if Agent Borakove did state it, there was not one shred or scintilla of proof ... that has been introduced in this case, that Agent Paradiso is biased against males.
Third, the, recommendation to prosecute ... Mr. Melvyn Black was based upon objective views of the agent based upon the testimony of Dr. Koplewicz at the trial of the Black divorce action; the testimony of Dr. Block at the trial of the divorce action, other testimony that the agents sat in on at the divorce trial of the Blacks, the later interviews in 1991 of Dr. Koplewicz and Dr. Block, and the memorandum of testimony, which I think we heard as Defendant’s Exhibit C of Dr. Koplewicz, of his testimony at the divorce trial.
That under those circumstances there has been no proof whatsoever that Mr. Melvyn Black has been able to meet the first prong of the test with regard to selective prosecution, that others similarly situated have not been proceeded against for tax evasion, or that his selection as a male was invidious or in bad faith, or based upon any other impermissible consideration which would violate or prevent his exercise -of constitutional rights.
Furthermore, with regard to the claims of outrageous governmental conduct, that *122 is, that the investigation was not all encompassing, or that with regard to failure to speak to either Craig or Michael Black as being the requirement, this Court finds that there is not such a requirement with regard to all of the proof that was before Agent Paradiso, and before the Internal Revenue Service with regard to a recommendation.
Under the facts and circumstances of this ease, I further find that ... in the context of the investigation that was done, that nothing occurred which violated Mr. Melvyn Black’s due process rights, or that it was outrageous or shocking to this Court’s conscience. And the fact that another may have conducted the investigation differently or interviewed others does not amount to vindictiveness or outrageous conduct or bad faith which rises to and involves a violation of due process rights warranting dismissal of an indictment” (Tr. at pp. 4:210-4:211).

At the conclusion of the report and recommendation, Judge Orenstein stated “[t]his Court reports and recommends [that] the defendant’s motion be denied” (Tr. at p. 4:207). On March 15, 1993, Melvyn Black submitted objections to the Report and Recommendation of Judge Orenstein.

The objections essentially fall into three categories:

First, the defendant Melvyn Black disagrees with the determination by Magistrate Judge Orenstein that the IRS investigation did not constitute selective prosecution.

Second, that ■ Magistrate Judge Orenstein improperly excluded polygraph evidence offered by the defendant to show that Agent Borakove actually made a statement to Melvyn Black that Agent Paradiso “hates men”.

Third, that Magistrate Judge Orenstein improperly excluded the testimony of Craig and Michael Black “that there father was not remotely the ‘sadistic’ and ‘domineering’ person protrayed in Agent Paradiso’s report, but that it was actually Malinda [Black] who physically and emotionally abused her own family members” (Memorandum of Law in Support of Objections, at p. 17).

On or about July 20, 1993, Peter R. Schlam, Esq., counsel for the defendant Melvyn Black, submitted to the court a supplemental letter memorandum urging the Court to consider the recent United States Supreme Court decision Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc., — U.S. -, 113 S.Ct. 2786, 125 L.Ed.2d 469 (1993),

“which gives added support to our argument ...

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
831 F. Supp. 120, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13540, 1993 WL 379496, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-black-nyed-1993.