United States v. Brown

147 F. Supp. 3d 312, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 157622, 2015 WL 7428490
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedNovember 23, 2015
DocketCRIMINAL ACTION NO. 12-0367
StatusPublished

This text of 147 F. Supp. 3d 312 (United States v. Brown) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Brown, 147 F. Supp. 3d 312, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 157622, 2015 WL 7428490 (E.D. Pa. 2015).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

SURRICK, District Judge

Defendant Dorothy June Brown and the Government jointly seek an order from the Court declaring that Defendant is not competent to stand trial. After reviewing the reports submitted by the psychologists aiid psychiatrists who evaluated Defendant, as well as affidavits from Defendant’s counsel, we are compelled to agree with Defen- • dant and the Government that Defendant Dorothy June Brown is not competent to stand trial.

I. BACKGROUND

A. Indictment and First Trial1

In January 2013, Defendant was charged with multiple counts of wire fraud, conspiracy to obstruct justice, obstruction of justice, and witness tampering.2 The charges are related to Defendant’s álleged scheme to defraud two charter schools out of more than six million dollars. Defendant was charged with four co-Defendants. Two of those defendants — Joan Woods Chalker and Anthony Smootr-entered negotiated guilty pleas prior to the trial. The two other co-Defendants — Michael A. Slade, Jr. and Courteney L. Knight — joined Defendant at the first trial, which began in November 2013 and lasted: approximately 26 days. Defendant did not testify at the trial. On December 19, 2013, the jury returned a partial verdict finding Defendants Slade and Knight not guilty of the counts charged against them. (Min. Entry, ECF No. 265; see also ECF Nos. 267-270.) The jury resumed deliberations with respect to the charges against Defendant. (Min. Entry, ECF N°- 290.) On January 9, 2014, after communicating to--the Court that it was unable to reach a verdict on many of the remaining counts, the jury returned a partial verdict with respect to Defendant. (Min. Entry, ECF No. 293.) The jury found Defendant not guilty on Counts 38-41 (wire fraud), 59 (obstruction of justice), [314]*314and 67 (witness tampering). (Id.; Verdict, ECF No. 294.) The jury was deadlocked on the remaining Counts: Counts 1-37, 46-58, 61-63, and 65. (Verdict.) The Government notified the Court of its intention to retry Defendant. Trial was scheduled to begin on September 8, 2014.3

B. Competency Hearing

Approximately one month prior to the start of the trial, defense counsel contacted the Court with concerns about Defendant’s competency. On September 2, 2014, Defendant filed a Motion requesting a competency hearing. (ECF No. 334 (filed under seal).) Attached as exhibits to the motion were two reports from Defendant’s doctors: (1) Stephen Mechanick, M.D., a forensic psychiatrist; and (2) Barbara Ma-lamut, Ph.D., a neuropsychologist. The Government did not oppose Defendant’s request for a competency hearing, but requested that the Court appoint an expert to evaluate Defendant.

By Order dated September 5, 2014, Defendant’s motion requesting a hearing on competency was granted, and Defendant was ordered to submit to the psychiatric and mental competency evaluation by Po-gos Voskanian, M.D. (ECF No. 342.) Defendant was also ordered to submit to a psychological evaluation and testing by Jeffrey Summerton, Ph.D. (ECF No. 344.)

On September 22, 2014, after review of the various expert reports, the Government filed a Motion for Custodial Examination Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 4247(b). (ECF No. 347.) This Motion was unopposed. By Order dated September 24, 2014, Defendant was committed to the custody of the Attorney General for a competency examination. Defendant self-reported to the Federal Medical Center— Carswell (FMC Carswell), located in Fort Worth, Texas. During the 29-day custodial examination at FMC Carswell, Defendant was evaluated by Christine Anthony, Ph. D., and Daniel Kim, Ph.D., and was observed by the Carswell staff. Drs. Anthony and Kim rendered a report dated November 20, 2014.

A Competency Hearing was held from January 28, 2015 through January 30, 2015. (Jan,, 28, 2015 Hr’g Tr. 3, ECF No. 376.) At the hearing, the reports of the experts, defense doctors, Dr. Malamut and Dr. Mechanick, Court-appointed doctors, Dr. Voskanian, Dr. Summerton, and Dr. Anthony from FMC Carswell, were offered into evidence. Each of these doctors testified at the hearing. Dr. Anthony participated by way of videoconference. (Jan. 29, 2015 Hr’g Tr. 4-5, ECF No. 377.) Prior to the hearing, the parties agreed that the report of each expert would be admitted into evidence at the hearing and would constitute the direct testimony of the expert. (Jan 28 Hr’g Tr. 3-4.) It was also understood that Defendant could submit an affidavit from her attorney, Greg Miller, in lieu of offering his testimony, and that the Government would have the opportunity to cross-examine Miller with regard to the contents of the affidavit. (Id. at 4.) Miller advised that it would be decided after the testimony of the experts whether they would proceed with offering this affidavit. (Id.) No affidavit was offered.

C. Post-Competency Hearing

On April 8, 2015, a Memorandum and Order were filed. Based upon the evidence and testimony we found that Defendant was competent to stand trial, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 4241(d). (ECF Nos. 380-81.) [315]*315After a conference with Counsel;-trial was rescheduled for July 7,2015. (Apr. 14, 2015 Order, ECF No. 386.) On June.,15, 2.015, two weeks before jury selection was to begin, Defendant filed a Submission of Supplemental Information Regarding Competency to Stand Trial. (Def.’s Suppl. Submission, ECF No. 389.) Attached as exhibits to the submission were medical records produced from an examination of Defendant at the Cleveland Clinic’s Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health Neurological Institute, which included notes from the examining physician Jagan Pillai, M.D., a Supplemental' Report from Dr. Meehanick based upon Cleveland Clinic’s findings, and a draft affidavit that Defendant’s counsel provided to the Government on January 23, 2015, regarding the interactions with Defendant that led to competency concerns. On June 18, 2015, Defendant’s counsel filed affidavits with the Court asserting that Defendant does not have the current capacity to meaningfully participate in her own defense. (Millér'Aff., ECF No. 391; Haggerty Aff. ECF No. 392.)

On June 22, 2015, an Order wqs entered continuing the trial. (ECF No. 394.) Defendant was subsequently ordered to submit to an additional competency evaluation by Dr. Voskanian. (June 24, 2015 Order, ECF No. 395.) Dr. Voskanian filed a report with the Court on July 1, 2015, based upon his findings. (Voskanian Rept., ECF No. 398 (filed under seal).) On July 8,"2015, Dr. Meehanick again met with Defendant and her husband. On July 10, 2015, he issued' a report based upon the interviews he conducted and Dr, Voskanian’s reported findings. (Meehanick Rept., ECF No. 398 (filed under seal).) On August 12, 2015, pursuant to the Government’s request for a current competency evaluation conducted by an expert of their choosing, Susan Rushing, M.D., J.D., submitted a report to the Court. (Rushing Rept., ECF No. 401 (filed under seal).) On August 20, 2015, the Government and the Defense submitted a joint proposed order to the Court which declared that the Defendant was not competent to stand trial. (On file with the Court.) Also submitted was the Government’s Unopposed Motion to Dismiss the Superseding Indictment against Dorothy June Brown without Prejudice.

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Bluebook (online)
147 F. Supp. 3d 312, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 157622, 2015 WL 7428490, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-brown-paed-2015.