United States v. Chiarito

69 F. Supp. 317, 1946 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1926
CourtDistrict Court, D. Oregon
DecidedMarch 19, 1946
DocketComm. No. 9374
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 69 F. Supp. 317 (United States v. Chiarito) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Chiarito, 69 F. Supp. 317, 1946 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1926 (D. Or. 1946).

Opinion

JAMES ALGER FEE, District Judge.

A United States Commissioner has bound over defendant for appearance in the District of Colorado. An amended petition for warrant of removal was filed here charging defendant as a fugitive from justice and reciting that defendant had been indicted in the District of Colorado. Upon motion of counsel for defense, evidence was heard upon the question of whether a removal order should be signed. Copy of indictment found in Colorado was displayed. Therein it is set up that a local selective service board of New York duly classified accused in IV-E and assigned him to work of national importance at a camp in New York, and that he was then duly transferred to Civilian Public Service Camp No. 59, Elkton, Oregon, where he reported. It is then charged: “That thereafter and on, to-wit, the 23rd day of July, A.D. 1945, the said Americo Chiarito was duly ordered transferred to CPS Camp No. Ill at the Town of Man-cos, in the State and District of Colorado, and that the said Americo Chiarito did unlawfully, willfully, knowingly and feloniously fail, refuse and neglect to report to said CPS Camp No. Ill, at the Town of Mancos, in the County of Montezuma, in the State and District of Colorado, * * *.” Identity of accused as the person named in the .indictment is admitted. Accused testified and the government conceded that he has never been in the District of Colorado at any time. A copy of the order of transfer directed to the accused was displayed. It is agreed that this is the order referred to in the quotation from the indictment above. This order is admittedly signed as follows:

“Lewis F. Kosch
Colonel, Field Artillery
Assistant Director-Camp Operations”

It is also conceded that Kosch is a Colonel of the Regular Army.

The United States contends that even though there be doubt as to the jurisdiction, the question must be left for the consideration of the trial court. If the question had been heard before the Honorable John Foster Symes, District Judge of the District of Colorado, for whom the writer has the highest respect, the order would immediately issue. Likewise, if the jurisdictional questions had been noted and passed upon by a federal judge any place, the ruling even if not controlling would be entitled to the greatest consideration. The plain fact is that the jurisdictional features of this prosecution have never been passed upon by any federal judge and that the indictment is only the product of a grand jury of laymen advised as to the law by some prosecuting officer for the United States.

Even if we find conclusively then, as a preliminary matter, that the accused did the act or made the omission charged, neither the grand jury of the District of Colorado nor the United States Attorney of that District can create jurisdiction of the offense, nor make those facts constitute a crime except under the authority of some law of the United States.

One factor, of course, must give pause. Even if it were here held that the indictment stated a crime and the district court of the District of Colorado had jurisdiction of such offense, both such questions would be open to enquiry in that court after removal. In that court, the rights of accused would be given protection even if this court erroneously held there was jurisdiction primarily. Furthermore, this court should not arbitrarily or capriciously obstruct the enforcement of law. Therefore, it is said that even if it be apparent, there could have been no offense against the United States, or that there was no offense committed or triable in the District [319]*319of Colorado, this court nevertheless, must issue the order of removal forthwith upon the display of a copy of the indictment. The present statute provides: “Where any offender or witness is committed in any district other than that where the offense is to be tried, it shall be the duty of the judge of the district where such offender or witness is imprisoned, seasonably to issue, and of the marshal to execute, a warrant for his removal to the district where the trial is to be had.” 18 U.S.C.A. § 591.

This statute is mandatory in terms and squarely sets out the duty of a federal judge in the great majority of criminal cases where removal is sought. Furthermore, in view of the obvious public policy requiring judges to protect society and foster rather than hinder speedy punishment of criminals, it is said: “In view of the delays and obstructions that it is possible for persons accused to obtain and interpose by misuse of the right to be heard before removal (Cf. Salinger v. Loisel, 265 U.S. 224, 238 [44 S.Ct. 519]) section 1014 is to be construed quite favorably to the government’s applications.” United States ex rel. Kassin v. Milligan, 295 U.S. 396, 401, 55 S.Ct. 781, 783, 79 L.Ed. 1501.

However, the signing of the order of removal is an affirmative act.1 Responsibility has been placed upon the judge for this act by a statute, in almost identical terms, for approximately 150 years. In this case the signing of the order will restrain defendant of his liberty for a period of several days until he can be transported for a distance of approximately 1500 miles. “In a country of such vast extent as ours, it is no light matter to arrest a supposed offender, and, * * * remove him hundreds, it may be thousands, of miles for trial.” In re Buell, C.C.Mo., Fed.Cas.No.2,102, 3 Dill. 116, 120.2

It is the responsibility of a federal judge to make sure that there is jurisdiction of the subject matter and of the person at all times during the pendency of a proceeding. This is critically true in all criminal cases.

As a result, in this court over a long period of time, the court has followed a uniform system of procedure. When the indictments are returned by the grand jury they are examined by the presiding judge for the purpose of determining that there are no glaring defects therein and that jurisdiction is present. In appropriate cases, indictments are recommitted to the grand jury before filing, in order that errors may be cured. After filing, in case a jurisdictional defect were called to the attention of the court, the indictment would be dismissed. In innumerable cases, upon its own motion, this court has dismissed indictment for lack of prosecution, for failure to state a crime, for lack of jurisdiction, and for other causes. No cases can be found in the books fou the reason that Congress has not seen fit to make this power of the court subject to review until recent times.

According to uniform procedure here, in all such cases as soon as the defendant has been brought into court, counsel is designated for him unless he affirmatively waives appointment. For many years, no enquiry has been made into the financial condition of the defendant as a prerequisite to the appointment of counsel. The United States Supreme Court has within recent years, held that the failure to provide counsel removed jurisdiction. However, such a ruling simply crystallizes the immemorial custom of this court. Although much of this protection of the rights of accused persons is not required by positive rule or statute, it is assumed the appellate courts will not hold that this court has been wrong in this interpretation of due process of law.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
69 F. Supp. 317, 1946 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1926, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-chiarito-ord-1946.