United States v. Cova

585 F. Supp. 1187
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Missouri
DecidedMay 1, 1984
Docket83-226CR(1)
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 585 F. Supp. 1187 (United States v. Cova) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Cova, 585 F. Supp. 1187 (E.D. Mo. 1984).

Opinion

585 F.Supp. 1187 (1984)

UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff,
v.
Reno R. COVA, Jr., M.D., and Sandra Pozywio, a/k/a Sandra Eich, Defendants.

No. 83-226CR(1).

United States District Court, E.D. Missouri, E.D.

May 1, 1984.

*1188 Larry Hale, St. Louis, Mo., for plaintiff.

Allen Kimbrel, Joseph M. Guay, St. Louis, Mo., for defendants.

MEMORANDUM

NANGLE, Chief Judge.

This case is now before this Court on the several pretrial motions of defendants. These motions were previously referred to the Honorable William S. Bahn, United States Magistrate, for his review and recommendation. The Magistrate held a hearing on these motions on February 15th and 21st, 1984. This Court has had an opportunity to carefully review the transcript of said hearing, as well as the objections of defendants to the Magistrate's review and recommendation. This Court held an additional hearing on the question of severance on April 27, 1984. For the reasons stated below, this Court accepts the recommendation of the Magistrate.

I. GENERAL FACTUAL BACKGROUND

Defendants are charged in a thirteen (13) count indictment with various drug offenses. Count I charges both defendants with a conspiracy to distribute Tuinal. Specifically, Count I alleges that defendant Cova, a registered physician, wrote several prescriptions to defendant Pozywio for Tuinal on May 20, 1983. Count I further charges that on May 21, 1983, defendant *1189 Pozywio took the Tuinal from St. Louis, Missouri, to Griffith, Indiana, where defendant Pozywio distributed 500 Tuinal tablets to Philip and Tosha Piwowar. Counts II through V charge only defendant Cova with distribution of Tuinal on May 20, 1983. Count VI charges only defendant Pozywio with possession of Tuinal with intent to distribute. Count VII charges both defendants with conspiracy to distribute Methaqualone. Count VII charges that defendant Cova wrote prescriptions to defendant Pozywio for Methaqualone on July 8, 1983, and July 25, 1983. The remaining Counts VIII through XIII charge only defendant Cova with distributing Methaqualone, Hydromorphone and Tuinal on various dates in July, 1983. Defendant Pozywio has indicated her intention to rely on the defense of insanity.

Defendants filed several pretrial motions. Both defendants moved to dismiss certain physical evidence: 1) a letter written by Tosha Piwowar to defendant Pozywio; and 2) certain prescriptions written by defendant Cova for defendant Pozywio. Both defendants also moved to sever defendants or, in the alternative, to sever counts. Defendant Cova further moved for: 1) disclosure of material relating to electronic surveillance; 2) dismissal of the indictment; and 3) a bill of particulars. Defendants Pozywio further moved for: 1) a bill of particulars; 2) an order to compel discovery; 3) dismissal of Counts I, VI and VII of the indictment; 4) issuance of subpoenas at the Government's expense; 5) suppression of certain medical records seized from defendant Cova's office pursuant to a search warrant; 6) suppression of oral statements made by defendant Pozywio to Vernon Oswalt; and 7) suppression of written and oral statements obtained through electronic surveillance. In addition, defendants filed several motions subsequent to the completion of the Magistrate's review and recommendation. Defendant Cova moved for: 1) suppression of two (2) handwritten notes; and 2) dismissal of the indictment due to stimulation of pretrial publicity by the Government. Defendant Cova also filed, subsequent to the Magistrate's review and recommendation, an amended motion to sever defendants or, in the alternative, to sever counts. Defendant Pozywio filed a motion to suppress the handwritten notes and for payment of expert testimony at the Government's expense.

This Court will address each motion, together with the Magistrate's recommendation and the defendants' objections thereto, separately. The testimony adduced and facts established at the hearing will be discussed where appropriate.

II. MISCELLANEOUS MOTIONS

1. Cova's Motion For Disclosure of Material Relating to Electronic Surveillance

The Magistrate recommended that this motion be dismissed based on the Government's representation that it had furnished defendant with transcripts relating to the electronic surveillance and that defendant was free to hear the actual tapes. Defendant Cova objects to this recommendation on the ground that the Magistrate improperly refused, at the hearing, to allow him to inquire of DEA Agent Robinson whether defendant Cova's telephone was or had been wiretapped, or whether any information had been obtained from such a wiretap.

Defendant Cova does not cite any authority in support of his objection. This Court holds that the Magistrate properly curtailed defendant Cova's inquiry. Cova's objection is rejected and this Court accepts the Magistrate's recommendation. In addition, the transcript of the hearing indicates that counsel for defendant Cova was satisfied with the assurances of Assistant U.S. Attorney Hale that Hale was not aware of any other electronic recordings, interceptions on surveillance, other than the ones previously furnished to defendant Cova, and that Hale would immediately inform defendants if and when additional material came to light. Transcript of February 15, 1984 at 4.

*1190 2. Defendant Cova's Motion For A Bill of Particulars

The Magistrate recommended that this motion be dismissed on the ground that the Government turned over copies of all prescriptions to defendant Cova and that said prescriptions set forth sufficient information regarding the alleged conspiracy and the distributee of the controlled substance. Defendant Cova did not object to, and this Court accepts, the Magistrate's recommendation.

3. Defendant Pozywio's Motion For A Bill of Particulars

The Magistrate recommended that this motion be dismissed as moot on the basis of the representations of the parties. Defendant Pozywio did not object to, and this Court accepts, the Magistrate's recommendation.

4. Defendant Pozywio's Motion To Compel Discovery

The Magistrate recommended that this motion be dismissed as moot on the basis of the representations of the parties. Defendant Pozywio did not object to, and this Court accepts, the Magistrate's recommendation.

5. Defendant Pozywio's Motion To Dismiss Counts I, VI and VII of the Indictment

The Magistrate recommended that this motion be dismissed as moot on the basis of the representations of the parties. Defendant Pozywio did not object to, and this Court accepts, the Magistrate's recommendation.

6. Motion For Issuance of Subpoenas at Government's Expense

The Magistrate recommended that this motion be granted because defendant Pozywio is indigent. This Court accepts the recommendation, which the Government did not object to, and grants the motion.

7. Motion To Suppress Handwritten Notes

Both defendants moved to suppress certain handwritten notes allegedly taken by Wanda or Raymond Pozywio from defendants' apartment. At the severance hearing held on April 27, 1984, Assistant U.S. Attorney Hale stated that the Government did not intend to introduce these notes into evidence. Accordingly, defendants' motion to suppress the handwritten notes be and is denied as moot.

8. Motion To Dismiss For Stimulation of Pretrial Publicity

This motion was orally denied on the record by this Court on April 25, 1984.

9. Payment For Expert Testimony At Government's Expense

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State v. Watts
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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
585 F. Supp. 1187, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-cova-moed-1984.