United States v. Cupp

390 F. Supp. 768
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Tennessee
DecidedMarch 20, 1974
DocketCrim. No. 18041
StatusPublished

This text of 390 F. Supp. 768 (United States v. Cupp) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Cupp, 390 F. Supp. 768 (E.D. Tenn. 1974).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

ROBERT L. TAYLOR, District Judge.

Defendants1 have filed with the Court a motion pursuant to Rule 33 of the F.R. Cr.P. on the ground of newly discovered evidence. They contend that a new trial should be granted for the following reasons: (1) Evidence was introduced in this Court which was derived from illegally intercepted wire or oral communications in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. § 2515 et seq.; (2) the Government failed to produce statements under Title 18 U.S.C. § 3500 et seq. (Jencks Act) dealing with telephone conversations between Steve McFee, the Government witness, and Jack McGivney, Special Agent for the F. B. I., when McFee was in North Carolina with defendant Dye; (3) Agent McGivney, through promises, inducements, undue pressure and corrupt means illegally and unlawfully perverted the testimony of McFee and further that McGivney concealed evidence favorable to the defendants from the prosecuting United States Attorney; (4) the indictment was obtained solely upon the hearsay testimony before the grand jury of Agent McGivney and, therefore, such indictment should be quashed. Defendants further contend that Steve McFee was under the influence of drugs while testifying on behalf of the Government.

In support of these contentions, defendants have filed with the Court a deposition of McFee which was taken under oath on September 21, 1973 in Asheville, North Carolina, together with a handwritten statement of McFee executed on September 20, 1973. Additionally, copies of alleged letters sent to McFee from Agent McGivney; the deposition of Mrs. Mary M. McFee, the witness’ mother; the affidavit of Philip P. Durant, attorney for defendant Dye; a report on the polygraph examination administered McFee regarding the verification of the deposition taken in North Carolina; the affidavit of Milton A. Berman, polygraph examiner; and other exhibits have been submitted. Defendants further request an evidentiary hearing for the purpose of introducing other evidence that may bear upon the merits of the motion.

In response, the Government has submitted an issue-by-issue rebuttal to defendants’ allegations together with some nineteen counteraffidavits of individuals [770]*770who were in some way connected with the factual developments upon which the motion is based.

Notwithstanding the fact that the Court is faced with a purported recantation of testimony, in light of this lengthy and thorough record we conclude that no meaningful relevant facts could be further adduced at an evidentiary hearing. All facts pertinent to the question, of whether defendants should prevail under Rule 33 of the F.R.Cr. P. on the ground of newly discovered evidence are before the Court. Accordingly, defendants’ request for an evidentiary hearing is denied. United States v. Hoffa, 382 F.2d 856 (6th Cir. 1967); United States v. Dara, 429 F.2d 513 (5th Cir. 1970); United States v. Franco, 434 F.2d 956 (6th Cir. 1970). Therefore, we turn to the issues herein presented.

I. Was evidence derived from illegally intercepted wire or oral communications in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. § 2515 et seq. introduced in the trial court?

To support their contentions that illegally intercepted evidence was introduced at trial, defendants rely upon the sworn deposition of Steve McFee taken in North Carolina on September 21, 1973 (hereafter referred to as the North Carolina statement). McFee asserts therein, in the main, that Agent McGivney quoted from pieces of paper the substance of a telephone conversation between Dye and McFee when McFee was in Kokomo, Indiana. McFee further states that he was shown transcripts of telephone conversations between Dye and various other defendants, which were allegedly actual transcriptions of those conversations. Also, the witness testified in the North Carolina statement that at least on one occasion he was shown by Agent MeGivney a stack of transcripts which McFee interpreted as being telephone intercepts, and that it was his impression that the F. B. I. had knowledge of circumstances that they could not have known but for having monitored the actual conversations.

The Court’s records reflect, and the Court specifically recalls, that one or more of the defendants moved to require the Government to provide any recordings or transcripts of any recordings which resulted from the use of electronic surveillance. The motion was denied without prejudice to the movants to renew should it be made to appear that the Government in fact employed wire tap or other electronic surveillance.

The Government then, as now, denies that any intercept, or the fruits of any intercept, was used other than the consensual monitoring of a telephone conversation between McFee and defendant Cupp, the use of which is presently before the Court of Appeals as a portion of the allegations of error. This position is clearly supported by the affidavits of Agents McGivney, Samson and Estill of the F. B. I. Additionally, the Government has submitted an affadavit from the Department of Justice which reflects that no electronic surveillance was employed in the case under consideration.

The Court finds that the evidence clearly shows that no wire tap or other intercept was used by the Government and that the inferences raised by Me-Fee's North Carolina statement have no basis in fact. Accordingly, defendants’ contention is without merit. See Aiderman v. United States, 394 U.S. 165, 89 S.Ct. 961, 22 L.Ed.2d 176 (1967).

II. Did the Government fail to produce a statement falling within the purview of the Jencks Act?

In his North Carolina statement, McFee testified that during the time he was with defendant Dye in North Carolina, he made a collect telephone call to Agent McGivney. Defendants seek an evidentiary hearing to determine first whether the call was made, secondly, whether any Jencks Act statements resulted therefrom, and finally to determine whether the failure to produce a [771]*771transcript of the contents of the call violated their rights under the Act.

The affidavits of Agents McGivney and Samson show that McFee did contact the F. B. I. on September 5, 1972 while he was apparently at his father’s home in Chandler, North Carolina. McFee at that time stated that he had not seen defendant Dye for some three weeks and further gave specific information concerning Dye’s knowledge of the whiskey theft. These statements were made available to the prosecuting attorney and were subsequently made available to counsel for the defendants either before trial or upon remand on the Jencks Act issue. The affiants further deny that any telephone call was received from McFee, collect or otherwise, wherein he advised the agents that he was in North Carolina with James Dye.

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Related

Costello v. United States
350 U.S. 359 (Supreme Court, 1956)
Alderman v. United States
394 U.S. 165 (Supreme Court, 1969)
Davis v. United States
411 U.S. 233 (Supreme Court, 1973)
United States v. Joseph v. Franco
434 F.2d 956 (Sixth Circuit, 1970)
United States v. Charles Estepa and Francis Vasquez
471 F.2d 1132 (Second Circuit, 1972)
United States v. Donald Powers
482 F.2d 941 (Eighth Circuit, 1973)
United States v. Hoffa
382 F.2d 856 (Sixth Circuit, 1967)

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Bluebook (online)
390 F. Supp. 768, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-cupp-tned-1974.