United States v. Deardorff

40 F. Supp. 512, 1941 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2982
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedSeptember 5, 1941
DocketNo. 10011
StatusPublished

This text of 40 F. Supp. 512 (United States v. Deardorff) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.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. Deardorff, 40 F. Supp. 512, 1941 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2982 (M.D. Pa. 1941).

Opinion

JOHNSON, District Judge.

On June 4, 1940, the United States of America filed a criminal information in 33 counts against the defendant, doing business under the name and style of Reliable Transfer of York, charging violations of the Motor Carrier Act of 1935, 49 U.S.C.A. § 301 et seq. Counts 1 to 30 charge the defendant with offering, granting and giving rate concessions, contrary to section 222(c) of the Act, and counts 31 to 33 charge him with engaging as a common carrier in interstate operation beyond the limits of his certificate of public convenience and necessity, contrary to sections 206 (a) and 222 (a) of the Act. The case was tried before the court and a jury and a verdict of guilty rendered on all counts except 6, 7, 9, 13, and 26. Defendant has moved for a new trial, assigning 33 reasons therefor.

Reasons 1, 2 and 3 allege that the verdict is against the law, the evidence and the charge of the court. These reasons will be considered under the specific assignments of error.

Reason 4 alleges that the verdict is inconsistent. There is no merit in this contention. Counts 6, 7, 9, 13 and 26, on which defendant was acquitted, charged transportation of mahogany rubber slabs at a rate less than the published tariff. The rate to be charged was dependent upon the method of packing, and there was conflicting testimony how these slabs were packed for shipment. It may be that there was a reasonable doubt in the minds of the jury whether the defendant knowingly and wilfully granted rate concessions on rubber slabs. No other count in the information charged rate concessions on these rubber slabs.

Reason 5 is simply a reservation of the right to file additional reasons for a new trial after transcription of the evidence.

Reason 6 alleges error in allowing the United States on count 12 to prove a shipment of linseed oil on September 1, 1939 when the information alleges the shipment on September 9, 1939. Count 12 describes the consignor, the consignee, the goods shipped, shipment on September 9, 1939, and payment on September 14, 1939. The United States offered evidence to prove a shipment on September 1, 1939, invoice from defendant on September 9, 1939, and payment by check dated September 14, 1939: U. S. Exhibits # 1, 2, 3. The defendant could not possibly have been misled by the allegation in the information, because the other details in the transaction were identical in allegation and proof. There was not a material variance between the date alleged and proved, and there was no error here. See Ledbetter v. United States, 170 U.S. 606, 612, 18 S. Ct. 774, 42 L.Ed. 1162.

Reasons 7 to 16 allege error in the admission of certain testimony and exhibits “when there was no proof that the defendant had personally directed, authorized, or had personal knowledge, directly or indirectly” of the matters testified, to or sought to be proved by the exhibits. The evidence produced at the trial, with the inferences and deductions reasonably to be drawn from it, was sufficient to warrant the jury in finding that the defendant had personal knowledge of the matters in controversy, personally directed and authorized the procedure in the operation of the business of Reliable Transfer of York, and knowingly and wilfully violated the Motor Carrier Act of 1935: See testi[515]*515ony of Fern Hewit, former bookkeeper of efendant, Trial Record, pages 160-165; testimony of Jack Heimberger, former manager and solicitor for defendant, Trial Record, pages 46-49, 52, 53, 62, 64-67; testimony of Evelyn Kener, former bookkeeper and office clerk for defendant, Trial Record, pages 221-223. There was no error in the admission of the testimony and exhibits referred to in reasons 7 to 16.

Reasons 17 to 22 allege error in the admission of certain testimony and exhibits because they did not prove or tend to prove that the defendant carried goods in interstate commerce beyond the limits authorized, or that the defendant had knowledge that the same was done by his agents or employees. The testimony and exhibits were offered to prove counts 31 to 33 of the information. Testimony and records were offered on each count by the consignor and consignee to prove shipment, delivery and transportation by the defendant carrier. The exhibits were checks, bills of lading, invoices, receipts and vouchers for the shipments. All were competent to prove shipment and receipt of goods transported by the defendant carrier, and payment to the defendant. The evidence produced at the trial, with the inferences and deductions reasonably to be drawn from it, was sufficient to warrant the jury in finding that the defendant had personal knowledge of these shipments beyond his authorized territory, that he personally directed and authorized this procedure, that there was more than an occasional deviation, and that he knowingly and wilfully violated the Motor Carrier Act of 1935. See testimony of Hilliare P. Wardwell, Special Agent for the Bureau of Motor Carriers, Interstate Commerce Commission, Trial Record, pages 92, 93, 96, 97; testimony of Robert A. Hitch, Special Agent for the Interstate Commerce Commission, Trial Record, page 168; testimony of Fern Hewit, Jack Heimberger, and Evelyn Kener, supra, that defendant personally conducted the business operations of Reliable Transfer of York. The admission of the testimony and exhibits referred to in reasons 17 to 22 was not error.

There is no reason 23.

Reason 24 alleges error in the admission of United States Exhibit # 66, a summary prepared by Special Agent Ward-well of information found by him in defendant’s office records, because it contained facts and figures not properly proved by the United States. This reason further alleges that these facts and figures “were therefore evidence manufactured by the United States”. The exhibit was prepared by the witness Wardwell from the business records in defendant’s main office at York, Pennsylvania, and was a summary of facts and figures found there. There is no doubt that in a complicated case a government expert may testify from a summary he has made of voluminous records. Paschen v. United States, 7 Cir., 70 F.2d 491; McNeil v. United States, 66 App.D.C. 199, 85 F.2d 698; Cooper v. United States, 5 Cir., 91 F.2d 195. Neither is there any doubt that the summary so made and proved by the witness is admissible in evidence: Paschen v. United States, 7 Cir., 70 F.2d 491, 501. A careful study of the entire trial record shows clearly that there is no basis at all for this objection. Defendant argues that the United States never proved the date of shipment in count 8. There is direct evidence on this point by Florence Keyser, bookkeeper for the Hagerstown Rubber Company: Trial Record, page 28. See, also, United States Exhibits # 34, 66. Defendant argues that the United States never proved the number, unit and description of the shipment in count 16. There is evidence of this in United States Exhibit # 66. See also, admission of defendant, Trial Record, page 19. Defendant argues that the United States never proved the weight in pounds of shipments in counts 16 and 22, nor the total charges in those counts. There is evidence of this in United States Exhibit # 66. See, also, admission of defendant, Trial Record, page 19.

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Related

Goldsby v. United States
160 U.S. 70 (Supreme Court, 1895)
Ledbetter v. United States
170 U.S. 606 (Supreme Court, 1898)
McNeil v. United States
85 F.2d 698 (D.C. Circuit, 1936)
Paschen v. United States
70 F.2d 491 (Seventh Circuit, 1934)
Cooper v. United States
91 F.2d 195 (Fifth Circuit, 1937)
Com. v. Schmous
29 A. 644 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1894)

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Bluebook (online)
40 F. Supp. 512, 1941 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2982, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-deardorff-pamd-1941.