United States v. Diane Simpson

785 F.2d 311, 1986 U.S. App. LEXIS 19831, 1986 WL 16408
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
DecidedJanuary 29, 1986
Docket85-1340
StatusUnpublished

This text of 785 F.2d 311 (United States v. Diane Simpson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Diane Simpson, 785 F.2d 311, 1986 U.S. App. LEXIS 19831, 1986 WL 16408 (6th Cir. 1986).

Opinion

785 F.2d 311

Unpublished Disposition
NOTICE: Sixth Circuit Rule 24(c) states that citation of unpublished dispositions is disfavored except for establishing res judicata, estoppel, or the law of the case and requires service of copies of cited unpublished dispositions of the Sixth Circuit.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee,
vs.
DIANE SIMPSON, Defendant-Appellant.

85-1340

United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit.

1/29/86

Before: CONTIE and MILBURN, Circuit Judges; and CELEBREZZE, Senior Circuit Judge.

PER CURIAM.

Defendant Diane Simpson appeals her jury conviction of unarmed robbery of a credit union in violation of 18 U.S.C. Secs. 2113(a) and 2(a). Section 2113(a) provides in pertinent part:

Whoever, by force and violence, or by intimidation, takes . . . from the person or presence of another any property or money . . . in the care, custody, control, management, or possession of, any . . . credit union . . .;

Shall be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.

Section 2 provides in pertinent part:

(a) Whoever commits an offense against the United States or aids, abets, counsels, commands, induces or procures its commission, is punishable as a principal.

Simpson raises essentially four claims of error in this appeal. We are unpersuaded by her arguments and, accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the district court.

I.

On October 13, 1983, Simpson approached the window of teller Patricia James at the Co-op Services Credit Union and stated 'this is a holdup.' One other teller, Julie Skinner-Cleveland, and the manager were working at the time. Simpson took a tote bag out of her purse and told James to put big bills and 20's into it. Simpson did not display a gun but did keep her hand in her purse the entire time she was at James' window. James put the money in the bag as requested and, upon further instruction, had the other teller do the same. During this time, Simpson kept saying 'hurry, hurry, hurry.' James then returned the bag to Simpson whereupon Simpson left the building, followed by a black gentlemen. The entire incident took place within a span of approximately two minutes.

On December 12, 1983, shortly after Simpson had been taken into custody, FBI agent Mark Codd showed a photograph spread to James. James identified a photograph of Simpson almost immediately and was 'very certain' that Simpson was the person who had robbed Co-op Services. Codd completed a FBI 302 Report concerning this photograph display, from which he could reconstruct which photographs were used and in what order. Codd had previously shown James a display of photographs during his initial visit to Co-op Services. James made no identification at that time and Codd made no report of the interview.

On January 4, 1985, an evidentiary hearing was held to consider suppression of the photographic identification. Simpson's counsel argued at the hearing that the failure to make out a report concerning the initial photograph display constituted a failure to preserve evidence that may have been favorable to the defense in violation of Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83 (1963). That is, counsel argued that there was a possibility Simpson's photograph was included in the first display, and if it was, and James failed to identify her, such evidence would have been exculpatory. However, since the display could not be reconstructed to refute the possibility that Simpson's photograph was included, counsel asserted that the government failed to meet its duty to preserve potentially exculpatory evidence. Based on this and other arguments, Simpson moved to suppress the evidence of the photographic identification. The court denied the motion to suppress, but did not expressly address the alleged Brady issue.

The trial commenced on January 14, 1985. At the trial James testified as to the events which took place during the robbery. She stated that she was very frightened by the robbery, although the robber never said that she would hurt James, never touched James, and James never saw a weapon. James believed that the robber had a gun in her purse. James also testified that she got a good look at the robber's face, because at times there were only six inches between her face and the robber's, the lighting was good, and nothing obstructed her view.

As an element of a violation of 18 U.S.C. Sec. 2113(a), the government was required to establish that Co-op Services was a federally insured credit union.1 Three exhibits were introduced at trial through the testimony of John Hoblack, assistant general manager of Co-op Services, to establish the credit union's insured status. The exhibits were: (1) a premium statement for the 1984 National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) assessment, (2) a premium statement for a 1983 'special assessment' by the NUCA, and (3) a duplicate copy of Co-op Service's insurance certificate. These exhibits were all received into evidence, over objections by Simpson, under the business records exception to the hearsay rule, Fed. R. Evid. 803(b).

Finally, Codd testified at trial with regard to both photographic displays. He testified that after the evidentiary hearing he went back to his office and attempted to reconstruct the first photographic array. From his notes and his 'library' of photographs he believed he was able to reconstruct the first display shown to James. He stated that Simpson's photograph was not included in that display.

At the close of the government's evidence, Simpson moved for a judgment of acquittal based on two grounds. First, she asserted the government failed to establish that Co-op Services' accounts were insured by the NCUA at the time of the robbery. Second, she contended that the language of the indictment required the government to establish that Simpson had robbed the credit union by force and violence and intimidation, and she argued that the government had failed to do so. The court rejected both grounds and denied the motion after which the defense rested without presenting evidence.

The district court then gave its instructions to the jury. The court instructed over objection by Simpson that the statute required proof of force and violence or intimidation. The court further instructed on the element of intimidation, as follows:

To take or attempt to take, by intimidation, means willfully to take, or attempt to take, by putting in fear of bodily harm. Such fear must arise from the willful conduct of the accused, rather than from some mere temperamental timidity of the victim; however, the fear of the victim need not be so great as to result in terror, panic or hysteria.

A taking, or an attempted taking by intimidation, must be established by proof of one or more acts or statements of the accused which were done or made in such a manner and under such circumstances as would produce in the ordinary person fear of bodily harm.

However, actual fear need not be proved. Fear like intent may be inferred from statements made and acts done or omitted by the accused. And by the victim as well.

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Bluebook (online)
785 F.2d 311, 1986 U.S. App. LEXIS 19831, 1986 WL 16408, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-diane-simpson-ca6-1986.