United States v. Edmonds

905 F. Supp. 827, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17562, 1995 WL 694047
CourtDistrict Court, D. Oregon
DecidedNovember 20, 1995
DocketCR No. 94-241-FR
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 905 F. Supp. 827 (United States v. Edmonds) 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. Edmonds, 905 F. Supp. 827, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17562, 1995 WL 694047 (D. Or. 1995).

Opinion

AMENDED OPINION

FRYE, District Judge:

The matters before the court are as follows:

[829]*8291) Defendant Cyril J. Worm, Jr.’s Motion to Dismiss and Require the Government to Elect Between Counts (# 62);

2) Defendant Worm’s Motion for a Bill of Particulars (# 64);

3) Defendant Worm’s Protective Motion for Severance (#66);

4) Defendant Geoffrey R. Edmonds’ Motion to Dismiss Counts 55 & 56 of the Indictment (# 69-1), or in the Alternative, Motion to Sever (#69-2);

5) Defendant Geoffrey R. Edmonds’ Motion to Suppress Statements and Derivative Evidence (#70-1) and to Dismiss Counts (#70-2); and

6) Government’s Motion to Dismiss Count 56 (#92).

BACKGROUND

Three defendants, Geoffrey R. Edmonds, Pauline Edmonds and Cyril J. Worm, Jr., are charged, in part, in the superseding indictment as follows:

1. Dominion Capital Inc. (Dominion) was an Oregon corporation organized for the purpose of loan and mortgage brokering and real estate development. Dominion operated as a private lending company, providing financing to individuals and companies buying residential property in Mult-nomah County, Oregon.
2. Defendant' Geoffrey R. Edmonds was the president and 50% shareholder of Dominion. Geoffrey R. Edmonds directed and was responsible for all aspects of the daily operation of Dominion in Portland, Oregon. In his capacity as president of Dominion, defendant Geoffrey Edmonds directed, supervised and controlled the agents and employees of Dominion.
3. Defendant Pauline Edmonds was the secretary of Dominion. Pauline Edmonds assisted her husband Geoffrey R. Ed-monds in the daily operation of Dominion and had primary responsibility for the corporation’s finances and bookkeeping.
4. Defendant Cyril J. Worm, Jr. was the vice president and 50% shareholder of Dominion. Cyril J. Worm directed and was responsible for all aspects of the daily operation of Dominion in Seattle, Washington and had joint responsibility with Geoffrey Edmonds for the operation of Dominion in Portland. Worm also owned Rock-wood Products Inc. and controlled Rock-wood Products Profit Sharing Plan, both of which were used by Worm in various real estate transactions associated with Dominion.

Superseding Indictment, pp. 1-2.

All three defendants are charged with the crimes of using the mails and using wire communications in a scheme to defraud and to obtain money and property by means of false and fraudulent pretenses, representations and promises. In addition, defendant Geoffrey Edmonds is charged in Counts 55 and 56 of the superseding indictment with the crimes of knowingly giving false testimony in violation of federal perjury laws.

1. Defendant Worm’s Motion to Dismiss and Require the Government to Elect Between Counts

Defendant Worm moves the court for an order requiring the government to elect to proceed to trial on either Count 36 or Count 37 of the superseding indictment, and after this election is made, for an order of the court dismissing the remaining count as mul-tiplicitous.

The government requests that the motion be held in abeyance pending further review of the facts and evidence in order for the government to determine whether separate transportation events are the bases for these two counts.

The government shall review the facts and evidence and respond to this motion no later than December 15, 1995.

2. Defendant Worm’s Motion for a Bill of Particulars

A. Contentions of the Parties

Defendant Worm contends that the superseding indictment is defectively vague as to his alleged conduct in that most of the activities alleged in the indictment occurred in or around Portland, Oregon, and he was a resident of Seattle, Washington at all rele[830]*830vant times. Defendant Worm believes that the theory of the government is that he is responsible as an aider and abetter, but that he should not have “to guess” as to what the theory of the government is. Memorandum in Support of Defendant C.J. Worm’s Motion for a Bill of Particulars, p. 2.

The government contends that the introductory paragraphs of the superseding indictment charge that defendant Worm had joint responsibility with the Edmonds defendants for the daily operation of Dominion in the City of Portland, and that defendant Worm used two companies which he controlled to conduct real estate transactions with Dominion. The government states that its theory of the case is set forth in the introductory portion of the superseding indictment, and that defendant Worm is not entitled to a bill of particulars which amounts to nothing more than discovery of all of the evidence to be offered by the government to prove its case.

B. Applicable Law

The purpose of a bill of particulars is to inform the defendant of the nature of the charges against him with sufficient precision to enable him to prepare for trial, to avoid or minimize the danger of surprise at the time of trial, and to protect him against double jeopardy. United States v. Mitchell, 744 F.2d 701, 705 (9th Cir.1984); United States v. Giese, 597 F.2d 1170, 1180 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 444 U.S. 979, 100 S.Ct. 480, 62 L.Ed.2d 405 (1979).

Whether to grant a motion for a bill of particulars is committed to the court’s discretion; however, a court “should consider whether the defendant has been advised adequately of the charges through the indictment and all other disclosures made by the government.” United States v. Long, 706 F.2d 1044, 1054 (9th Cir.1983). Even when an indictment fails to sufficiently inform the defendant of the charges against him, a bill of particulars may be denied if the defendant is otherwise fully informed of the charges. Id.

C. Ruling of the Court

The court finds that the superseding indictment sufficiently informs defendant Worm of the charges that he is facing and of the theory of the prosecution. In the introductory paragraphs, the superseding indictment alleges that defendant Worm had joint responsibility with the Edmonds defendants for the daily operation of Dominion in the City of Portland, and that defendant Worm used two companies that he controlled to conduct real estate transactions with Dominion.

In the superseding indictment, defendant Worm is charged with scheming to obtain money and property by using a “straw borrower.” The superseding indictment alleges how the scheme was carried out, and it charges the specific transactions in each count. In addition, defendant Worm has received extensive discovery materials to supplement the allegations in the indictment. The court concludes that the superseding indictment informs defendant Worm of the charges brought against him with sufficient precision to enable him to prepare for trial, to enable him to avoid or minimize the danger of surprise at the time of trial, and to protect him against double jeopardy.

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Related

United States v. Edmonds
914 F. Supp. 399 (D. Oregon, 1996)

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Bluebook (online)
905 F. Supp. 827, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17562, 1995 WL 694047, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-edmonds-ord-1995.