United States v. Edwin Ray Bruton, Jr., United States of America v. Robert S. Jean

414 F.2d 905, 1969 U.S. App. LEXIS 11191
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
DecidedAugust 6, 1969
Docket19526_1
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 414 F.2d 905 (United States v. Edwin Ray Bruton, Jr., United States of America v. Robert S. Jean) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Eighth 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. Edwin Ray Bruton, Jr., United States of America v. Robert S. Jean, 414 F.2d 905, 1969 U.S. App. LEXIS 11191 (8th Cir. 1969).

Opinion

MEHAFFY, Circuit Judge.

Defendants Edwin Ray Bruton, Jr. and Robert S. Jean were separately charged in one-count informations with violating the Dyer Act. 18 U.S.C.A. § 2312, by transporting in interstate commerce from Georgia to Nebraska a stolen automobile knowing it to have been stolen. 1 The cases were consolidated for trial, and upon verdicts of guilty rendered by the jury against each defendant the trial court adjudged them to be youth offenders and suspended imposition of sentence of imprisonment and placed them on probation for three years.

Defendants were permitted to appeal in forma pauperis. The main thrust of their contention for reversal is that the evidence is insufficient to support the verdicts. Additionally, they assign as error the refusal to give two requested instructions and an objection to one of the instructions contained in the court’s charge. We affirm the judgments of conviction.

Defendants were both in the Army stationed at Fort Gordon, Georgia, located on the outskirts of Augusta, Georgia. On April 13, 1968, defendants planned a trip to Urbana, Illinois so that Jean could see his wife and child. The two decided to rent a car to make the trip, but a telephone call to the National Car Rental Agency at Augusta disclosed that a car would not be rented to anyone under twenty-five years of age. Since both defendants were under twenty-five years old, they went to the home of Mrs. Rose Bruton in Augusta, the aunt of de *907 fendant Bruton, whom they had visited on previous occasions, and persuaded her to rent a car for them. They knew at this time and at all times that they planned to take the car directly to Illinois, but nonetheless they told Mrs. Bru-ton that they wanted to attend a dance at Macon, Georgia and would return by three or four o’clock the next afternoon. Mrs. Bruton agreed to rent the car for them upon their assurance that they would return the next day and pay the rental fee. Shortly after three p. m. that same day the two defendants and Mrs. Bruton drove to the National Car Rental Agency at Bush Field in Augusta where they rented a 1968 Chevrolet Impala. Jean stayed outside in Mrs. Bru-ton’s car while Bruton and his aunt went to the desk of the agency in the terminal building where Mrs. Bruton told the clerk in Bruton’s presence that the car was only going to be used to go to Macon, Georgia and would be kept for one day.

This stipulation was entered in the contract of lease and Mrs. Bruton offered a cash deposit of $50.00, which defendant Jean had provided her. However, since she also was using her Shell Oil Company credit card as a deposit the clerk told her that it was not necessary to make the cash deposit. Defendants assured Mrs. Bruton that no charges would be made against her credit card for the ear rental as they would pay for it upon their return.

Defendants and Mrs. Bruton then proceeded to Mrs. Bruton’s house with both cars and defendants again assured her that they would return the next day by three or four p. m.

Upon leaving her house, defendants drove directly to Urbana, Illinois as they had originally planned. They stayed in Urbana for a day or two and then decided to drive to Cudahy, a suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where Jean had a friend they could stay with while looking for work since they did not' have sufficient funds to return the car to Augusta. Being unable to find employment, they decided to drive to California. They left their Army clothes with Jean’s friend. Defendants were absent without leave from the Army and completely without funds when they embarked on this leg of the journey. Both defendants affirmed earlier oral statements made to an FBI agent to the effect that they intended to turn the car in in California, and Jean acknowledged that he told the agent that they were broke and he did not know where, when and if the car would be turned in.

When defendants did not return to Augusta the day following the rental of the car Mrs. Bruton notified the car rental agency who advised that they were holding her responsible, and she then notified the police authorities in Georgia. A warrant for defendants’ arrest was issued in Georgia. On April 19, 1968, defendants were stopped by Nebraska state patrol troopers about fourteen miles north of Beatrice, Nebraska on U.S. Highway 77. At- first they refused to identify themselves, but a search of the car revealed Bruton’s identification and a copy of the rental agreement.

Defendants, after being formally charged, appeared before the United States Commissioner with appointed counsel. They admitted there and also later to the FBI agent that they had agreed to misrepresent to Mrs. Bruton that they were going to Macon, Georgia so as to persuade her to lend her assistance in renting a car for them when they actually had no intention of going to Macon, but from the outset intended to immediately drive to Illinois.

Both defendants testified at trial substantially to the same effect. They both contended that they intended to return the car to the National Car Rental Agency in California. Bruton testified that he had friends in California who would loan him money to pay for the car, and both testified that they were not aware that their conduct was felonious under the circumstances.

*908 As we said in Stewart v. United States, 395 F.2d 484, 490 (8th Cir. 1968):

“The interpretation of the Dyer Act has resulted in numerous decisions involving its reach, the definition of its terms, and, as a matter of fact, the definition of nearly every word contained therein. These decisions evidenced a divergence of views in the various circuit courts, which resulted in the granting of certiorari by the Supreme Court in the case of United States v. Turley, 352 U.S. 407, 77 S.Ct. 397, 1 L.Ed.2d 430 (1957), which involved an alleged violation of the Dyer Act. In interpreting the term ‘stolen’ as used in the statute, the Supreme Court there reviewed the legislative history of the Act and, noting the divergent decisions in the lower federal courts, held:
“ ‘We conclude that the Act requires an interpretation of “stolen” which does not limit it to situations which at common law would be considered larceny. The refinements of that crime are not related to the primary congressional purpose of eliminating the interstate traffic in unlawfully obtained motor vehicles. The Government’s interpretation is neither unclear nor vague. “Stolen” as used in 18 U.S.C. § 2312 includes all felonious takings of motor vehicles with intent to deprive the owner of the rights and benefits of ownership, regardless of whether or not the theft constitutes common-law larceny.’ ”

Judge Blackmun, speaking for this court in Schwab v. United States, 327 F.2d 11, 13 (8th Cir. 1964), interpreted United States v. Turley, 352 U.S. 407, 77 S.Ct.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

V-Z-S
22 I. & N. Dec. 1338 (Board of Immigration Appeals, 2000)
United States v. Carl Owen Hill
579 F.2d 480 (Eighth Circuit, 1978)
United States v. Albert Butler Chatham
568 F.2d 445 (Fifth Circuit, 1978)
United States v. Bunch
399 F. Supp. 1156 (D. Maryland, 1975)
United States v. Willie Frank Wilson
488 F.2d 688 (Fifth Circuit, 1973)
United States v. Robert Harry Miles
472 F.2d 1145 (Eighth Circuit, 1973)
United States v. Judge Mark Ankrom
446 F.2d 1402 (Fifth Circuit, 1971)
James Barrett Kimball v. United States
437 F.2d 921 (Eighth Circuit, 1971)
United States v. John McBride Hull, Jr.
437 F.2d 1 (Fifth Circuit, 1971)
United States v. Winford Esty Ellis
428 F.2d 818 (Eighth Circuit, 1970)
United States v. Vernon George Christian
427 F.2d 1299 (Eighth Circuit, 1970)
United States v. James Robert Richards
425 F.2d 432 (Fifth Circuit, 1970)
United States v. John Wesley McLean Jr.
424 F.2d 513 (Eighth Circuit, 1970)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
414 F.2d 905, 1969 U.S. App. LEXIS 11191, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-edwin-ray-bruton-jr-united-states-of-america-v-robert-ca8-1969.