United States v. Feguer

192 F. Supp. 377, 1961 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5755
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Iowa
DecidedMarch 2, 1961
DocketCr. No. 6031
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 192 F. Supp. 377 (United States v. Feguer) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Feguer, 192 F. Supp. 377, 1961 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5755 (N.D. Iowa 1961).

Opinion

GRAVEN, District Judge.

On the evening of July 11, 1960, Edward Roy Bartels, a medical doctor engaged in the general practice of medicine in the City of Dubuque, Iowa, left his home in that city in response to a call for his services. He left on the call driv[379]*379ing a 1959 Nash Rambler. He was never seen alive again. Some days later his body was found in an isolated area in Jo Daviess County, Illinois. That county is located directly across the Mississippi River from the City of Dubuque. He had been killed by a bullet which had entered his head from the back. The 1959 Nash Rambler driven by Doctor Bartels at the time of his disappearance was next located in the possession of the defendant at Birmingham, Alabama, on July 20, 1960.

On August 9, 1960, a Grand Jury for this District returned an Indictment against the defendant. The Indictment is as follows:

“The Grand Jury Charges:

“That Victor Harry Feguer, on or about the 11th day of July, 1960, in violation of Section 1201(a), Title 18, United States Code, did knowingly transport in interstate commerce from Dubuque, Dubuque County, in the Eastern Division of the Northern District of Iowa, into the State of Illinois, one Edward Roy Bartels, a person who had theretofore been unlawfully seized, confined, inveigled, decoyed, kidnapped, abducted, and carried away by the defendant, and held by said defendant for ransom, reward, robbery, homicide, and for other reasons to the Grand Jurors unknown. The said Edward Roy Bartels was not liberated unharmed.

“A True Bill /s/ Vern M. Lovely
Foreman”

The defendant is awaiting trial on that Indictment. He has filed herein a motion, later amended, stating that certain listed property has been taken from him by Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation by unreasonable search and seizure. He asks that the property be returned to him and that it be suppressed from use in evidence against him in the trial. He also filed herein a motion stating that Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation failed to take him before a magistrate without unnecessary delay contrary to the provisions of Rule 5 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, 18 U.S.C.A. He asks that any statements, purported admissions, or confessions made by him during the period of delay be suppressed from use in evidence against him at the trial. In that motion he also alleges that any statements, purported admissions, or confessions made by him during the delay were involuntarily made by him. He asks that they be suppressed from use in evidence against him at the trial.

The motion relating to the suppression of property alleged to have been the subject of unreasonable search and seizure was made before trial under the provisions of Rule 41(e), Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. Neither the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure nor the Federal statutes make any specific provision for the suppression, prior to trial, of incriminatory statements alleged to have been made during the period in which an accused was allegedly withheld from arraignment in violation of Rule 5 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure or alleged to have been involuntarily made. However, since the Court would have to hold a hearing in the absence of the jury on the question of the admissibility of any alleged incriminatory statements, this Court deemed it desirable to hold the hearing on that matter in advance of trial. Since the motion relating to search and seizure and the motion relating to the alleged incriminatory statements are somewhat closely related, the Court ordered the hearings on both motions held at the same time. In the order setting the motions for hearing, the Court ordered the Government to produce at the hearing all those who had to do with the arrest of the defendant and the search resulting in the seizure of the property referred to in the defendant’s motion relating to search and seizure. The Court further ordered that the Government should produce at the hearing those familiar with the facts as to the detention of the defendant following his arrest and until his arraignment. The Court further ordered that the Government produce at the hearing evidence as to the time and place of arraignment [380]*380of the defendant, before whom the arraignment was had, and what occurred at the arraignment. At the hearing the Government produced the witnesses and evidence in accord with the Court order. A hearing of some length was held at which many witnesses were examined by the Government and cross-examined by the attorneys for the defendant. The defendant did not testify at the hearing. A transcript of the hearing was about 300 pages in length.

The Court took the motions under advisement and a few days later, but in advance of the trial, made and entered its rulings thereon. The Court stated in those rulings that its findings and opinion in connection with those matters would be filed later, which is now being done.

The defendant was arrested at Birmingham, Alabama, shortly prior to 2:00 o’clock P.M. on July 20, 1960. He was arraigned as provided by Rule 5 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure in the United States Courthouse at Birmingham, Alabama, on the forenoon of July 21, 1960. It is now necessary to revert back to the day of July 20,1960.

On July 20, 1960, one Smith Gerald Hudson was one of the persons most wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the Department of Justice. A warrant for his apprehension had been issued by the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, which warrant was still outstanding. He had been charged with flight to avoid imprisonment for murder in violation of Section 1073, Title 18 U. S.C. He had been convicted of murder in a state court. The Federal Bureau of Investigation had put out a descriptive bulletin stating that he was wanted by that Bureau for “Interstate Flight-Murder.” That bulletin contained front and side view pictures of him and his fingerprints. In the bulletin it was stated that he should be considered as “armed and dangerous.” The pictures of Smith Gerald Hudson on the bulletin portrayed him without eyeglasses.

Either on or shortly prior to July 20, 1960, a Birmingham, Alabama, newspaper had carried an account about Smith Gerald Hudson being one of the men most wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The write-up was accompanied by a picture of Smith Gerald Hudson taken from the F.B.I. bulletin concerning him. At around 10:30 o’clock A.M., on July 20, 1960, Special Agent Harry T. Posey, who was in the F.B.I. office in Birmingham, received a telephone call from a Mr. J. B. Alford. Mr. Alford was engaged in the used car business under the name of Friendly Car Motors on Third Avenue West in Birmingham.

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Related

Victor Harry Feguer v. United States
302 F.2d 214 (Eighth Circuit, 1962)

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Bluebook (online)
192 F. Supp. 377, 1961 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5755, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-feguer-iand-1961.