United States v. Flynn

844 F. Supp. 856, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2199, 1994 WL 61348
CourtDistrict Court, D. New Hampshire
DecidedFebruary 24, 1994
Docket1:16-adr-00003
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 844 F. Supp. 856 (United States v. Flynn) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. New Hampshire primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Flynn, 844 F. Supp. 856, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2199, 1994 WL 61348 (D.N.H. 1994).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

DEVINE, Senior District Judge.

The probationer, John Flynn, has been charged with violation of his probation. The court has reviewed the testimony, exhibits, and legal memoranda provided during and after the hearing held with respect to these charges.

Background

Flynn appeared with counsel before this court on June 27, 1983, waived indictment, and pled guilty to charges of conspiracy and mail fraud. 1

On August 8, 1983, he was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment and a consecutive five-year suspended sentence, to be followed by five years of probation. Flynn’s probation began on August 28, 1988.

Transfer of Flynn’s supervision to the District of Maine, to which he had moved in January 1992, was completed in October 1992. Flynn was placed, and remains, under the supervision of United States Probation Officer (USPO) Vincent Frost. According to Thomas K. Tarr, Chief USPO for the District of New Hampshire, soon thereafter information began to surface that the probationer had been involved in a number of fraudulent activities since arriving in Maine. USPO Frost conducted an investigation which resulted in the filing of a Petition on Probation and Supervised Release to revoke Flynn’s probation.

Discussion

1. The Requirements of Rule 32.1(a)(2)

Pursuant to Rule 32.1(a)(2), Fed.R.Crim. P., a probationer subject to a revocation hearing

shall be given
(A) written notice of the alleged violation;
(B) disclosure of the evidence against the person;
(C) an opportunity to appear and to present evidence in the person’s own behalf;
(D) the opportunity to question adverse witnesses; and
(E) notice of the person’s right to be represented by counsel.

During the hearing on the instant matter, the court found no breach of the requirements of Rule 32.1(a)(2), nor did probationer register any unresolved objections thereto. However, as to the requirement of written notice, probationer contended that the Petition on Probation and Supervised Release, filed on August 16, 1993, constituted the only valid notice of the alleged violations. The court disagrees.

A probationer subject to a revocation hearing is entitled to written notice of the alleged violations. Gagnon v. Scarpelli, 411 U.S. 778, 786, 93 S.Ct. 1756, 1762, 36 L.Ed.2d 656 (1973); Rule 32.1, Fed.R.Crim.P. “[T]he written notice required by Gagnon must be given before the final hearing to satisfy the requirements of due process.” United States v. Davila, 573 F.2d 986 (7th Cir.1978).

Accordingly, and having reviewed the documents at issue, the court finds and rules that Flynn received adequate written notice of his alleged violations in the form of the Petition on Probation and Supervised Release, filed on August 16, 1993, and the Government’s Brief re: Probation Revocation Hearing, filed prior to commencement of the hearing on February 2, 1994.

2. Standard of Review

In considering whether probation should be revoked, the court must (1) determine whether the probationer has violated one of the conditions of probation, and (2) determine whether such violation warrants revocation in light of its nature and the histo *860 ry of the probationer. United States v. Nolan, 932 F.2d 1005, 1006 (1st Cir.1991); United States v. Czajak, 909 F.2d 20, 22 (1st Cir.1990); United States v. Morin, 889 F.2d 328, 332 (1st Cir.1989). The proof required is merely that the evidence and facts be such as reasonably to satisfy the court that the probationer’s conduct has not been as required by the conditions of probation. United States v. Czajak, supra, 909 F.2d at 22. There is

no constitutional requirement that, in a probation revocation hearing predicated on alleged violation of a criminal law, a probationer be granted a jury trial, or that commission of the crime be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.... This is because “[Revocation deprives an individual, not of the absolute liberty to which every citizen is entitled, but only of the conditional liberty properly dependent on observance of special [probation] restrictions.” Morrissey v. Brewer, 408 U.S. 471, 480 [92 S.Ct. 2593, 2600, 33 L.Ed.2d 484] (1972). It is, in effect, more a re-sentencing hearing than a taking of rights. United States v. Bazzano, 712 F.2d 826, 833 (3d Cir.1983), cert. denied, Mollica v. United States, 465 U.S. 1078 [104 S.Ct. 1439, 79 L.Ed.2d 760] (1984).

Id. at 24 (footnote omitted). The court notes that the findings of fact made herein are based upon a preponderance of the evidence.

3. Alleged Violations

Condition No. 1 of Flynn’s probation requires, inter alia, that he “refrain from violation of any law (federal state or local).” Government Exhibit 41.

a. Forgery and Theft by Deception: Mayville’s Tavern

Paragraph 2 of the Petition states,

While a shareholder and general manager at Mayville Tavern from April 17, 1992 until May 1993, the probationer, who was not a signatory of the corporate bank accounts, forged both Alexander MacGregor and Phillippe See’s name, both duly authorized signatories, to various checks. Both MacGregor and Sée and every other shareholder will testify that they never gave Flynn permission to do this.

Section II of the Government’s Memo alleges that probationer,

in violation of Maine Criminal Code Title 17-A § 703 “forgery,” while involved in a business venture called Mayville’s Tavern, Inc. in Bethel, Maine, ... did with the intent to defraud or deceive another person, falsely make, complete and endorse written instruments, specifically checks. The defendant did not have authority to sign checks on behalf of the Corporation. He was not an officer of the Corporation and did not have signature authority on any corporate accounts. He did, however, on many occasions, forge the signature of Alexander MacGregor, then president of Mayville’s, on checks. Many of those checks were made payable to the defendant himself.

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

Related

United States v. Venable
416 F. Supp. 2d 64 (District of Columbia, 2006)
Perez v. LeMaster
17 F. App'x 901 (Tenth Circuit, 2001)
United States v. Flynn
First Circuit, 1995
Johnson v. University Surgical Group Associates
871 F. Supp. 979 (S.D. Ohio, 1994)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
844 F. Supp. 856, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2199, 1994 WL 61348, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-flynn-nhd-1994.