United States v. Frederick C. Prior, United States of America v. Frederick C. Prior

553 F.2d 381, 1977 U.S. App. LEXIS 13159
Procedural entryThis page is a short order in United States v. Frederick C. Prior, United States of America v. Frederick C. Prior. Read the opinion of the Court — 546 F.2d 1254
Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit·Decided May 31, 1977·No. 74-3457, 74-4097, 75-3207·Published

Opinion

MEHRTENS, District Judge:

The defendant, Frederick C. Prior, petitions this Court for a rehearing, and a rehearing en banc, in the consolidated cases 74-3457, 74-4097 and 75-3207, decided by this Court in 546 F.2d 1254 (1977).

The defendant’s conviction on five counts of false declaration before a grand jury (18 U.S.C. § 1623) and the District Court’s denial of the motion for a new trial were affirmed. The order suppressing his grand jury testimony was reversed.

We deny the defendant’s petition for rehearing.

The defendant claims that this case is not controlled by United States v. Mandujano, 425 U.S. 564, 96 S.Ct. 1768, 48 L.Ed.2d 212 (1976). Before Mandujano was decided, the thrust of the defendant’s argument was that he had not been advised of his Constitutional rights in accordance with Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (1966), while testifying before the grand jury. That issue was decided against the defendant by the Supreme Court in Mandujano, and we so stated in our decision.

The defendant now shifts his emphasis to assert that he was entitled to an explicit warning of his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination when he was before the grand jury.

It is true, as defendant argues, that in Mandujano the Supreme Court, in footnote 7, pointed out that because the defendant in that case had been advised of his Fifth Amendment privilege, it was unnecessary to consider whether any warning was required. It also noted that in addition to the warning implicit in the oath, federal prosecutors apparently make it a practice to inform a witness of the privilege.

*383 It is significant to note that the Supreme Court in Mandujano, supra, expressly pointed out that:

“Similarly, a witness subpoenaed to testify before a petit jury and placed under oath has never been entitled to a warning that, if he violates the solemn oath to ‘tell the truth,’ he may be subject to a prosecution for perjury, for the oath itself is the warning. Nor has any case been cited to us holding that the absence of such warnings before a petit jury provides a shield against use of false testimony in a subsequent prosecution for perjury or in contempt proceedings.
“In any event, a witness sworn to tell the truth before a duly constituted grand jury will not be heard to call for suppression of false statements made to that jury, any more than would be the case with false testimony before a petit jury or other duly constituted tribunal.”
% * * * * *
“The fact that here the grand jury interrogation had focused on some of respondent’s specific activities does not require that these important principles be jettisoned; nothing remotely akin to ‘entrapment’ or abuse of process is suggested by what occurred here. Cf. Brown v. United States, 245 F.2d 549 (CA8 1957).
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“ ‘Once a witness swears to give truthful answers, there is no requirement to “warn him not to commit perjury or, conversely to direct him to tell the truth.” It would render the sanctity of the oath quite meaningless to require admonition to adhere to it.’ United States v. Winter, 348 F.2d 204, 210 (CA2 1965). (Emphasis added.)” (Id., 425 U.S. at 581, 582, 96 S.Ct. at 1779)

The defendant’s contention that the failure to apprise him of his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination made his perjurious testimony illegally obtained evidence has been decided adversely to him by this Court and also other courts. Thus, in United States v. Orta, 253 F.2d 312 (CA5 1958), cert. denied, 357 U.S. 905, 78 S.Ct. 1149, 2 L.Ed.2d 1156 (1958), this Court held:

“It is clear that the protection of the Fifth Amendment relates to crimes alleged to have been committed before the time when the testimony is sought. A witness, ignorant and uninformed of his constitutional rights, would not intelligently waive them if he testified, thinking that he was compelled to do so. He might answer truthfully and thereafter assert the constitutional guaranty. Under no circumstances, however, could he commit perjury and successfully claim that the Constitution afforded him protection from prosecution for that crime. As said in Glickstein v. United States, 1911, 222 U.S. 139, 142, 32 S.Ct. 71, 73, 56 L.Ed. 128; ‘ * * * the immunity afforded by the constitutional guaranty relates to the past, and does not endow the person who testifies with a license to commit perjury.’ ”
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“An almost identical factual situation was faced by the Seventh Circuit in United States v. Parker, 1957, 244 F.2d 943, and in an able opinion by Judge Finnegan it was held that the failure to apprise the witness of his privilege against self-incrimination did not make his perjurious testimony illegally obtained evidence. The views there expressed, with which we are in full agreement, make further discussion in this case unnecessary.
“Perjury is one of the most elemental of all crimes. Every sane person from the beginning of time has recognized its moral iniquity. No one can fail to know that any civilized system of laws must denounce perjury because it pollutes the very fountainhead of justice.”

To the same effect see United States v. Winter, 348 F.2d 204 (CA2 1965).

It also appears that the defendant himself is an experienced attorney. Hence, the force of his claim of injury by not being explicitly advised of his right against self-incrimination becomes less firm, especially when coupled with the warning given by the United States Attorney at the begin *384 ning of the defendant’s second appearance before the Grand Jury:

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United States v. Frederick C. Prior, United States of America v. Frederick C. Prior, 553 F.2d 381, 1977 U.S. App. LEXIS 13159 (5th Cir. 1977).

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Related

Glickstein v. United States
222 U.S. 139 (Supreme Court, 1911)
Miranda v. Arizona
384 U.S. 436 (Supreme Court, 1966)
Oregon v. Hass
420 U.S. 714 (Supreme Court, 1975)
United States v. Mandujano
425 U.S. 564 (Supreme Court, 1976)
United States v. Harold Parker
244 F.2d 943 (Seventh Circuit, 1957)
G. Elmer Brown v. United States
245 F.2d 549 (Eighth Circuit, 1957)
United States v. Juan A. Orta
253 F.2d 312 (Fifth Circuit, 1958)
United States v. Hyman Winter
348 F.2d 204 (Second Circuit, 1965)