United States v. Friedman

107 F.R.D. 736, 1985 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15356
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Ohio
DecidedOctober 2, 1985
DocketNo. CR 83-188
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 107 F.R.D. 736 (United States v. Friedman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Friedman, 107 F.R.D. 736, 1985 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15356 (N.D. Ohio 1985).

Opinion

ORDER

BELL, District Judge.

Before this court lies a prosecution motion to dismiss certain charges brought by indictment against the defendant, Allen Friedman. Inasmuch as a ruling on that motion involves certain issues of import to the parties and to the citizens of this district, it is beneficial to state and comment upon those issues at some length.

I

Because they have pertinence to other sections of this opinion, the facts leading to the motion in question may be usefully reviewed.

[737]*737On July 14, 1983, Mr. Friedman was indicted on four counts of embezzling funds from a labor organization, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen and Helpers of America (hereinafter Teamsters), Local Union 507. Each of these counts alleged a violation of federal law, to-wit: 29 U.S.C. section 501(c). On November 3, 1983, Mr. Friedman was convicted by a trial jury and was thereafter sentenced to concurrent terms of three years imprisonment on each count and fined a total of $10,000.00. On July 31, 1984, 740 F.2d 969, his appeal to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals resulted in an affirmance of the convictions. Prior to trial, defendant filed a number of discovery motions to which the government made what were apparently believed to be appropriate responses.

In September, 1984, Mr. Friedman began serving his sentence at a federal correctional facility. In July of the following year, he filed a pro se application for post conviction relief pursuant to 28 U.S.C. section 2255. The arguments made by him in this request focused in part on the allegation that his attorneys had prevented him from calling as his witness during trial, Mr. Jackie Presser, his nephew, and president of the international Teamsters union. After direct inquiry was made by the court, Mr. Friedman personally withdrew the application in question as well as the allegations supporting it. The motion is noted only because of the defendant’s expression of desire to have had Mr. Presser testify as a defendant’s witness at the time of trial. Also important is the fact that, although the defendant apparently believed that Mr. Presser was of some value to him in the defense of his cause, that witness was neither called to testify during the course of trial, nor was his deposition obtained during the trial period. Nothing suggests that defendant has attempted to secure Mr. Presser’s testimony since this case has been reopened even though defendant’s attention was drawn to the possible utilization of Rule 15 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure.

On August 2, 1985, Mr. Friedman, by counsel, moved for a new trial on the grounds of newly discovered evidence pursuant to Rule 33 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. Hearings were held pertaining to this motion on August 16 and August 26, 1985. The government acquiesced in the motion and the trial court granted the request after first determining that if material information existed which was properly sought by the defendant prior to his original trial and which had not been disclosed to him, then a sufficient basis existed to mandate a new trial. Since the government represented that such information did exist, the court in the interest of justice and pursuant to Rule 33 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, granted the motion for new trial. As a result of the granting of this motion, the defendant’s sentence was vacated and he was released on bond.

After a preliminary suggestion on August 16 that it would do so, the government moved, on August 26, to dismiss the indictment against the defendant pursuant to Rule 48(a) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. This motion was subsequently amended to include yet a further concession to the defendant: a dismissal with prejudice to further proceeding against him involving the facts upon which his conviction had been based.

The reasons advanced by the government as a basis for its motion were stated in various forms, most fully developed in its argument during oral hearing. The reasons appear to be twofold: (1) the informant privilege, and (2) the government’s decision not to disclose matters material to Mr. Friedman’s defense. To allow further discussion on the question of dismissal and refinement of defendant’s most recent requests for discovery, the court continued the August 26 hearing until September 20, 1985. Briefs and renewed requests were filed by both parties and these were the subjects of discussion on the September 20 date. It is to these motions that this opinion is directed.

[738]*738One further recitation of circumstances must be made to complete the factual setting for this discussion. At the hearing on August 26, the court was informed by the government that those material facts which it now desires not to disclose were discovered by the prosecutorial team after the conclusion of the trial proceedings involving Mr. Friedman. Thus, it was argued, the answers given to defendant’s pretrial discovery requests were accurate to the best knowledge of the prosecutors at that time. However, the prosecution states that additional facts are now known to them which are asserted to be relevant to a proper defense. Due to these unusual circumstances the court requested the assistance of the Justice Department in submitting this matter to grand jury inquiry to determine whether such facts were wrongfully withheld at the time in question. A federal grand jury has been convened and is now investigating that matter. Again, comment is made here concerning this facet of this cause inasmuch as it has direct relevance to further discussion of the merit of the motions.

II

As a starting point, it is logical to consider the government’s motion to dismiss. To do so, it is well to note once again certain facts which form a framework for our consideration as well as some additional refinement of the positions taken by the parties.

Allen Friedman has had a lengthy involvement with Teamsters, Local 507. He was employed as a business agent of the local before his indictment. His nephew, Jackie Presser, had long been active in Teamster affairs in the Cleveland area and has, in due course, followed his father, William Presser, as an officer of the International.

It is common knowledge that for some time various grand juries empaneled in the Northern District of Ohio have considered charges against Mr. Presser. No indictment has been rendered against him to date. One of the grand juries conducting inquiry involving Jackie Presser rendered the indictment against Mr. Friedman. Interestingly, while the factual basis upon which Mr.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
107 F.R.D. 736, 1985 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15356, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-friedman-ohnd-1985.