United States v. Harris

301 F. Supp. 996, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9990
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Wisconsin
DecidedJuly 24, 1969
DocketNo. 69-CR-46
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 301 F. Supp. 996 (United States v. Harris) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Wisconsin primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Harris, 301 F. Supp. 996, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9990 (E.D. Wis. 1969).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

REYNOLDS, District Judge.

The defendant, Lewis William Harris, is charged in a one-count indictment with burglary of the Post Exchange Retail Store (hereinafter “Post Exchange”) located at the United States Disciplinary Barracks in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, in violation of Title 18 United States Code of Laws §§ 7 and 13, and § 943.10(1) (a) of the Wisconsin Statutes.

The matter is before this court on the defendant’s motion to suppress a confession which the defendant gave to special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (hereinafter “FBI”) on March 19, 1969, and to quash the indictment. A hearing limited to the defendant’s motion to suppress the confession was commenced on May 16, 1969, and continued on May 23, 1969. At the conclusion of this hearing, the defendant’s motion was taken under advisement. The matter is now ready for decision.

FACTS

The defendant was arrested by officers of the Milwaukee Police Department on March 17, 1969, for burglary of St. Gerard’s Church in Milwaukee. At the time of his arrest, the defendant was serving a period of mandatory release from the Wisconsin State Prison.

[997]*997A search of the defendant’s apartment, conducted pursuant to a search warrant, led to discovery of money taken in the St. Gerard’s burglary as well as an amount of marijuana. The money was found in a purse belonging to the defendant’s girl friend, Shirley McCarthy, who was present in the apartment at the time of the defendant’s arrest. As a result of this search, Miss McCarthy was placed under arrest for participation in the St. Gerard’s burglary and for illegal possession of marijuana. The defendant and Miss McCarthy were taken into custody.

During the remainder of March 17, 1969, and again on March 18, 1969, several conversations took place at the Milwaukee County Jail between the defendant and officers of the Milwaukee Police Department. Agents of the FBI were also present during some of these conversations. They had come to the jail in order to question the defendant with regard to the Post Exchange burglary. Among the law enforcement officers participating in these conversations were Detective Paasch of the Milwaukee Police and Special Agent Dennis P. Joyce of the FBI.

During the course of these conversations, the defendant indicated to the officers and agents present that he was willing to provide them with certain information if in return they would be willing to see that he received certain considerations. More specifically, the defendant agreed to provide the officers and agents not only with confessions to both the St. Gerard’s and Post Exchange burglaries, but also with additional information regarding fifty to one hundred other burglaries in the Milwaukee area as well as “organized crime” in general on the condition that the officers agree to certain reciprocal conditions. These conditions were (1) that Miss McCarthy be released without any charges filed against her; (2) that no charges, other than the St. Gerard’s and Post Exchange burglaries, be filed against the defendant as a result of either the search of his apartment or the additional information which he would turn over to the officers and agents; and (3) that the remaining period of his state mandatory release (approximately 27y2 months) be permitted to run concurrently with whatever sentence he received in a federal penal institution as a result of his confession to the Post Exchange burglary.

The defendant further indicated that he was willing to enter into such a cooperative agreement because it would afford him an opportunity to “clear his slate,” so to speak, by serving a period of imprisonment in a federal institution, after which time he would be eligible for release without any state detainer against him. He also made it very clear that under no circumstances did he wish to be returned to the Wisconsin State Prison. He stated that he feared for his personal safety if, at the conclusion of his federal sentence, he were to be returned to the Wisconsin State Prison (the very institution where the men he would implicate could be sent) to serve the remaining period of his prior state sentence.

The testimony of the officers and agents present during these conversations indicates that they believed that the defendant did in fact have information which they were interested in obtaining. The officers and agents also understood that the defendant expected certain treatment in consideration for his information, and that he was relying on their indications that they would do everything within their power to work out a cooperative arrangement with the state authorities that would be satisfactory to both the defendant and the law enforcement agencies involved.

The defendant testified that as a result of these conversations, he and the officers and agents entered into what the defendant has described as a “checker game.” In the defendant’s words, he was to show his willingness to provide valuable information by confessing to the St. Gerard’s burglary. In return, [998]*998the officers and agents were to show their willingness to meet the defendant’s conditions by releasing Miss McCarthy without filing charges against her. According to the defendant’s testimony, it was then contemplated that the defendant and the officers would alternate between providing information and securing the requested reciprocal conditions until each side had fully performed their part of the cooperative arrangement. The officers and agents did not take issue with the defendant’s “checker game” characterizing of cooperative understanding.

Following these conversations, the defendant confessed to the St. Gerard’s burglary. After the Milwaukee police had his confession, they released Miss McCarthy without charges. It also appears from the testimony that the defendant and the officers agreed that in lieu of filing any additional state charges against the defendant, the marijuana possession as well as any other burglaries in which the defendant might involve himself in the process of providing further information would be read into the court record of the St. Gerard’s charge.

The officers and agents testified that they informed the defendant that his third and only unmet condition (that his state time be permitted to run concurrently with the federal sentence he would receive) could only be granted by the Department of Health and Social Services of the State of Wisconsin (hereinafter “Department”), but that they would assist the defendant in the typing up of his request and thereafter would do everything within their power to persuade the Department to grant his request.

Thereafter, on March 19, 1969, the defendant, after having been informed of his rights, gave the statement, which he now wishes to have suppressed, to agents Dennis P. Joyce and Charles A. Tosi of the FBI. In this statement the defendant confesses to having burglarized the Post Exchange.

The defendant testified that he made this confession as one of his “moves” in the “checker game.” He stated that in making this “move” he believed that in return his third condition would be met in the same manner as had his first two conditions following his prior “move.”

Testimony regarding subsequent events indicates that the officers and agents did in fact live up to their agreement by doing everything within their power to persuade the Department to agree jb.o. the defendant’s request. Deputy Inspector Marple of the Milwaukee police contacted Mr.

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

Related

State v. Edwardsen
400 N.W.2d 18 (Court of Appeals of Wisconsin, 1986)
People v. Jones
331 N.W.2d 406 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1982)
United States v. Williams
447 F. Supp. 631 (D. Delaware, 1978)
United States v. Turner
423 F. Supp. 959 (E.D. Tennessee, 1976)
Hunter v. Swenson
372 F. Supp. 287 (W.D. Missouri, 1974)
Redmond v. People
501 P.2d 1051 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 1972)
Monsour v. Cady
342 F. Supp. 353 (E.D. Wisconsin, 1972)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
301 F. Supp. 996, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9990, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-harris-wied-1969.