United States v. Hearst

424 F. Supp. 318, 1976 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12193
Procedural entryThis page is a short order in United States v. Hearst. Read the opinion of the Court — 466 F. Supp. 1068
District Court, N.D. California·Decided November 19, 1976·No. CR-74-364 WHO·Published

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

ORRICK, District Judge.

The primary question posed by defendant Patricia Campbell Hearst’s motion for bail pending appeal is whether defendant is such a flight-risk that this Court “has reason to believe that no one or more conditions of release will reasonably assure” that she will not flee. 18 U.S.C. § 3148.

For the reasons hereinafter stated, I find the defendant is not such a flight risk and I grant the motion to release her on bail subject to the conditions set forth in the Order following this Memorandum.

I.

On June 6, 1974, the defendant was charged in a two-count indictment with armed bank robbery on April 15, 1974, of a branch of the Hibernia Bank in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a)(d) and with the use of a firearm to commit a felony in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1). The indictment was not tried until January, 1976, because, despite the most intensive manhunt in United States history, the defendant remained at large for eighteen months until her apprehension in San Francisco in September, 1975. The bail fixed by the magistrate was revoked by Judge Carter on September 23, 1975, in an Order in which he held:

“The peculiar circumstances of this case — including the defendant’s own statements, her lengthy evasion of the criminal process in the face of extraordinary nationwide publicity concerning her pursuit by federal and state authorities, the vast sums of money already expended by her parents in the vain attempt to secure the return of their daughter, and the fact that at the time of her arrest she was found in the possession of a loaded handgun — warrant no other conclusion than that the defendant is not a reasonable bail risk, regardless of the amount of funds required.”

Thereafter, defendant was examined by four court-appointed doctors to determine whether she was then sane and competent to stand trial. In their joint preliminary statement dated October 6,1975 (and in the more complete reports subsequently filed), they stated, “the subject is not seen by us to pose a significant risk of escape or flight”. Despite this finding no motion for bail has been made by defendant until this one.

After an eight-week jury trial at which seventy-three witnesses testified and one hundred eighty-six exhibits were introduced, the defendant was found guilty as charged and convicted on both counts of the indictment. The jury had been instructed:

“ * * * that the defendant may have been kidnapped by others prior to the commission of the crimes charged is not alone sufficient to absolve her for responsibility for any subsequent criminal acts.”

Thereafter, the jury rejected the defense that the defendant acted under duress in participating in the armed bank robbery and the defense that her weapon was not operable as loaded. At the conclusion of the trial, Judge Carter, desiring more detailed information as a basis for determining the sentence to be imposed, committed the defendant to the custody of the Attorney General for a study in accordance with the procedures set forth in 18 U.S.C. § 4208. Upon receipt of the study on September 24, 1976, the defendant was given a straight adult sentence of seven years on the armed bank robbery charge and two years on the charge of committing a felony with a loaded weapon, both sentences to run concurrently. Defendant has taken an appeal to the United States Court of Appeals from the final judgment. 1

II.

A.

Defendant’s motion is governed by the Bail Reform Act of 1966 (18 U.S.C. *321 § 3146 et seq.) (the “Act”). Although the Act makes bail mandatory in noncapital cases prior to trial, it is discretionary with the court subsequent to conviction. United States v. Erwing, 280 F.Supp. 814 (N.D.Cal. 1968). Nonetheless, the Act establishes a policy strongly favoring post-trial as well as pretrial release. United States v. Stanley, 152 U.S.App.D.C. 170, 469 F.2d 576 (1972). The provisions of the Act applicable to a defendant who stands convicted of an offense 2 provide that such a person shall be treated under the same conditions as if he were awaiting trial unless the

“ * * * judge has reason to believe that no one or more conditions of release will reasonably assure that the person will not flee or pose a danger to any other person or to the community. If such a risk of flight or danger is believed to exist, or if it appears that an appeal is frivolous or taken for delay, the person may be ordered detained.” 18 U.S.C. § 3148.

Thus, if the Court finds that the appeal is not frivolous and is not being taken for delay and has no reason to believe that the defendant poses a threat either to any other person or to the community and if court finds that one or more conditions of release will reasonably assure that the defendant will not flee, it must treat the defendant as it would treat one 'waiting for trial. This means the Court must follow the command of 18 U.S.C. § 3146, which requires that a defendant be released on his personal recognizance or upon the execution of an unsecured appearance bond unless the Court determines in the exercise of its discretion that such a release will not reasonably assure the appearance of such person as required. In making this determination, the Court must take into account the nature and circumstances of the offense charged, the weight of the evidence against the accused, the accused’s family ties, employment, financial resources, character and mental condition, length of residence in the community, record of convictions, and record of appearances at court proceedings or of flight to avoid prosecution or failure to appear at court proceedings. After considering the above factors, if the Court decides that, by granting release on the defendant’s own recognizance or without security, appearance will not be assured, the Court must impose the first of the following conditions of release which will reasonably assure the appearance of the person or, if no single condition gives that assurance, any combination of the following conditions:

“(1) place the person in the custody of a designated person or organization agreeing to supervise him;
(2) place restrictions on the travel, association, or place of abode of the person during the period of release;

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United States v. Hearst, 424 F. Supp. 318, 1976 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12193 (N.D. Cal. 1976).

424 F. Supp. 318 (United States v. Hearst) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

United States v. Thomas E. Stanley
469 F.2d 576 (D.C. Circuit, 1972)
United States v. Erwing
280 F. Supp. 814 (N.D. California, 1968)