United States v. James Eugene Franklin, Jr.

429 F.2d 274
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
DecidedAugust 13, 1970
Docket20035_1
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 429 F.2d 274 (United States v. James Eugene Franklin, Jr.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. James Eugene Franklin, Jr., 429 F.2d 274 (8th Cir. 1970).

Opinion

VOGEL, Circuit Judge.

James Eugene Franklin, Jr., defendant-appellant, was charged in a four-count indictment with violations of 26 U.S.C.A. § 4704(a) and 26 U.S.C.A. § 4705(a). Counts I and III charged unlawful purchases of heroin, while Counts II and IV charged violations of § 4705(a) in that the defendant was charged with selling narcotic drugs oth *276 er than in pursuance of a written order. Defendant was found guilty by a jury on all four counts. He was thereafter sentenced to five years in the custody of the Attorney General on each of the four counts, the sentences to run concurrently.

In this direct appeal, defendant raises a number of claimed errors which he believes justify this court in reversing and directing a dismissal. In affirming, we consider each claim separately.

1. Defendant’s first contention is that the trial court erred in denying his motion to dismiss the indictment because no record of the grand jury testimony of the government witness Agent Moriarty was made. Defendant claimed a “particularized need” for Moriarty’s testimony before the grand jury in that Moriarty, in preparing or contributing to a Jencks Act statement referred to the defendant as James Eugene Franklin, Jr., alias “Foots” and it appeared that “Foots” was not the nickname of the defendant but that of John Franklin, the defendant’s brother. Defendant relies principally upon Dennis v. United States, 1966, 384 U.S. 855, 86 S.Ct. 1840, 16 L. Ed.2d 973, and also cites Melton v. United States, 10 Cir., 1968, 398 F.2d 321. In both cases, a record was made of the testimony before the grand jury. Therein it was established that the defendants had a “particularized need” for the grand jury testimony and that the ends of justice required it be produced. See United States v. Youngblood, 2 Cir., 1967, 379 F.2d 365, 367-368. In the instant ease, however, no record was made of the grand jury testimony so that defendant’s request therefor could not be complied with. Rule 6 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, 18 U.S.C. A., provides that a record may be made of the testimony but it is not mandatory. We know of no case which holds that the failure to record and transcribe testimony given before a grand jury is ground for dismissal of any indictment returned. In McCaffrey v. United States, 10 Cir., 1967, 372 F.2d 482, cert, denied, 387 U.S. 945, 87 S.Ct. 2078, 18 L.Ed.2d 1332, in answer to a similar contention, the court held squarely that there was no requirement that grand jury proceedings be recorded or transcribed. In Loux v. United States, 9 Cir., 1968, 389 F.2d 911, at page 916, cert. denied, 393 U.S. 867, 89 S.Ct. 151, 21 L. Ed.2d 135, the court held :

“The law does not require that the testimony of witnesses before a grand jury be recorded or transcribed. Rule 6(d), F.R.Crim.P. is permissive, not mandatory. Every court that has considered the question has so held. United States v. Caruso, 2 Cir., 1966, 358 F.2d 184, 186; United States v. Cianchetti, 2 Cir., 1963, 315 F.2d 584, 591; United States v. Martel, D.C.N. Y„ 1954, 17 F.R.D. 326 (cited with approval in Cianchetti, supra); United States v. Hensley, 6 Cir., 1967, 374 F.2d 341, 352; Welch v. United States, 10 Cir., 1966, 371 F.2d 287, 291. Nor is there support for the claim that failure to record grand jury testimony violates the defendants’ constitutional rights. United States v. Cianchetti, supra, and United States v. Hensley, supra, are to the contrary. See also Lawn v. United States, 1958, 355 U.S. 339, 349-350, 78 S.Ct. 311, 2 L.Ed.2d 321; Costello v. United States, 1956, 350 U.S. 359, 76 S.Ct. 406, 100 L.Ed. 397.”

While Loux is perhaps justifiably coming under criticism, see United States v. Thoresen, 9 Cir., 1970, 428 F.2d 654 (majority and concurring opinions), it still is controlling authority. See Jack v. United States, 9 Cir., 1969, 409 F.2d 522, 524. 1

We might point out additionally that counsel for defendant, through the use of Jencks Act statements, was able to bring out on cross-examination the fact that there was some confusion as to *277 whether or not the defendant was known as “Foots”. There was no prejudice to the defendant and the trial court properly overruled the motion to dismiss the indictment for failure to have the testimony before the grant jury recorded and transcribed.

2. Defendant’s second contention is that the trial court erred in allowing Agent Stamm to testify, over objection, with respect to a pre-trial photograph identification of defendant by the informer Gibson. Defendant cites and relies on Simmons v. United States, 1968, 390 U.S. 377, 88 S.Ct. 967, 19 L.Ed.2d 1247.

The substance of what Agent Stamm testified to was that after the March 13, 1969, purchase of heroin by informer Gibson, Gibson was given a number of photographs from which he identified one as that of defendant as the seller. We find no violation of the proscriptions set forth in Simmons, which also held “* * * each case must be considered on its own facts, and that convictions based on eyewitness identification at trial following a pretrial identification by photograph will be set aside on that ground only if the photographic identification procedure was so impermissively suggestive as to give rise to a very substantial likelihood of irreparable misidentification.” 390 U.S. at 384, 88 S.Ct. at 971. Here the informer picked out a picture from a number exhibited to him subsequent to the sale episode. He also identified the defendant in court at the time of trial. Furthermore, he testified that he knew the defendant for approximately a year and a half before the in-court identification. We find nothing “impermissively suggestive” or unfair or prejudicial to the defendant in the manner of handling the identification of defendant.

3.

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Bluebook (online)
429 F.2d 274, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-james-eugene-franklin-jr-ca8-1970.