United States v. Jett

848 F. Supp. 1292, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4528, 1994 WL 125325
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Mississippi
DecidedApril 7, 1994
DocketCiv. A. No. 3:93-cv-460WS, Crim. No. 3:90-cr-68WS
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 848 F. Supp. 1292 (United States v. Jett) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Mississippi primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Jett, 848 F. Supp. 1292, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4528, 1994 WL 125325 (S.D. Miss. 1994).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

WINGATE, District Judge.

The petitioner Robert Lee Jett (hereinafter “Jett”) submits this motion to vacate his sentence under Title 28 U.S.C. § 2255.1 Jett was found guilty of distributing 1.98 ounces of cocaine base within 1,000 feet of a school in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 845(a).2 Jett also was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute cocaine under Title 21 U.S.C. § 846,3 but this court set aside that verdict because Jett’s co-felon was found innocent of that charge. On October 2, 1991, Jett was sentenced to serve 36 months in the custody of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons and, upon release from imprisonment, to remain on supervised release for a period of six years and participate in drug abuse aftercare. Jett was ordered to pay a $7,500.00 fine in installments of $115.00 per month.

Jett’s conviction was affirmed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on April 23, 1992, 961 F.2d 1573. Jett claimed on appeal that his civil rights had been violated when the government’s attorney had told the jury in closing argument that Jett’s entrapment defense was inapplicable because the government had not used any “physical force” on Jett. Jett also asserted that the decision of the State of Mississippi to refer his ease for federal pros[1296]*1296ecution had violated his constitutional right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment because he had been exposed to harsher penalties in federal court.

The Fifth Circuit found that no attorney other than Jett’s own counsel had used the term “physical force.” The Fifth Circuit also found that Jett’s Eighth Amendment argument had been specifically rejected by the Fifth Circuit in the case of United States v. Carter, 953 F.2d 1449 (5th Cir.1992).

I. JETT’S COMPLAINT

In support of his instant motion for habeas corpus relief, Jett contends that the government: (1) denied him the right to confront witness Katherine Griffin; (2) relied upon an improper search warrant; (3) committed a Brady violation; (4) failed to overcome his entrapment defense; (5) introduced false evidence; and (6) subjected him to cruel and unusual punishment. Additionally, (7) he argues ineffective assistance of counsel.

II. PROCEDURAL BAR

None of these issues was raised by Jett on direct appeal of his conviction. Hence, the government contends that these issues are subject to a procedural bar and that this court should not issue a writ because Jett has not shown cause and prejudice. United States v. Shaid, 937 F.2d 228, 231-32 n. 7 (5th Cir.1991); United States v. Drobny, 955 F.2d 990, 995 (5th Cir.1992). Furthermore, says the government, Jett cannot show a miscarriage of justice because Jett is unable to establish that he was innocent of the crime of which he was duly tried and convicted. United States v. Flores, 981 F.2d 231, 236 (5th Cir.1993).

In United States v. Shaid, the Fifth Circuit noted that the United States Supreme Court has emphasized repeatedly that a collateral challenge may not do service for an appeal, citing United States v. Frady, 456 U.S. 152, 164, 102 S.Ct. 1584, 1593, 71 L.Ed.2d 816 (1982). “After conviction and exhaustion or waiver of any right to appeal,” says the United States Supreme Court in Frady, “we are entitled to presume that [the defendant] stands fairly convicted.” Frady, 456 U.S. at 164, 102 S.Ct. at 1592. Accordingly, says the Court, a defendant can challenge his conviction after it is presumed final only on issues of constitutional magnitude, citing Hill v. United States, 368 U.S. 424, 427, 82 S.Ct. 468, 471, 7 L.Ed.2d 417 (1962), and cannot raise an issue for the first time on collateral review without showing both cause for procedural default and actual prejudice resulting from the asserted error. Frady, 456 U.S. at 166, 102 S.Ct. at 1594.

This court agrees with the government that all the issues raised by Jett except his assertion of ineffective assistance of counsel are procedurally barred. Nevertheless, this court shall address each issue separately on its merits in order to enunciate the court’s additional grounds for dismissing Jett’s motion for habeas corpus relief.

III.RIGHT TO CONFRONTATION OF OPPOSING WITNESSES

Jett says his right to confront the witnesses against him has been denied. Jett contends that the government did not call one Katherine (Kathy) Griffin as a witness, implying that the government had some duty to do so. According to Jett, Griffin was the “key witness” for the government, notwithstanding her absence from the courtroom during the entire trial. Of course, if Jett truly believed at the time of this trial that Griffin’s testimony was so crucial to his defense, he could have and should have subpoenaed this witness himself.

The government says Griffin was a “confidential source” who could have been called to testify by Jett’s attorney but for the attorney’s strategic decision not to call her. According to the response of Jett’s counsel to this motion for habeas corpus relief on the ground of ineffective assistance of counsel, Jett’s counsel agrees that he could have called Griffin as a witness but did not do so because he feared her testimony would further incriminate Jett.

Jett complains additionally that the testimony of Detective Jerald Jones repeating remarks made to him by Griffin concerning Jett’s disdain about police surveillance of his residence rendered his trial fundamentally unfair. Jett has included in his papers a [1297]*1297segment of the transcript of his trial. The transcript shows that Detective Jones said that he was told by Kathy Griffin that Jett once said that he was not worried about the Jackson police becoming involved in anything he was doing because he (Jett) knew them and they would do nothing about Jett. In the middle of this testimony, Jett’s lawyer, attorney Tom Royals, objected on the ground of hearsay, and this court sustained the objection. Outside the presence of the jury, the government contended that it was not offering the statement for its truth. This court was not persuaded, however, and once again sustained the objection.

Jett argues that the government’s only purpose in presenting this portion of Jones’ testimony was to prove the truth of the matter asserted and to establish that Jett had the predisposition to commit the crimes with which he was charged. Jett acknowledges, however, that his attorney objected to this testimony and that this objection was sustained. Even so, Jett seeks to convince this court that no corrective instruction could overcome the prejudice.

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Related

United States v. Jett
48 F.3d 530 (Fifth Circuit, 1995)

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Bluebook (online)
848 F. Supp. 1292, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4528, 1994 WL 125325, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-jett-mssd-1994.