United States v. Johnson

818 F. Supp. 1004, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4462, 1993 WL 107842
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Texas
DecidedMarch 22, 1993
DocketCr. No. H-92-152
StatusPublished

This text of 818 F. Supp. 1004 (United States v. Johnson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Johnson, 818 F. Supp. 1004, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4462, 1993 WL 107842 (S.D. Tex. 1993).

Opinion

ORDER

HITTNER, District Judge.

Pending before the Court is the motion to dismiss the indictment (Document # 65) filed by defendant John J. Johnson (“Johnson”). Having considered the motion, the submissions on file, the arguments of counsel, and the applicable law, the Court determines that the motion should be denied.

In June, 1990, the United States Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, (“DOJ”) commenced an investigation into alleged antitrust violations by three food services companies in Houston, Texas. The three companies allegedly engaging in bid-rigging were Glazier Foods Company (“Glazier Foods”), White Swan, Inc., and Sysco Food Services, Inc. Defendant Johnson, as vice-president and bid manager for Glazier Foods, allegedly co-conspired with the bid manager for White Swan, Inc., Maurice Johnson (“Maurice”), to execute a bid-rigging scheme. On September 31, 1990, attorney Joel Androphy (“Androphy”) was retained to represent Johnson specifically in connection with the DOJ’s investigation.

On March 12, 1991, Johnson’s alleged co-conspirator, Maurice, executed a plea agreement with the DOJ pursuant to which Maurice pleaded guilty to bid-rigging. The agreement also required Maurice to fully cooperate in the DOJ’s investigation into the alleged bid-rigging scheme. In exchange, the DOJ agreed to recommend a sentence of six-months and a $10,000 fine following Maurice’s guilty plea.

Prior to Maurice’s sentencing, at the behest of the DOJ, Maurice agreed to a eonsensually-monitored recording of a telephone conversation with defendant Johnson. Accordingly, two of Maurice’s telephone conversations with Johnson were monitored and recorded by agents of the DOJ on March 20, 1991, and again on April 17, 1991. Several times throughout both conversations, Maurice suggested that Johnson cooperate with [1006]*1006the DOJ, notwithstanding advice to the contrary by Johnson’s attorney. However, Johnson never finalized any plea agreement with the DOJ, and, eventually, on July 7, 1992, Johnson was indicted for bid rigging, making a false statement to a federal agency, and conspiring to commit mail fraud.

When the contents of the tapes were ultimately revealed, Androphy resigned as lead counsel for Johnson. Androphy argues that he felt constrained to resign as lead counsel for Johnson because his competence to serve Johnson’s best interests was seriously undermined as a direct result of the improper influence exerted over his client on behalf of the DOJ. Further, defendant contends that the DOJ violated various disciplinary rules and deprived Johnson of due process of law by improperly coaxing Johnson to disregard his attorney’s advice and cooperate with the DOJ. The DOJ counters that any interference with Johnson’s relationship with his attorney was a result of Maurice’s independent conduct and was not at the prompting of the DOJ. Alternatively, the DOJ argues that the tapings were a legitimate pre-indictment investigative technique, and, therefore, no sanction is warranted.

Pre-indictment constitutional violations of a defendant’s rights are examined under the Due Process clause of the Fifth Amendment. United States v. Marion, 404 U.S. 307, 315, 92 S.Ct. 455, 460, 30 L.Ed.2d 468 (1971). Prior to indictment, a defendant is deprived of due process when the government’s interference with the attorney-client relationship results in an ineffective assistance of counsel which prejudices the defendant. United States v. Irwin, 612 F.2d 1182, 1185 (9th Cir.1980). Prejudice to the defendant may result from a destruction of the defendant’s relationship with chosen counsel. Id at 1187. Additionally, a defendant may be deprived of due process when the government engages in conduct that is so outrageous that it is shocking to the universal sense of justice embodied in the Fifth Amendment. United States v. Russell, 411 U.S. 423, 432, 93 S.Ct. 1637, 1643, 36 L.Ed.2d 366 (1973). The appropriate remedy for a constitutional violation may be dismissal of the indictment. Id. at 431-32, 93 S.Ct. at 1642-43.

In this case, Johnson argues that as a result of the disparaging remarks made about Androphy by Maurice, his counsel’s assistance was rendered so ineffective that he was deprived of due process. Specifically, Johnson argues that he has been prejudiced because his confidence and trust in his attorney, Androphy, have been destroyed as a direct result of Maurice’s improper statements to defendant.

This Court determines that Johnson’s lack of confidence and trust in the competence of his attorney is not sufficiently prejudicial to warrant dismissal of the indictment. While this Court agrees that a defendant’s faith in his attorney is of constitutional significance, the law is clear to the effect that the prejudice necessary for dismissal of the indictment must be more detrimental than Johnson has shown. For example, in one instance it was held that dismissal of the indictment was not warranted where government agents placed a body bug on the defendant’s attorney and surreptitiously monitored a conversation between the defendant and his attorney. United States v. Ofshe, 817 F.2d 1508, 1516 (11th Cir.), cert. denied 484 U.S. 963, 108 S.Ct. 451, 98 L.Ed.2d 391 (1987). In Ofshe, the Eleventh Circuit stressed that “the invasion of the attorney-client relationship produced no evidence against Ofshe” and that since the defendant’s attorney “provided zealous representation, Ofshe was not prejudiced in his defense.” Ofshe, 817 F.2d at 1516. (emphasis in original).

Likewise, in the instant case, the recorded conversations between Johnson and Maurice produced no evidence to be used at trial against Johnson. Further, although Androphy has resigned as lead counsel, Johnson has not shown that he will otherwise be deprived of effective assistance of counsel. Androphy remains as associate counsel for the defendant. Hence, despite what the Court considers gross impropriety of the DOJ’s actions, Johnson has failed to show that he has been legally deprived of effective assistance of counsel.

Additionally, Johnson has failed to show that pursuant to existing case law, the DOJ’s conduct was so outrageous as to deprive defendant of due process. Notably, “a due [1007]*1007process violation will be found only in the rarest and most outrageous circumstances.” United States v. Yater, 756 F.2d 1058, 1066 (5th Cir.), cert. denied 474 U.S. 901, 106 S.Ct. 225, 88 L.Ed.2d 226 (1985). Indeed, there are many eases in which more egregious governmental conduct did not mandate dismissal of the indictment. See, e.g., United States v. Melvin, 650 F.2d 641 (5th Cir.1981) (government informant attended meetings between defendant and his attorney); United States v. Sander, 615 F.2d 215 (5th Cir.) (police examined defendant’s attorney’s confidential files on defendant’s case), cert. denied 449 U.S. 835, 101 S.Ct. 108, 66 L.Ed.2d 41 (1980).

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Related

United States v. Marion
404 U.S. 307 (Supreme Court, 1971)
United States v. Russell
411 U.S. 423 (Supreme Court, 1973)
United States v. Morrison
449 U.S. 361 (Supreme Court, 1981)
Bank of Nova Scotia v. United States
487 U.S. 250 (Supreme Court, 1988)
United States v. John E. Irwin
612 F.2d 1182 (Ninth Circuit, 1980)
United States v. Harland G. "Skip" Fitterer
710 F.2d 1328 (Eighth Circuit, 1983)
United States v. William Dale Yater
756 F.2d 1058 (Fifth Circuit, 1985)
United States v. Ronald Arthur Ofshe
817 F.2d 1508 (Eleventh Circuit, 1987)
United States v. Richard Lee Heinz
983 F.2d 609 (Fifth Circuit, 1993)
United States v. Jose Orlando Lopez, (Two Cases)
989 F.2d 1032 (Ninth Circuit, 1993)
United States v. Marshank
777 F. Supp. 1507 (N.D. California, 1991)
United States v. Lopez
765 F. Supp. 1433 (N.D. California, 1991)
United States v. Melvin
650 F.2d 641 (Fifth Circuit, 1981)
Broussard v. Lippman
452 U.S. 920 (Supreme Court, 1981)

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Bluebook (online)
818 F. Supp. 1004, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4462, 1993 WL 107842, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-johnson-txsd-1993.