United States v. Kasprowitz

14 F.2d 193, 1926 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1288
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Michigan
DecidedJuly 10, 1926
DocketNo. 11271
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 14 F.2d 193 (United States v. Kasprowitz) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Michigan primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Kasprowitz, 14 F.2d 193, 1926 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1288 (E.D. Mich. 1926).

Opinion

TUTTLE, District Judge.

This is a motion for a new trial. Each of the defendants was convicted by a jury on all three of the counts of an indictment charging them with the manufacture of intoxicating liquor, the possession of intoxicating liquor, and the maintenance of a nuisanee, all in violation of the National Prohibition Act (Comp. St. Ann. Supp. 1923, § 10138(4 et seq.). The grounds argued in support of the motion for'a new trial are stated in this motion as follows:

(1) “That the court erred in its refusal to grant the motion heretofore filed to suppress evidence obtained by reason of search warrant issued by the Honorable J. Stanley Hurd, United States commissioner, on the 19th day of September 1925, because on its face the affidavit for the search warrant was not sufficient to warrant the commissioner to issue the warrant, and the placing in evidence of the matters seized by reason of this search warrant, was in violation of defendants’ constitutional rights.”

(2) “That the court erred in its failure to suppress the evidence obtained by reason of the aforesaid search warrant, because no officer to whom the search warrant was addressed served the warrant at the time of the service, and therefore the evidence obtained should have been suppressed.”

(3) “There was no testimony tending to sustain the verdict and the said verdict was contrary to law and against the great weight of the evidence.”

1. The affidavit on which the search warrant in question was based was, in full, in the following form and language:

“Before m§ a United States commissioner in and for the Southern Division of the Eastern District of Michigan, in said district and division, personally appeared one Wade A. Frederick, a resident of the county of Wayne, state of Michigan, who, being duly sworn, deposes and says:

“1. That on the 17th day of September, 1925, accompanied by Federal Prohibition Agent Gail G. Britton, deponent visited the premises known as 8643 Traverse street, city of Detroit, county of Wayne, state of Michigan, and while there noticed four different automobiles making frequent trips from the garage in the rear of said premises and at this time the odor of cereal beverage or fermenting beer could be smelled very strongly within six feet of said premises. That on September 18, 1925, accompanied by Gail C,. Britton, deponent visited the premises known as 8643 Traverse street, Detroit, Wayne county, Mieh., between the hours of 5 a. m. and 9 p. m. and observed four different automobiles make between 20 and 25 trips to the garage in the rear and then back out on the highway. That they saw three men rolling some 15 or 20 beer barrels from the back door of said premises into the garage in the rear; also noted two different cars back through the garage from the alley to the back porch of said premises where they unloaded cans bearing the label ‘Malt,’ which were taken into the premises. These ears then were backed into the garage and after a short interval again drove out on the highway. That again on September 19, 1925, between the hours of 6 a. m. and 9 a. m. accompanied by Gail C. Britton, visited the above-mentioned premises and while there saw the same four ears make 11 trips in and out of the garage at the rear of said premises and that at that time and all times the odor of cereal beverage or fermenting beer could be smelled very strongly within six feet of said premises. That the building is a two-story, yellow frame residence bearing the number 8643,- on Traverse street, Detroit, Wayne county, Mieh., of the type commonly used for residential purposes, used for business purposes. That the numbers 8, 6, and 3 are in metallic figures while the number 4 is a black 4 painted in. Deponent further states that he is thoroughly conversant by virtue of his duties with the smell of cereal beverage and fermenting beer and has been for a period of two years during which time he has visited some 50 breweries and made inspection of same and that the odor noticeable on these visits is the same as that which he could smell at the above premises.

. “2. That, because of the above facts, he has reasonable cause to believe, and does believe, that the National Prohibition Act is being violated and a fraud upon the United States government is being committed by the use of the aforesaid premises, to wit, a two-story yellow frame residence of the type commonly used for residential purposes, used for business purposes, to wit, manufacture of intoxicating cereal beverage known as beer and storing for sale and distribution of cereal beverage containing more than óne-half of 1 per cent, alcohol by volume and fit for beverage purposes, to wit, premises located at 8643 Traverse street, city of Detroit, county of Wayne, state of Michigan, being the private residence above mentioned which is being used for the purpose of manufacturing, sell[195]*195ing, bartering, keeping, furnishing, and possessing intoxicating liquor fit for beverage purposes containing more than one-half of 1 per cent, of alcohol by volume, in violation of title II of the National Prohibition Act, said premises being in the possession, custody, and control of one, to wit, John Doe and certain other persons connected with and assisting in the conduct and management of said place and premises, and residing therein, the names of these last persons being to this affiant unknown, all of which said persons are engaged in the unlawful manufacture, sale, barter, and possession of intoxicating liquors.

“3. Deponent further states upon his own knowledge that in and upon the premises aforesaid, to wit, a two-story yellow frame residence of the type commonly used for residential purposes, used for business purposes, to wit, manufacture of cereal beverage and storing for sale and distribution of cereal beverage containing more than one-half of 1 per cent, of alcohol by volume and fit for beverage purposes, to wit, premises located at 8643 Traverse street, city of Detroit, county of Wayne, state of Michigan, being the private residence above mentioned and particularly in premises above mentioned of the, building aforesaid, and in the possession of the said John Doe and other persons to this affiant unknown, is now a certain quantity of intoxicating liquor fit for beverage purposes unlawfully acquired, possessed, stored, and used in connection with the aforesaid violation of the National Prohibition Act, said intoxicating liquor consisting of beer and certain other intoxicating liquors, the exact kind and quantity of the same being at this time to this affiant unknown.

“4. Therefore the complainant prays that a search warrant may issue authorizing the proper officers to search the above-described premises because of the crime heretofore alleged, and pursuant to the statutes in such cases made and provided.

“Wade A. Frederick, Affiant.

“Subscribed and sworn to before me this 19th day of September, 1925. J. Stanley Hurd, United States Commissioner, Eastern District of Michigan.”

Section 25 of title 2 of the National Prohibition Act (Comp. St. Ann. Supp. 1923, § 10138%m) includes the following provision:

“No search warrant shall issue to search any private dwelling occupied as such unless it is being used for the unlawful sale of intoxicating liquor, or unless it is in part used for some business purpose such as a store, shop, saloon, restaurant, hotel, or boarding house.”

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Related

United States v. Callahan
17 F.2d 937 (M.D. Pennsylvania, 1927)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
14 F.2d 193, 1926 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1288, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-kasprowitz-mied-1926.