United States v. Learner

298 F. Supp. 1104, 23 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1343, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12713
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Illinois
DecidedApril 29, 1969
DocketCiv. A. Nos. RI-259, RI-248
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 298 F. Supp. 1104 (United States v. Learner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Learner, 298 F. Supp. 1104, 23 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1343, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12713 (S.D. Ill. 1969).

Opinion

DECISION AND ORDER

ROBERT D. MORGAN, District Judge.

This litigation began on August 20, 1968 with the filing by “Merton K. Sweet, a/k/a Kevin L. Donaldson” (now apparently correctly known as Kevin L. Donaldson and hereinafter called “Donaldson”) of a Petition and Motion for Restraining Order, as Case No. RI-248 in this Court, against David A. Learner, President, Learner’s Sales and Service, Rock Island, Illinois, his agents and attorneys, to enjoin compliance with a “Summons” (IRS Form 2039A) issued to Learner by Ralph H. Bergstrom, Special Agent of the United States Treasury Department, Internal Revenue Service* “until such time as an order of a court of competent jurisdiction has been issued requiring the respondent’s compliance with said summons.” The said summons called for appearance on August 26, 1968, with company records concerning automobile sales, trade-in and financing transactions with Donaldson for the years 1964 through 1967. Donaldson asserted under oath that any such papers are copies of papers he has, that it is his tax liability which is being investigated, that the material is not relevant or material to a lawful subject of inquiry, and that he is informed and believes that “the information sought by the Internal Revenue Service is for use in a criminal prosecution relating to the Internal Revenue laws.”

This court, based on dictum in Reisman v. Caplin, 375 U.S. 440, 84 S.Ct. 508, 11 L.Ed.2d 459 (1964), issued such temporary restraining order on one day’s notice to respondent Learner and on the filing of a $500 surety bond.

Subsequently, on January 6, 1969, without reference to the prior and pending action, the government and Mr. Bergstrom filed a verified Petition to Enforce Internal Revenue Summons, as Case No. RI-259 in this court, against the same Mr. Learner, and this court on that day entered an order directing Mr. Learner to show cause, on February 11,1969, why [1106]*1106he should not be compelled to obey the summons. By direction of the court, counsel for Donaldson were given notice of such hearing.

Mr. Learner, the respondent in both actions, appeared in both by counsel on January 13, 1969, and filed and served a motion to dismiss or, in the alternative, to consolidate the two cases, pointing out, quite understandably, that the only reason he was not in compliance with the summons was that he had been directed by order of the court not to comply therewith.

Under date of January 30, 1969, Donaldson appeared in RI-259 and filed and served a motion to intervene as respondent, an answer to the petition, and notice that the motion would be called up for hearing on February 11, at the time of the hearing on order to show cause. The answer denied the statutory basis for the enforcement proceeding, denied that the investigation was to determine tax liability, denied that the records sought were essential to determination of tax liability, and denied “each and every allegation contained in the Petition not heretofore expressly admitted, qualified or denied.” Donaldson's answer further alleges affirmatively that the investigation is really “for the express and sole purpose of obtaining evidence concerning any violations of the criminal statutes * * *,” and that, as the subject of a criminal investigation, he is entitled to protection from unreasonable searches and seizures and cannot be required to produce testimony or documents which might tend to incriminate him.

On February 3 and 4, respectively, the government filed and served written “oppositions” to respondent’s motion to dismiss or consolidate and to' Donaldson’s motion for intervention.

At the hearing on February 11, 1969, after hearing arguments of counsel and considering memoranda of law filed by the government and Donaldson, this court allowed the motion of respondent Learner to consolidate the two cases and denied the motion of Donaldson to intervene in the enforcement proceeding. The announced reasons for this action were that the parties in interest were the government and Donaldson, that it was apparent that whatever legitimate contest existed was between them, that Learner was willing to abide the result of that contest and should be as free from harassment as possible, and that consolidation would place the whole matter before the court, and any reviewing court, better than intervention by Donaldson in number RI-259. It was made clear by the court that this disposition was intended to make Donaldson a party to the consolidated case and that he would be permitted to participate in the show cause hearing. Evidence was then heard from the IRS agents concerning the open investigation of Donaldson’s tax liability and the need for documents and records of Learner’s automobile transactions with Donaldson. Counsel for Donaldson cross-examined the agents but offered no other witnesses or evidence.

Thereupon the Court announced dissolution of the temporary restraining order in Case No. RI-248, denied Donaldson’s oral motion for unspecified discovery, and directed respondent Learner to comply with the prior summons on February 20, 1969. These decisions were incorporated in a written order drafted by the government and approved as to form by counsel for Donaldson.

On February 18, 1969, on motion of Donaldson, Chief Judge Omer Poos of this court, during the temporary absence to the undersigned from the District, entered an order staying the effective date of this court’s order of February 11, 1969, “pending this court’s reconsideration of applicant’s motion for intervention and discovery,” in the light of the decision in United States v. Benford, 406 F.2d 1192, handed down on February 11 by the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Accordingly, there has been no compliance with the IRS summons to date by Learner, and there is now pending here the government’s Opposition to Reconsideration filed February 24, 1969, [1107]*1107and Donaldson’s Motions for Reconsideration and to Take Depositions and for Production of Documents filed March 7, 1969. The government and Donaldson have filed additional argument and memoranda of law, Donaldson’s latest effort with leave of court having been delayed until April 18, 1969, with the understanding that the court would pass on these pending questions without further hearing or oral argument thereon.

Donaldson argues strenuously that, especially on the basis of the Ben-ford decision, he should have been permitted to intervene in the summons enforcement proceeding and thereafter to have discovery as provided in the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. There can be no doubt that Benford stands for the unqualified proposition, on the basis of Reisman v. Caplin, 375 U.S. 440, 84 S.Ct. 508, 11 L.Ed.2d 459, and United States v. Powell, 379 U.S. 48, 85 S.Ct. 248, 13 L.Ed.2d 112, that a taxpayer has a right to intervene in an IRS summons enforcement proceeding in order to “be afforded a meaningful adversary hearing of legitimate challenges” to such summons.

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Bluebook (online)
298 F. Supp. 1104, 23 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1343, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12713, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-learner-ilsd-1969.