United States v. Librach

476 F. Supp. 412, 1979 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9693
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Missouri
DecidedSeptember 19, 1979
DocketNo. 74-199 CR (2)
StatusPublished

This text of 476 F. Supp. 412 (United States v. Librach) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Librach, 476 F. Supp. 412, 1979 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9693 (E.D. Mo. 1979).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

NANGLE, District Judge.

This matter is before the Court upon a limited remand by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in order that this Court may review evidence, alleged to be newly discovered by defendant after his second trial, pursuant to the standards set forth in United States v. Agurs, 427 U.S. 97, 96 S.Ct. 2392, 49 L.Ed.2d 342 (1976).

Defendant Librach was charged and convicted of a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001, said charge arising out of payments received by defendant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Defendant’s conviction was reversed and the cause remanded for a new trial because the government failed to advise defendant that a key witness, Robert Fowler, had been paid approximately $10,000.00 and had been placed in protective custody. United States v. Librach, 520 F.2d 550 (8th Cir. 1975). Retrial resulted in conviction; said conviction was affirmed on appeal. United States v. Librach, 536 F.2d 1228 (8th Cir. 1976), cert. denied, 429 U.S. 939, 97 S.Ct. 354, 50 L.Ed.2d 308 (1976). Defendant thereupon received certain evidence, following an action brought under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552, and filed a motion for new trial based thereon. The evidence so received is:

1. An interview report prepared by an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation concerning an interview with Robert Fowler. This report contains a summary of Fowler’s employment with the St. Louis Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority and the responsibilities of the various positions that he held. Further, Fowler was shown copies of three bids for a certain move and advised the agent that he could [413]*413not recall the same. Fowler stated that he never solicited a kick-back payment and denied receiving any kick-back. He denied receiving a specific payment from a certain individual. Fowler, however, later testified to the contrary. As noted by the Court of Appeals herein,

Fowler did not implicate the defendant when he was first interviewed under oath in May, 1974, but later he testified that he arranged the fraudulent payment with Librach’s knowledge and connivance, receiving in return a kickback of $1,000. United States v. Librach, 520 F.2d 550, 552 (8th Cir. 1975).

2. Three documents revealing that the United States Attorney requested immunity for Timothy David Person, and that said request was approved. There is absolutely no evidence, however, that the immunity request or approval was ever communicated to Person, or that Person in fact was granted immunity.

3. An interview report prepared by an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation concerning an interview with Robert Fowler in which Fowler recited various threats that he had received. One threat involved an unknown black male who approached Fowler, then hospitalized, and who made references to a Richard Green in connection with the threat against Fowler. A second threat involved a telephone call received by Fowler, from an unknown male who Fowler thought to be a black male. The third threat again involved a telephone call from an unknown male, this caller believed by Fowler to be a white male. Defendant contends that this statement establishes that it was Richard Green, and not defendant, who had threatened Fowler’s life. The Court notes preliminarily that the interview report does not support such an inference, since the individuals who made the threats by telephone are not identified and apparently made no references to Richard Green. Furthermore, the Court notes that it was defendant who repeatedly interjected the issue of threats against Fowler’s life into the trial herein. In closing arguments, the Assistant United States Attorney stated:

Now, Burton Librach is not on trial today for threatening somebody’s life. He’s not on trial for threatening Mr. Fowler’s life. I don’t know who threatened his life. I don’t know if Green threatened his life or the defendant threatened his life or somebody on behalf of the defendant, or who. That’s not what is on trial here today, and that’s not the issue and I didn’t bring it up, Mr. Kohn did, about who is threatening who.

4. Copies of teletypes requesting that Robert Fowler be placed in the United States Marshal’s witness protection program. Defendant was well aware that Fowler had received support payments from the government during the time of protective custody. See United States v. Librach, 536 F.2d 1228, 1230 (8th Cir. 1976). This area was the subject of extensive cross-examination at trial.

5. A statement made by Timothy David Person, and an interview report prepared by an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation concerning a statement made by Person. These documents state that Person submitted a bid for the move of the Windemere Hotel and was advised by Fowler that the bid was accepted. On the day preceding the move, Person contacted defendant concerning the time for the move and was advised by defendant that other arrangements had been made. Accordingly, Person did not make the move and was not paid for making the move. Upon being shown an invoice for the move of the hotel, signed by Person as paid in full, Person stated that the signature was his but that he did not know where it came from. Person further advised the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the general nature of his involvements with the St. Louis Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority and the fact that he had made personal loans to Robert Fowler on various occasions. Person also stated that he understood that defendant held the mortgage on Fowler’s home and that Fowler had not been steadily employed in a number of years. At trial, Person testified that he had prepared a bid [414]*414on the move at Fowler’s request. He further testified that he had obtained for submission the bids of other movers for the same move, all bids by pre-arrangement higher than the bid submitted by Person. He further testified that he had never seen the invoice marked “Paid in Full” although his signature was on the same. He further testified concerning prior meetings and arrangements with Fowler.

Defendant contends that he had no knowledge of the agreement between the government and Person concerning possible charges against Person. Defendant was aware, however, that a four-count indictment against Person had been dismissed and that Person had instead entered a plea of guilty to a misdemeanor. Counsel for defendant did not pursue this area in cross-examination in any attempt to impeach Person’s credibility. Moreover, Person’s testimony was essentially cumulative. Compare Giglio v. United States, 405 U.S. 150, 92 S.Ct. 763, 31 L.Ed.2d 104 (1972).

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Related

Giglio v. United States
405 U.S. 150 (Supreme Court, 1972)
United States v. Agurs
427 U.S. 97 (Supreme Court, 1976)
United States v. James Vincent Keogh
391 F.2d 138 (Second Circuit, 1968)
United States v. Burton A. Librach
520 F.2d 550 (Eighth Circuit, 1975)
United States v. Burton A. Librach
536 F.2d 1228 (Eighth Circuit, 1976)
United States v. Burton A. Librach
602 F.2d 165 (Eighth Circuit, 1979)
Dallas Ray Delay v. United States
602 F.2d 173 (Eighth Circuit, 1979)

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Bluebook (online)
476 F. Supp. 412, 1979 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9693, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-librach-moed-1979.