United States v. Markus

604 F. Supp. 736, 1985 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 21721
CourtDistrict Court, D. New Jersey
DecidedMarch 15, 1985
DocketNo. Crim. A. 84-220
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 604 F. Supp. 736 (United States v. Markus) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. New Jersey primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Markus, 604 F. Supp. 736, 1985 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 21721 (D.N.J. 1985).

Opinion

OPINION

SAROKIN, District Judge.

Defendant seeks to dismiss this action on double jeopardy and collateral estoppel grounds. An earlier indictment against defendant was dismissed by the court on jurisdictional grounds. Had defendant’s motion in the earlier case been made prior to trial, no claim of double [738]*738jeopardy could now arise. However, defendant intentionally awaited the impanelling of a jury before making his motion, for the very purpose of barring any later trial predicated upon a corrected indictment.

Although it is not necessary to develop a ;per se rule for the purpose of deciding this matter, it is difficult to envision any circumstances which would permit a defendant to utilize such strategy in order to avoid a retrial. If a defendant possesses the grounds to dismiss an indictment before actual trial, it would seem inappropriate to have jeopardy attach merely because defendant strategically determines to make such motion after trial commences. Under such circumstances, the defendant knowingly and unilaterally places himself in jeopardy and should not be permitted to benefit from such maneuvering. Counsel is not to be faulted for his efforts on his client’s behalf, but the client should not be able to avoid criminal prosecution through such tactics.

The protection afforded by the double jeopardy clause is of great significance, but it should be afforded to a defendant when something is done to him during the course of a trial, rather than by him. The public has the right to expect that crimes will be prosecuted consistent with constitutional protections, but not so as to permit those protections to be utilized to manipulate the judicial system.

BACKGROUND

On October 13, 1982, defendant Louis Markus was indicted on twenty counts of interstate transportation of stolen checks, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2314.1 Each count of the indictment represented a single check for an amount less than $5,000, though the totality of the checks exceeded $24,000. See Defendant’s App. at 46-4u. After the jury was impanelled, defendant moved for a judgment of acquittal pursuant to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 29. See Defendant’s Supp.App., 1/3/83 Transcript at 11. See also Id. 1/4/83 Transcript at 102, 110; 1/5/83 Transcript at 2, 14, 21; Brief in Support of Motion for Judgment of Acquittal. The court reserved on such motion, and on January 5, 1983, the jury found defendant guilty on all counts. However, on January 28, 1983, the court dismissed the indictment for failure to meet the jurisdictional requirement of the statute. United States v. Markus, 555 F.Supp. 375 (D.N.J.1983). In its Opinion, the court described defendant’s motion as one to dismiss the indictment, 555 F.Supp. at 376; additionally, the court described its actions as having dismissed the indictment. Id. at 378. However, the court also signed an Order which, after its recitational section, stated

... it is hereby
ORDERED that
1) a judgment of acquittal be entered with respect to all counts; and
2) the indictment be, and hereby is dismissed.

Defendant’s Brief at 5a. Such Order had been drafted by defendant; the government, while moving for reconsideration, see id. at 7a, did not, apparently, object to the form of such Order.

The decision of the court was affirmed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit on November 16, 1983. United States v. Markus, 721 F.2d 442 (3d Cir.1983). The Circuit Court, however, described the issue before it in terms of the court’s Order, and concluded that “the district court correctly dismissed the indictment in the present case and properly ordered the defendant acquitted on all counts.” 721 F;2d at 444.

On August 8, 1984, defendant was again indicted, this time on one count of transporting twenty-seven stolen checks, total-ling approximately $27,000, across state [739]*739lines. Discovery has revealed that all twenty checks charged in the 1982 indictment have been made a part of the instant indictment, and that the seven remaining checks, which the government proffered as evidence in the first trial but apparently did not introduce into evidence over defendant’s objection, total only $3420. See Defendant’s App. at 13-16. Based upon these facts, defendant here moves to dismiss the indictment on grounds of double jeopardy and collateral estoppel.

DISCUSSION

A. Double jeopardy

Defendant Markus argues that the court’s prior disposition of this matter constituted an acquittal and thus bars his re-prosecution for the same offense. While conceding that the instant indictment charges defendant with the same offense, the government counters that the court’s ruling constituted a post-trial dismissal of the indictment rather than a sufficient determination of the merits of the case to be considered on acquittal. The parties support their arguments with excellent and exhaustive briefs.

There is no question that, if the prior decision in this matter constituted an acquittal, then re-prosecution of defendant would be prohibited by the double jeopardy clause of the fifth amendment to the United States Constitution. That clause, which states, “nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb,” engenders “three basic protections”:

It protects against a second prosecution for the same offense after acquittal. It protects against a second prosecution for the same offense after conviction. And it protects against multiple punishments for the same offense.

Ohio v. Johnson, — U.S. -, 104 S.Ct. 2536, 2540, 81 L.Ed.2d 425 (1984), quoting Brown v. Ohio, 432 U.S. 161, 165, 97 S.Ct. 2221, 2225, 53 L.Ed.2d 187 (1977); North Carolina v. Pearce, 395 U.S. 711, 717, 89 S.Ct. 2072, 2076, 23 L.Ed.2d 656 (1969). It is the scope of the first such protection that is here implicated. That scope is particularly broad; its proscription absolute. See generally United States v. DiFrancesco, 449 U.S. 117, 127-30, 101 S.Ct. 426, 432-34, 66 L.Ed.2d 328 (1980). Thus, acquittals are final, even if “based upon an egregiously erroneous foundation,” Arizona v. Washington, 434 U.S. 497, 503, 98 S.Ct. 824, 829, 54 L.Ed.2d 717 (1978), quoting Fong Foo v. United States, 369 U.S. 141, 143, 82 S.Ct. 671, 672, 7 L.Ed.2d 629 (1962), or if inconsistent with other aspects of a jury’s verdict. United States v. Powell, — U.S. -, 105 S.Ct. 471, 477, 83 L.Ed.2d 461 (1984). The reasons are clear.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

State v. Zawodniak
946 S.W.2d 936 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1997)
Markus, Appeal Of
786 F.2d 1147 (Third Circuit, 1986)
United States v. Markus
786 F.2d 1149 (Third Circuit, 1986)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
604 F. Supp. 736, 1985 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 21721, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-markus-njd-1985.