United States v. Massi

277 F. Supp. 371, 1968 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7908
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Arkansas
DecidedJanuary 5, 1968
DocketCrim. A. No. 925
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 277 F. Supp. 371 (United States v. Massi) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Massi, 277 F. Supp. 371, 1968 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7908 (W.D. Ark. 1968).

Opinion

OPINION

JOHN E. MILLER, Senior District Judge.

On January 3, 1968, the defendant filed a motion for an order to take the deposition of Theodore G. Duncan, M. D., a witness for defendant, on oral interrogatories. As grounds for the motion the defendant alleged that Theodore G. Duncan is a duly qualified and practicing medical doctor with offices in Philadelphia, Pa.; that the defendant “has recently been a patient of the said witness and the said witness is in full possession of all medical charts and information concerning the physical condition of the said defendant which existed prior to and at the time of the alleged commission of certain acts as set forth in the indictment returned against the defendant in this court; that the said witness’ testimony is material and that it is necessary to take his deposition in order to prevent a failure of justice.”

In numbered paragraph 3 of the motion, the defendant alleged:

“That because of the witness’s medical practice and because of the distance and expense that would be involved in procuring the attendance of said witness to testify in person in the trial of this cause, a terrific hardship would be placed upon the defendant in so doing and that in the interest of justice, an order of this court should be entered, granting the defendant permission to take the deposition of the said witness at the time and place indicated herein in that the deposition is necessary for the proper defense of the defendant in the trial of this cause.”

Attached to the motion is a copy of the notice directed to the United States Attorney, which fixes the time for taking the deposition at 10 o’clock a. m., on the 17th day of January, 1968, at Suite P, Third Floor, Benjamin Franklin Clinic, 330 South 9th Street, Philadelphia, Pa.

In support of the motion, Mr. William W. Green, one of the attorneys of record for the defendant, has attached his affidavit, in which he stated:

“ * * * that it is necessary to offer into evidence at the trial of the Defendant testimony concerning the physical condition of the Defendant prior to the date the said Defendant is said to have committed the said crime, and that it would cause an undue hardship upon the Defendant to pay for the expenses of the said witness to travel from Pennsylvania to Hot Springs, Arkansas, and testify at said trial and return to the witness’s place of abode; that because of the witness’s extensive practice in the medical field, the witness would be unable to take the time to leave his said practice and make the journey from Pennsylvania to Hot Springs, Arkansas, and testify at the said trial and return to his abode; that the testimony of the witness is needed in order to prevent a failure of justice; that it would cause no hardship upon the [373]*373Department of Justice to take the deposition on oral interrogatories of the said witness; that the United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas has refused to agree and stipulate as to the taking of the said deposition.”

The United States Attorney on January 4, 1968, filed a response to the motion in which he stated that the motion does not allege and the affiant in the accompanying affidavit does not aver (1) that Theodore 6. Duncan is unable to attend or prevented from attending the trial of the case on its merits; (2) does not aver facts that make it appear that such testimony is material; (3) does not aver facts that make it appear necessary to take the witness’ deposition in order to prevent a failure of justice; and alleged that the motion is conclusory and insufficient to justify granting leave to take the deposition, and that a reasonable time for filing of the motion has elapsed and such motion should be overruled as not timely.

In the alternative the United States Attorney alleged that should the court order that the witness’ testimony be taken by deposition, said order should be conditioned upon the waiver of privilege of all statements, reports, and other medical information of all physicians, hospitals, and other facilities which may have treated the defendant for any purpose, and require the defendant to furnish a list of all physicians who have treated him during the past three years, and further that the defendant be required to submit to a medical examination by physicians of the Government’s choice at a time prior to the trial of this case.

The indictment, containing three counts, was returned and filed on August 16, 1967. The first count charges the defendant and one Stephen Taylor, Jr., a co-conspirator, but not a defendant, conspired to commit an offense against the United States, an act of sodomy on lands within the confines of ■ the Hot Springs National Park, in vio lation of 18 U.S.C. § 13 and Ark.Stat. Ann. § 41-813.

Count 2 charges that on or about June 11, 1967, at Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas, on lands acquired for use of the United States and under the exclusive jurisdiction thereof, the defendant did commit “an act of sodomy in that he voluntarily participated with one Stephen Taylor, Jr., another male person in an unnatural act of sexual intercourse” in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 13 and Ark. Stat.Ann. § 41-813.

Count 3 charges that on or about the same date the defendant corruptly offered money to one David J. Essex, an officer and employee of the United States, with the intent to induce the said Essex to omit to do an act in violation of his lawful duty with respect to the apprehension and arrest of law violators in the Hot Springs National Park in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 201.

Soon after the return and filing of the indictment, the zealous and able counsel for the defendant filed ten motions of various kinds, which motions were set for hearing on October 31, 1967, and at the conclusion of the hearing the court denied and overruled all of the motions.

On November 22, 1967, the defendant filed a motion for the return of passport, which had been delivered by the attorneys for the defendant to the United States Commissioner at the time the bond was fixed. After a hearing this motion was denied and overruled on December 12, 1967.

During the hearing on the motion for the return of the passport, counsel for defendant stated that they desired to take the oral deposition of a physician in Philadelphia, Pa., and requested the United States Attorney to agree to the taking of the same, but the United States Attorney would not agree to it and demanded that a proper showing for cause be made. Whereupon the court advised the attorneys for the defendant that if they desired to submit the matter to the court, they should proceed to file the [374]*374proper motion, the filing of which was delayed 21 days. In the meantime the case was set for trial beginning January 24, 1968, at Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Rule 15(a), Fed.R.Crim.P., provides:

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Related

State v. Billington
519 P.2d 140 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1974)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
277 F. Supp. 371, 1968 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7908, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-massi-arwd-1968.