United States v. McKenna

791 F. Supp. 1101, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6444, 1992 WL 92994
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Louisiana
DecidedApril 27, 1992
DocketCrim. A. No. 91-446
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 791 F. Supp. 1101 (United States v. McKenna) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. McKenna, 791 F. Supp. 1101, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6444, 1992 WL 92994 (E.D. La. 1992).

Opinion

ORDER AND REASONS

CHARLES SCHWARTZ, Jr., District Judge.

Before the Court are the following post-trial motions filed filed with the Court in the captioned proceedings:

1. The Government’s Motion to Dismiss Defendant’s Motion for New Trial.1
2. Defendant’s Motion for New Trial.2
3. The Government’s Motion to Impose Costs.3

In keeping with the policy of this section of court that oral argument on motions is restricted to the briefs, the Court previously determined' that oral argument was unnecessary and is thus deciding the above enumerated matters on the briefs.

I. Motion to Dismiss Motion for New Trial.

The Government’s Motion to Dismiss is premised on the failure of the defendant to file its Motion for New Trial within the time-period prescribed by Rule 33 of the Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure, which time-period is jurisdictional.4

The entirety of the body of defendant’s pleading entitled “Motion for New Trial and Incorporated Memorandum” filed March 19th, 1992, reads as follows:

Defendant Dwight McKenna, by counsel, moves the court to grant him a new trial on the grounds that he was denied his right, guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution, of effective confrontation of the government witness Bruno by the court’s refusal to permit leading questions of Mr. Bruno on cross-examination; and that he was denied the right to effective cross-examination; and under accepted rules of evidence and procedure as embodied in Rule 611(c) of the Federal Rules of Evidence.5

The Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure at Rule 33 provide in pertinent part:

A motion for new trial based on any other grounds [that is — grounds other [1103]*1103than newly discovered evidence] shall be made within 7 days after verdict or finding of guilty or within such further time as the court may fix during the 7 day period. Id. [emphasis supplied].

Rule 45 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure regarding the enlargement of time for filing certain pleadings specifically states that “the court may not extend the time for taking any action under Rules 29, 33, 34 and 35, except to the extent and under the conditions stated in them.” Id. [emphasis supplied].

The plain language of Rule 33 distinctly curtails a district court’s authority with respect to enlarging the time for filing a motion for new trial once the 7-day period after the verdict has elapsed. Moreover, Rule 45 of the Fed.Rules of Crim.Proc. which makes provisions for the enlargement of time for filing certain pleadings, specifically excepts Rule 33 motions, thus cinching the strictures imposed by Rule 33.

A chronological listing of the relevant filings and procedural events in the instant case follows:

1. On Saturday, February 15th, 1992, the jury rendered a verdict of guilty as to Counts One and Two of the Indictment against the defendant for making false statements on certain income tax returns.
2. On Monday, February 24th, 1992, the defendant filed his first motion for extension of time requesting an additional days within which to file a motion for new trial.6
3. On February 24th, 1992, the Court granted defendant an additional 14 days within which to file a motion for new trial.
4. On March 9th, 1992, indisputably the last day of the first 14-day extended period, defendant filed an second motion to extend the time within which to file his motion for new trial requesting an additional 21 days, through March 30th, 1992, which motion was opposed by the Government.
5. On March 9th, 1992, relying on the defense counsels’ representation that defense counsel’s request was filed on “good” grounds,7 the Court granted the defendant’s second motion for extension of time to file its Rule 33 motion, albeit without authority to do so under the applicable rules, granting him an additional 10 days until March 19, 1992, within which to file his motion for new trial.
6. On March 19, 1992, the last day of the second extended period, the defendant filed a one-paragraph Motion for New Trial and Incorporated Memorandum.

At the outset and to clarify the record, in the Court’s opinion the only “misplaced reliance” is the Court’s own reliance upon defense counsel’s pleading for a second extension of time. Implicit in any such pleading is that counsel has “good” grounds for filing an additional motion for extension of time and that under a “reasonable” interpretation or extension of the statutes and the law of the Fifth Circuit which the Court is bound to follow, that the granting such an extension is within the ambit of the Court’s authority. Further implicit in defense counsel’s Motion for Additional Extension of Time is that he intended to file Motion for New Trial and Memorandum in Support of such substance and tenor which would necessitate a review of the transcript of proceedings.8

[1104]*1104Defendant's “Motion for New Trial and Incorporated Memorandum” reiterated in extenso on page 2 of this order and reasons, undoubtedly could have been dictated into the record within a period of 3 minutes after the jury rendered its verdict on February 15th, 1992, with little, if any, difficulty. There is no question that counsel for defendant was adequately prepared to file such a pleading well within the statutory timeframe, but perhaps overlooked or was not fully cognizant of the time-honored strictures of Rule 33 and now asks the Court to “redo” the Rule.

Misplaced reliance on the part of defense counsel is not an issue, when as in this case on the eve of expiration of the first extension, defense counsel files a second Motion for Extension of Time representing to the Court that said additional motion for extension of time was “pursuant to Rule 33, F.R.Cr.P.” [i.e. was well-founded in law]9 and necessary in order adequately prepare and file the motion for new trial and any memorandum in support thereof.

The chronological listing above makes it clear that March 9th, 1992, the second occasion upon which the Court was requested to fix the time for filing defendant’s Motion for New Trial, was not “within such further time as the court may fix during the 7-day period.” F.R.Cr.P. Rule 33 [emphasis supplied].

The controlling law of the Fifth Circuit is as plain, clear and simple as F.R.Cr.P. Rule 33 which it explains, to wit:

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Related

McKenna v. Commissioner
1998 T.C. Memo. 45 (U.S. Tax Court, 1998)
United States v. McKenna
980 F.2d 1443 (Fifth Circuit, 1992)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
791 F. Supp. 1101, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6444, 1992 WL 92994, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-mckenna-laed-1992.