United States v. Mike Clemones, Priscilla Scott, Charles Everett Coburn, Jr., Joseph Harold Johnson, and William Alonzo Johnson, Jr., United States of America v. Edward Raymond Lecompte and Kathy Hatmaker

577 F.2d 1247
Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit·Decided November 6, 1978·No. 76-3866·Published

Opinion

577 F.2d 1247

UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee,
v.
Mike CLEMONES, Priscilla Scott, Charles Everett Coburn, Jr.,
Joseph Harold Johnson, and William Alonzo Johnson,
Jr., Defendants-Appellants.
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellant,
v.
Edward Raymond LeCOMPTE and Kathy Hatmaker, Defendants-Appellees.

Nos. 76-3866, 76-3870.

United States Court of Appeals,
Fifth Circuit.

Aug. 9, 1978.
As Modified on Denial of Rehearing and Rehearing En Banc Nov. 6, 1978.

Robert K. Finnell, Rome, Ga., (Court-appointed), for Clemones.

Harold N. Wollstein, Rome, Ga., (Court-appointed) for Scott and Joseph Harold Johnson.

John E. Sawhill, III, Rome, Ga., (Court-appointed), for Coburn.

W. Benjamin Ballenger, Summerville, Ga., for William A. Johnson, Jr.

William L. Harper, U. S. Atty., James E. Baker, Asst. U. S. Atty., Atlanta, Ga., for plaintiff-appellee in No. 76-3866.

John W. Stokes, U. S. Atty., James E. Baker, Asst. U. S. Atty., Atlanta, Ga., for plaintiff-appellant in No. 76-3870.

Bobby Lee Cook, Summerville, Ga., for LeCompte.

A. Cecil Palmour, Summerville, Ga., Robert W. Ritchie, Knoxville, Tenn., for Hatmaker.

Appeals from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.

Before JONES, GODBOLD and GEE, Circuit Judges.

GODBOLD, Circuit Judge:

In a three weeks jury trial the individual appellants were convicted of substantive or conspiracy counts, or both, arising from multi-state prostitution activities conducted at many locations in the South and Southeast.1 The convictions of all appellants are affirmed. The United States also appeals, from judgments of acquittal entered by the trial court as to two defendants after they were found guilty by the jury. We reverse the judgments of acquittal.

The evidence displayed organized prostitution in its most degrading aspects. The women ranged from experienced professionals to teen-age girls as young as 14, some induced into prostitution by promises of money, clothing and cars, others forced by beatings and threats of violence, even some recruited through their parents. They worked with and often were controlled by pimps to whom they turned over their earnings, and when necessary they were disciplined by threats, beatings and pistol whippings.

By plane, bus and the cars of pimps the women were moved from location to location on command, from Virginia to Alabama, to cities, towns and rural truck stops, where they operated in houses of prostitution, apartments, massage parlors, mobile homes and the outbuildings of rural service stations. Some were "owned" by one pimp, others by "joint owners." Women were "sold" by one pimp to another.2 Arrangements were made for abortions, releases on bail and even dental care. The take was large, for example $110,000 in five to six months at a small-town Georgia truck stop. Prostitutes earned as much as $400-$500 per week; as little as clothing money.

I. Denial of access to witnesses

The assistant United States Attorney handling the case instructed some 30 to 35 witnesses appearing before the grand jury that the proceedings were secret and that they should not discuss their testimony with anyone other than their attorneys or government agents. The defense learned of this and filed a motion asking to be permitted to talk to the witnesses. A magistrate heard the motion and, on March 26, 1976, entered an order stating that the witnesses could talk with defense counsel. He ordered that each witness subpoenaed by the government be served forthwith with a copy of the order.

The case was set for trial April 5. The government asserts that on April 5 a copy of the order was given to all, or most, of the witnesses. The defendants say this was not done until July 12. The case was continued to June 7, and before that date continued again to July 12. On July 12 the court learned that defendants still had not had full access to the witnesses who had appeared before the grand jury. In some instances defense counsel had been able to talk to, and even get a statement from, a witness. The government does not dispute, however, that in the main the witnesses had not been interviewed by the defense. It is unclear whether this was caused by lack of knowledge of the magistrate's order, failure of the government to serve the order, dilatoriness of the defendants, or some combination of these factors. For purposes of this appeal, we assume the fault was the government's.

The district judge tried to rectify the matter. The witnesses were assembled in the courtroom with government counsel excluded and advised of their rights and obligations as witnesses. Defense counsel began interviewing persons willing to submit to interviews. There were approximately 12 defense counsel present, and about 10 of some 80 witnesses were interviewed on July 12. As this process began either the magistrate or the assistant United States Attorney told some of the witnesses not yet interviewed that they were excused until the next day. Before the actual trial began the following day the defendants moved for a continuance based on their inability to prepare. The motion was denied. The trial began and lasted three weeks.

All defendants contend these events deprived them of a fair trial. The government has conceded, grudgingly and half-heartedly, that the instructions to the witnesses were improper.3 It has not satisfactorily explained the failure to serve the magistrate's order forthwith on as many witnesses as could be found. The government erred, but other than general allegations of prejudice the defendants have not shown that they were really harmed by belated access to the witnesses. The names of some witnesses were revealed by the indictments. By July 12 some of the defendants had already talked to, and even obtained statements from, some witnesses. Several days before trial the government furnished statements of witnesses, FBI reports of interviews and grand jury testimony. On the first day of trial the government furnished defendants a list of government witnesses. No particularized prejudice is even argued with respect to any specific witnesses. Defendants made no showing that they could not interview witnesses as the long trial progressed. When the government rested after two weeks and 47 witnesses, no defendant asked for additional time to further prepare a defense or to locate additional witnesses.

Defense counsel were indignant at the government's interference with their access to witnesses and its inept response to corrective efforts, and they were entitled to be indignant. But they have not demonstrated real, substantive impairment of their right to fair trial.

II. Other prosecutorial misconduct

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United States v. Mike Clemones, Priscilla Scott, Charles Everett Coburn, Jr., Joseph Harold Johnson, and William Alonzo Johnson, Jr., United States of America v. Edward Raymond Lecompte and Kathy Hatmaker, 577 F.2d 1247 (5th Cir. 1978).

577 F.2d 1247 (United States v. Mike Clemones, Priscilla Scott, Charles Everett Coburn, Jr., Joseph Harold Johnson, and William Alonzo Johnson, Jr., United States of America v. Edward Raymond Lecompte and Kathy Hatmaker) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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