United States v. Moses

122 F. Supp. 523, 46 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 264, 1954 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3237
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedJuly 19, 1954
DocketCrim. No. 17384
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 122 F. Supp. 523 (United States v. Moses) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Moses, 122 F. Supp. 523, 46 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 264, 1954 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3237 (E.D. Pa. 1954).

Opinion

CLARY, District Judge.

The defendant Marie Moses was in-dieted on July 29, 1953, in five counts for a single violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 174, and two violations each of Title 26 U.S.C. §§ 2553(a) and 2554(a). She was arraigned on November 2, 1953, entered a plea of not guilty, but was found guilty by the Court, without a jury, on March 11, 1954, of the two violations each of Sections 2553(a) and 2554(a), and not guilty on the single violation involving 21 U.S.C. § 174. A motion for judgment of acquittal on the four counts was timely filed by defendant and is now before the Court for disposition.

The facts necessary to decision of the case are not in dispute. The defendant, twenty-six years old, then residing with her mother and father on North Thirteenth Street in the City of Philadelphia, was on the date of the occurrences hereinafter set forth admittedly a drug addict. On December 16, 1952, when she was alone at home, Narcotic Agents Newkirk and Johnson rang the doorbell of her home and she came to the door. Agent Johnson, whom she knew by sight, introduced her to Agent Newkirk. They informed her that the purpose of their visit was to obtain information so as to secure drugs for themselves, representing themselves as fellow addicts. She invited them into her living room, told them that she did not have any drugs herself but that perhaps she could help them. She called one “Mac” Smith •on the telephone, whom she stated to be her supplier. He was not at home and .she told the two agents that “Mac” Smith’s wife and she had “got into it on the phone” and that she was sure Smith would not call back. The agents were about to leave her house when upon looking out the window she saw a man by the name of Robert Cooper, along with one Billy Hazel and two other men, .get out of a car near her house. She .said to the agents, “Here is a fellow who maybe can get some”. She had previously purchased from Cooper on her own account but he was a secondary source of supply to her, most of her purchases being made from Smith. Her purchases from Cooper were made at meetings with him in a drug store, near Tenth and Poplar Streets. Cooper and Hazel accompanied by the two unidentified white men came into the house. At that time there was an illegal drug transaction being consummated between the four. Hazel and the two white men went into the kitchen to inject heroin, the subject matter of that transaction which has no bearing on the present case. She introduced the agents to Cooper and they told him they were interested in the purchase of drugs. She introduced them as “friends of mine” and told Newkirk to talk to Cooper about it. Cooper asked her “Are they all right?” Her answer was “Yes”. He questioned her how did she know they were all right, did she ever see them use drugs, and she said “No” but that she had seen Johnson on the Avenue quite a bit associating with other drug peddlers and addicts and knew they were all right. The two narcotic agents told Cooper the amount of drugs they required, Cooper fixed the price, and all six departed together from the defendant’s residence. No money passed and, except as above stated, the defendant here did not enter further into any part of the two transactions involved in the present indictment. Her actions in this case were taken solely for the purpose of helping two persons whom she thought to be addicted to the drug habit and were not intended for personal gain, present or future, nor to secure drugs for herself. Thereafter, later that night, Newkirk and Johnson each bought some drugs from Cooper at a point near Tenth and Poplar Streets and these two sales are involved in Counts 2 to 5 inclusive, viz. selling a derivative and preparation of opium, to wit: heroin, not in or from the original stamped package, section 2553(a), and not pursuant to a written order of the person to whom the said heroin was sold on a form issued in blank for that purpose by the Secretary of the Treasury, Section 2554(a). The indictment charges the defendant as [526]*526a principal in the two sales under Title 18 U.S.C. § 2.

Title 18 U.S.C. § 2(a) reads as follows:

“Whoever commits an offense against the United States, or aids, abets, counsels, commands, induces, or procures its commission, is a principal.”

The words “aids” and “abets” as used in the above statute have been interpreted as not being restricted to the technical meaning of the common law that the defendant must have been present at the time of the commission of the crime. Aaronson v. United States, 4 Cir., 1949, 175 F.2d 41.

The cases of Backun v. United States, 4 Cir., 1940, 112 F.2d 635, and Bacon v. United States, 10 Cir., 1942, 127 F.2d 985, are authority for the proposition that an abetter need not have a stake in the crime. In order to aid and abet another to commit a crime it is necessary that a defendant “in some sort associate himself with the venture, that he participate in it as in something that he wishes to bring about, that he seek by his action to make it succeed.” United States v. Peoni, 2 Cir., 100 F.2d 401, 402, cited with approval in Nye & Nissen v. United States, 1948, 336 U.S. 613, 619, 69 S.Ct. 766, 93 L.Ed. 919.

In the case of Johnson v. United States, 8 Cir., 1952, 195 F.2d 673, Chief Judge Gardner sets out the test of determining whether a person not a principal under common law aids and abets in the commission of a crime. At page 675 of 195 F.2d appears the following statement:

“To be an aider and abetter it must appear that one so far participates in the commission of the crime charged as to be present, actually or constructively, for the purpose of assisting therein. Thus, one who gives aid and comfort, or who commands, advises, instigates or encourages another to commit a crime may be said to be an aider and abetter. Generally speaking, to find one guilty as a principal on the ground that he was an aider and abetter, it must be proven that he shared in the criminal intent of the principal and there must be a community of unlawful purpose at the time tlie act is committed. As the term ‘aiding and abetting’ implies, it assumes some participation in the criminal act in furtherance of the common design, either before or at the time the criminal act is committed. It implies some conduct of an affirmative nature and mere negative acquiescence is not sufficient.”

The question here resolves itself as to whether the facts of this case come within the definition set out by Judge Gardner. Marie Moses was neither present at the commission of the crime nor under the facts as I have found them did she have any stake in the success of the crime.

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Bluebook (online)
122 F. Supp. 523, 46 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 264, 1954 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3237, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-moses-paed-1954.