United States v. Murgas

177 F.R.D. 97, 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 282, 1998 WL 15606
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. New York
DecidedJanuary 12, 1998
DocketNo. 95-CR-384 HGM
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 177 F.R.D. 97 (United States v. Murgas) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Murgas, 177 F.R.D. 97, 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 282, 1998 WL 15606 (N.D.N.Y. 1998).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM-DECISION & ORDER

MUNSON, Senior District Judge.

BACKGROUND

The court now confronts defendants’ motions for judgment of acquittal and for a new trial pursuant to Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure 29 and 33. On March 21, 1996, the Grand Jury charged the above captioned 13 defendants in an eight count second superseding indictment with engaging in a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of powder and crack cocaine in Rome, New York, and the surrounding Oneida County area. See Docket Document Number (“Dkt.No.”) 38.

Count I of the indictment charged defendant Raul Antonio Cordoba-Murgas with wilfully failing to deport from the United States in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1252(e). Count I was later severed by the court on Raul Cordoba-Murgas’ motion and is pending resolution. See United States’ Response to Defendants’ Postrial Motions, Dkt. No. 256.

Count II of the indictment charged all defendants with engaging in a conspiracy with intent to distribute and distribution of powder and crack cocaine in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846. Count III through Count VII charged defendants Vincente Rogers, Ruben A. Todd-Murgas, Gilberto Arce, Cesar A. Todd-Murgas, Luis E. Cordoba-Murgas, and Jayson Jones respectively with “knowingly and intentionally possess[ing] with the intent to distribute and distributing] cocaine” in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). Lastly, Count VIII asserts forfeitures pursuant to 21 U.S.C. § 853.

Defendants Luis A. Murgas, Luis E. Cordoba-Murgas, Luis Antonio Todd-Murgas, Jayson Jones, Dennis J. Calandra, Jr., Tiffany Gaudinot, and Tricia Irving pled guilty to count II of the indictment prior to trial. Defendant Jose Dominguez remains a fugitive. The remaining five defendants, Cesar A. Todd-Murgas, Raul Antonio CordobaMurgas, Ruben A. Todd-Murgas, Vincente Rogers, and Gilberto Arce, proceeded to a jury trial before the court on May 14, 1997.

On June 18, 1997, at the close of the evidence offered by the government, each of the five defendants moved for a judgment of acquittal pursuant to Rule 29(a). See Dkt. No. 222. After hearing argument of counsel, the court denied the motions. On June 19, 1997, before the case was submitted to the jury, each of the defendants again moved for a judgment of acquittal pursuant to Rule 29(a). See Dkt. No. 223. Again, the court denied defendants’ motions.

On June 26, 1997, defendants were found guilty as charged in the indictment and the jury was discharged. Immediately thereafter, defendants advised the court that they wished to file post-trial motions in writing within the time period prescribed by the rules. The court enlarged the time period in which to file the motions to 10 days, as it is authorized to do under Rule 29(c) and Rule 33.

Defendants Vincente Rogers and Gilberto Arce filed post-trial motions on July, 7, 1997. Defendant Cesar Todd-Murgas filed his post-trial motions on July 11, 1997. Defendant Ruben Todd-Murgas filed his post-trial motions on July 28, 1997 and defendant Raul Cordoba-Murgas filed his post-trial motions on July 30, 1997. The government was granted an extension of time and initially responded to the filed motions on July 14, 1997 and supplemented its response on October 1, 1997. As set forth infra, the court is without authority to reach the merits of the motions of defendants Ruben Todd-Murgas and Raul Cordoba-Murgas because they are untimely. Having reached the merits of the motions of defendants Cesar Todd-Murgas, Vincente Rogers, and Gilberto Arce, and considering all arguments advanced by defendants and the controlling law, the court denies these motions for the following reasons.

DISCUSSION

I. Jurisdiction Pursuant to Rule 29 and Rule 33

The court first addresses its jurisdiction to entertain defendants’ motions for a judgment of acquittal and for a new trial pursuant to [100]*100Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure 29 and 38.

Rule 29(c) provides, in pertinent part, that “a motion for judgment of acquittal may by made or renewed within 7 days after the jury is discharged or within such further time as the court may fix during the 7-day period.” Fed.R.Crim.Proc. 29(c). A failure on the part of a defendant to file a motion pursuant to Rule 29 within the prescribed time period divests the court of jurisdiction. See Carlisle v. United States, 517 U.S. 416, 418-23, 116 S.Ct. 1460, 1463-64, 134 L.Ed.2d 613 (1996); United States v. Gaydos, 108 F.3d 505, 512 (3d Cir.1997) (“Since no extension of time was granted, the district court properly determined that it was without jurisdiction to consider the merits of [defendant’s] untimely motions for judgment of acquittal” pursuant to Rule 29(e)). Thus, a court lacks authority to consider an untimely filed motion. See Carlisle, 517 U.S. at 433-35, 116 S.Ct. at 1470.

In the instant case, the jury returned a verdict against defendants on June 26,1997 and was then discharged. As noted, the court enlarged the time period for filing post-trial motions from seven days to 10 days. This enlargement was granted during the initial seven days after the jury was discharged, as required by Rule 29(c). Thus, excluding weekends and holidays from the 10 day calculation pursuant to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 45(a), the time for filing a motion pursuant to Rule 29(c) expired on July 11, 1997.1 Therefore, defendants Cesar Todd-Murgas, Vincente Rogers, and Gilberto Arce timely filed their motions pursuant to Rule 29 within the mandatory 10 day period. However, defendants Ruben Todd-Murgas and Raul Cordoba-Murgas filed their motions after July 11, 1997 and, thus, beyond the mandatory 10-day period. Accordingly, the court is without authority to consider defendants Ruben Todd-Murgas’ and Raul Cordoba-Murgas’ Rule 29 motions. See Car-lisle, 517 U.S. at 421-23, 116 S.Ct. at 1464 (“the District Court had no authority to grant petitioner’s motion for judgment of acquittal filed one day outside the time limit prescribed by Rule 29(c).”).

Rule 33 compels the same result. A motion for a new trial made pursuant to Rule 33 on any ground other than 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.” Fed.R.Crim.Proc. 33. As with Rule 29, the failure to timely file a motion pursuant to Rule 33 divests the court of jurisdiction to consider the motion. See United States v. Mayo, 14 F.3d 128, 132 (2d Cir.1994) (“These time limitations [under Rule 33] are jurisdictional; if the motion is not timely filed, the court lacks power to consider it.”); United States v. Dukes,

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Bluebook (online)
177 F.R.D. 97, 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 282, 1998 WL 15606, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-murgas-nynd-1998.