United States v. Parrott

315 F. Supp. 1012, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13765
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedOctober 8, 1969
DocketNo. 66 Cr. 243
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 315 F. Supp. 1012 (United States v. Parrott) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.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. Parrott, 315 F. Supp. 1012, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13765 (S.D.N.Y. 1969).

Opinion

OPINION

EDWARD WEINFELD, District Judge (Orally):

As to pre-indictment delay, the investigation into the alleged criminal aspects of the defendants’ activities involved different and additional considerations and problems of evidence from those involved in the civil proceedings. The record discloses that the defendants Forrest Parrott and Donald Parrott engaged in litigious and extensive activities in the civil and administrative proceedings which delayed the investigations. In fact, in August, 1962, they failed to comply with a subpoena in the Raleigh administrative revocation proceeding, which in part involved the Am-pet and Petron stock. In May, 1964, they were finally held in contempt for failure to appear, following which, in June, 1964, they appeared, represented by counsel, and were fully advised of their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. It took two and a half years of inquiry and litigation before the SEC succeeded in obtaining, in October, 1964, a final judgment in the Denver action with respect to the sale of the Ampet-Petron stock. While the investigation into the complex affairs of Forrest Parrott and the various enterprises availed of by him in connection with his activities commenced in January or February, 1962, it was not until the end of July, 1963 that the SEC first recommended prosecution to the United States Attorney.

Some slight idea of the problems encountered by the agencies may be gleaned from the reference to the proceedings noted in the opinion of Judge Bonsai dated February 14, 1969, who denied the defendants’ motion to dismiss the indictment on various grounds, but without prejudice to renewal upon trial if defendants could show prejudice by reason of the SEC proceedings and the delay in bringing the defendants to trial.

After presiding at this three-week trial, during the course of which several thousand pages of testimony were taken, this Court concludes that the claim of prejudicial delay is without substance. The record repels any claim that the return of the indictment by the grand jury in March, 1966 was part of a deliberate, purposeful or oppressive design for delay. United States v. Rivera, 346 F.2d 942 (2d Cir. 1965) (per cur[1014]*1014iam). See Pollard v. United States, 352 U.S. 354, 361, 77 S.Ct. 481, 1 L.Ed.2d 393 (1957). The defendants have not shown that the pre-indictment delay deprived them of their right to a speedy trial and due process; they have not shown that their defense has been impaired or prejudiced by the loss of specific evidence or the testimony of material witnesses. United States v. Ewell, 383 U.S. 116, 86 S.Ct. 773, 15 L.Ed.2d 627 (1966); United States v. Scully, 415 F.2d 680, (2d Cir., 1969); United States v. Roberts, 408 F.2d 360, 361 (2d Cir. 1969); United States v. Capaldo, 402 F.2d 821, 823 (2d Cir. 1968), cert. denied, 394 U.S. 989, 89 S.Ct. 1476, 22 L.Ed.2d 764 (1969). The simple fact is that not only did these defendants’ activities delay the civil and administrative proceedings, but in the process they had the benefit of the testimony given by the various witnesses in those proceedings.

Equally without substance are the defendants’ claims with respect to post-indictment delay. After a motion for a bill of particulars and discovery was granted, the case was marked off the calendar on February 20, 1967. This was with the defendants’ consent. It was not restored until August, 1968, following which defendants moved to dismiss the indictment for change of venue. The defendants’ acquiescence in the various postponements of the trial and their consent to marking the case off the calendar forecloses any constitutional claim under the Sixth Amendment under the rule applied in this Circuit in United States v. Lustman, 258 F.2d 475 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 358 U.S. 880, 79 S.Ct. 118, 3 L.Ed.2d 109 (1958), and more recently reiterated in the face of a strong plea for its relaxation, United States v. Maxwell, 383 F.2d 437 (2d Cir. 1967), cert, denied, 389 U.S. 1057, 88 S. Ct. 809, 19 L.Ed.2d 856 (1968), cert. denied sub nom. Aiken v. United States, 389 U.S. 1043, 88 S.Ct. 786, 19 L.Ed.2d 835 (1968). See also United States v. Roberts, 408 F.2d 360, 361 (2d Cir. 1969) (per curiam).

Also, considering defendants’ motion as one based upon a constitutional claim of denial of due process under the Fifth Amendment or under Rule 48(b) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, there is no basis for relief. The alleged deprivation of witnesses’ testimony by reason of death is highly exaggerated and the trial itself reveals what little substance there is to the claim. One purported witness, Baldwin Bane, a former attorney of Forrest Parrott, died in May, 1962, when the investigation was in its initial stages and long before the SEC’s recommendation in July, 1963 for criminal prosecution was forwarded to the United States Attorney. S. F. Peavey, Jr., another defendant’s attorney, according to trial testimony had a stroke in the beginning of 1961 and ceased to function as a lawyer at that time. He was in the hospital from six to eight weeks prior to April, 1961. He died in March, 1963, five months before the SEC reference to the United States Attorney. In the interim there was much activity in the civil proceedings and if the defendant deemed Peavey’s testimony of importance, his deposition could have been taken. Moreover, all of Peavey’s records under this Court’s order were made available to the defendants for inspection and discovery, as were all the records obtained from Bane.

As to Fred Erdman, who died in November, 1965, assuming his testimony was competent or relevant on the issue of defendants’ intent, his testimony was taken in the civil suit related to the issues in this trial. His deposition in that proceeding was taken upon notice to the defendants who were parties in the litigation; the government expressly consented to its use by the defendants at this trial. They chose not to offer any of Erdman’s testimony. In addition, Forrest Parrott, in his current affidavit, admits he discussed with Erdman obtaining an additional deposition, but failed to take any action thereon.

With respect to the alleged nature of the testimony of these witnesses on the [1015]*1015issue of intent, as well as on other matters, the trial record indicates Forrest Parrott was given wide latitude when he testified — much more than was required. The defendants name other witnesses who allegedly would have given testimony, but entirely apart from the patently hearsay nature of the purported testimony, it is clear that none of those alleged witnesses could have offered probative evidence to support the defense to the charge that one of the objects of the conspiracy was the fraudulent sale of Petron stock.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

United States v. Bisgyer
384 F. Supp. 504 (S.D. New York, 1974)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
315 F. Supp. 1012, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13765, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-parrott-nysd-1969.