United States v. Perkins

383 F. Supp. 922, 1974 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6407
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Ohio
DecidedOctober 8, 1974
DocketCR 74-288
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 383 F. Supp. 922 (United States v. Perkins) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Perkins, 383 F. Supp. 922, 1974 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6407 (N.D. Ohio 1974).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

LAMBROS, District Judge.

I. FACTUAL BACKGROUND

On March 14, 1974, the Federal Grand Jury for the Northern District of Ohio returned an indictment against the defendants, alleging that during the Fall of 1972, they conspired in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, to intercept, via electronic listening devices, oral communications of persons present in the office of Kennard Hawkins, General Manager of WJMO Radio in Cleveland, Ohio, thereby committing a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2511(1) (a) (a part of the Omnibus Crime Control Act) and 18 U.S.C. § 2. The Grand Jury further charged defendants with aiding and abetting another person in performing the monitoring of conversations in Mr. Hawkins office, in further violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2511(1) (a).

During the pre-trial stages, defendant Perkins noted the omission of an essential criminal element from Count II of the indictment and moved to dismiss that count. The Government dismissed the indictment but on June 13, 1974, obtained a second indictment against both defendants, the new indictment being the same as the preceding one except that it remedied the defect noted earlier.

At this point, both defendants have a number of motions before the Court. To facilitate discussion, the Court will treat first the motions of Perkins, then Silverman.

II. DEFENDANT PERKINS

A. Motion to Dismiss the Indictment

The defendant has moved to dismiss the second indictment on two grounds:

1. There is no Constitutional basis for the exercise of Congressional control over the conduct alleged in the indictment ; and
2. The statute is so vague that if it covers the conduct alleged in the indictment, it fails to give adequate notice.

*926 In support of the statute, the Government cites the power of Congress to regulate Interstate Commerce. This is not a tenable position in view of the legislative history (1968 U.S.Code Cong. & Admin.News p. 2112 et seq.) and the plain language of the statute. In enacting 18 U.S.C. § 2511(1) (b) (iii) and (iv), Congress clearly relied upon the Interstate Commerce Clause since these sections require, as an element of the offense, proof that there was contact with interstate commerce. In 18 U.S.C. § 2511(1) (a), there is no requirement of involvement in interstate commerce, and therefore, the power to enact such a law must lie elsewhere.

The Government also asserts that if the conduct alleged to violate § 18 U.S.C. § 2511(1) (a) finds jurisdictional support in § 2511(1) (b), then there is jurisdiction since § 2511(1) (a) has a broader scope than does (b). This, too, is wrong. If the Government had desired to prosecute Perkins for violating § 2511(l)(b), that is the offense the indictment should have charged. It charges rather a violation of § 2511(1)(a). It is not Constitutionally permissible to convict an accused for other than the specific offense charged in the indictment. DeJonge v. Oregon, 299 U.S. 353, 57 S.Ct. 255, 81 L.2d 278 (1937); Cole v. Arkansas, 333 U.S. 196, 68 S.Ct. 514, 92 L.Ed. 644 (1948).

But the Court finds there is a Constitutional basis for the action of Congress in enacting § 2511(1)(a). It is a basis which the Congress itself expressly recognized:

Virtually all concede that the use of wiretapping or electronic surveillance techniques by private unauthorized hands has little justification where communications are intercepted without the consent of one of the participants. No one quarrels with the proposition that the unauthorized use of these techniques by law enforcement agents should be prohibited. It is not enough, however, just to prohibit the unjustifiable interception, disclosure, or use of any wire or oral communications. An attack rñust also be made on the possession, distribution, manufacture, and advertising of intercepting devices. All too often the invasion of privacy itself will go unknown. Only by striking at all aspects of the problem can privacy be adequately protected. 1968 U.S. Code Cong. & Admin.News pp. 2112, 2156. (Emphasis added.)

There is a right of privacy guaranteed to the citizens of this nation. Griswold v. Connecticut, 381 U.S. 479, 484, 85 S.Ct. 1678, 14 L.Ed.2d 510 (1965). The authorities of the Constitution were perhaps not as concerned with the protection of this right as they should have been. But there were so few in this vast land that express concern for protection of privacy must have hardly seemed justified. Through the Fourth and Fifth Amendments, however, all the protection needed was given; express delineation of a right to privacy was not, and is not, necessary.

Today we live in populous clusters. People exist stacked atop each other. With the uncontrolled development of technological means whereby anyone can invade the privacy of another under virtually any condition, the essential need for protection of this penumbral right becomes apparent. We must be cautious lest through the spread of these devices “we plant the seeds of despotism at our own door.” Concededly most of the scientific endeavors of the recent past constitute advances and have aided measurably in the improvement of civilization. But some of these may become the artifacts of tyranny if their utilization is not stringently controlled. 1

*927 The Court concedes that Gris-wold and the more recent pronouncements of the Supreme Court on the right to privacy (Stanley v. Georgia, 394 U.S. 557, 89 S.Ct. 1243, 22 L.Ed.2d 542 (1969) and Eisenstadt v. Baird, 405 U.S. 438, 92 S.Ct. 1029, 31 L.Ed.2d 349 (1972)) deal with invasion of the right of privacy by the Government. But when a citizen discovers that this office has been “bugged”, the fact that it was his employer rather than the sheriff, affords little comfort. The Fourth Amendment does not protect against unreasonable Governmental searches only but against all unreasonable searches.

The Court, therefore, finds that there is a Constitutional basis for enactment of the specific statutory provision which defendant is alleged to have violated.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
383 F. Supp. 922, 1974 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6407, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-perkins-ohnd-1974.