United States v. Philip Matthew Doyle

771 F.2d 250, 18 Fed. R. Serv. 487, 1985 U.S. App. LEXIS 22401
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
DecidedAugust 20, 1985
Docket85-1134
StatusPublished
Cited by33 cases

This text of 771 F.2d 250 (United States v. Philip Matthew Doyle) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Philip Matthew Doyle, 771 F.2d 250, 18 Fed. R. Serv. 487, 1985 U.S. App. LEXIS 22401 (7th Cir. 1985).

Opinion

BAUER, Circuit Judge.

On November 7, 1984, after an eight day jury trial in the Northern District of Illinois, defendant Philip Matthew Doyle was convicted on three counts of conspiring to bomb a Chicago restaurant in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 844(i) (Count I), bombing the restaurant in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 844(i) (Count II), and knowingly possessing an unregistered firearm in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 5861(d) (Count III). On appeal defendant argues that the trial court erred in denying the defendant’s motion in limine regarding his prior convictions and in admitting into evidence certain inculpatory out-of-court statements against the defendant. The defendant also argues that he was prejudiced by the prosecutor’s closing-argument, which allegedly referred to facts not in evidence. Finally, defendant argues that the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction. We reject all the defendant’s claims of error and affirm his conviction on all three counts.

I

On April 9, 1983 at approximately noon a bomb exploded in the kitchen area of the First National Frank, a fast-food restaurant located at 333 East Cermak Street, Chicago. Firefighters from the Chicago Fire Department arrived on the scene soon after the explosion and climbed onto the roof of the single story restaurant. There they found a gaping hole with sheet metal torn apart and tarpaper scattered everywhere. As fireman Cales picked up a plastic bag containing the emblem “Epton for Mayor,” cylinder shaped items slid from *252 the bag causing a second loud explosion and a cloud of smoke. The items were later determined to be two high velocity improvised explosive devices. Forty to fifty people were in the restaurant at the time of the first explosion and were thereafter evacuated; none of these diners were injured. Fireman Cales lost his hand, however, and two other firemen suffered ear and back injuries because of the second explosion. The owner of First National Frank, Sydney Kramer, was forced to close the restaurant for ten days as a result of the bombing.

It is largely through the testimony of four co-conspirators named in Doyle’s indictment that the story of this episode of the Chicago hot dog wars took shape at trial. The cast of characters includes Michael Skidmore, who was granted immunity as to the restaurant bombing in return for his testimony; his wife, Rose Skidmore, who was also granted immunity; and Fred Jennings, also known as Fred Olsen, who, in return for his testimony, entered into a plea agreement which provided protection for his wife, Barbara Olsen, a named co-conspirator, and his son, Joe Jennings. After the bombing, the Skidmores and the Jennings fled to Florida and then Arizona in an attempt to escape the FBI investigation of the bombing. Eventually, however, they agreed to cooperate with the government and it is the facts as elicited through their testimony which we now relate.

Told in its simplest fashion, the story of the bombing begins in the fall of 1982 when Joe Jennings, employed at that time in a Chicago restaurant, called his father, Fred Jennings, in Florida to ask him if he knew anyone who could bomb a hot dog stand in Chicago. Joe said that a man named David wanted the job done. Testimony later revealed that Joe worked at a rival hot dog restaurant, whose owner’s first name was David. Fred responded that he did not know anyone, but Joe persisted and Fred agreed to look around. Although the testimony is disputed as to the first meeting of Michael Skidmore and Fred Jennings regarding the bombing, it is not disputed that after Joe’s call Fred and Michael met in Florida and agreed that Skidmore would do the job and be paid $5,000. They also agreed that Joe would try to get $10,000 for the job and keep the extra $5,000 for himself.

With this plan in mind, Skidmore, accompanied by his wife, Rose, and Barbara Olsen, went to Chicago on February 27, 1983 to survey and photograph the restaurant. After spending two days surveying the restaurant, Skidmore concluded that the job should pay at least $40,000 because the restaurant was much bigger than an ordinary hot dog stand. Both Skidmore and his wife attempted to get more money by calling Fred and Joe Jennings.

Skidmore then sought out Philip Doyle, whom he had known for two years and had met through Jennings. A series of meetings occurred involving the defendant, Skidmore, and his wife. At various times they met at the Skidmore’s motel, the defendant’s home in Lombard, a restaurant called Noodles, and a bar called The White Stallion. The defendant had asked who would guarantee the $5,000, had admitted he was not an expert in bombings and had said he knew someone named Bill from whom he could get some dynamite. The defendant and Skidmore talked about various methods of bombing the restaurant, but Skidmore testified that at the end of these conversations the defendant had not positively decided to take the job. Skid-more, his wife, and Barbara Olsen then returned to Florida, and reported to Fred Jennings what had transpired in Chicago. Approximately a week after Skidmore’s return, Fred Jennings testified that the defendant called him and asked him whether Jennings would guarantee the $5,000. Jennings replied that he would.

In March 1983 the Skidmores made' a second trip to Chicago with Fred Jennings. Skidmore testified that at Jennings’ urging, he once again contacted Doyle, whom he later met in a restaurant to discuss the bombing. Skidmore described the restaurant to Doyle, told him to attribute the bombing to a political group once it was *253 done, and to call Fred Jennings for the money after the bombing. Skidmore testified that Doyle agreed to do the job and Rose Skidmore testified that Skidmore had told her after lunch that Doyle had agreed to do the job. On March 29, 1983, Rose Skidmore returned to Florida. Michael Skidmore and Fred Jennings returned to Florida on April 5, 1983. On April 9, 1983 a bomb exploded at noon at the First National Frank.

Fred Jennings testified that a few days after the bombing Doyle called him to discuss the bombing and ask about the payment for the job. Jennings called his son, with whom he had previously discussed the bombing, and Joe told his father that the payment would only be $2,500 because the job had not been done properly. On the day of the bombing over a series of phone calls Skidmore and Jennings had discussed the fact that the bombing had occurred at noon and not midnight and that people had been injured. Doyle’s name was not mentioned in these calls. Fred Jennings testified to a second conversation in which Doyle confirmed that he had received the money.

Skidmore testified that on May 27, 1983, in a telephone conversation, Chuck Kazamer told Skidmore that Skidmore and Jennings were wanted in an FBI investigation of the bombing. Skidmore also called Danny Baranowski, who told Skidmore that he should not return home because of the FBI investigation. Skidmore then met with Fred Jennings and Barbara Olsen in Jacksonville, Florida, and commenced to travel with them in an attempt to avoid the FBI. Rose Skidmore eventually joined her husband and the Jennings and traveled with them for eight months.

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Bluebook (online)
771 F.2d 250, 18 Fed. R. Serv. 487, 1985 U.S. App. LEXIS 22401, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-philip-matthew-doyle-ca7-1985.