United States v. Robert D. Golub

694 F.2d 207, 1982 U.S. App. LEXIS 23692
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
DecidedDecember 1, 1982
Docket79-1577
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 694 F.2d 207 (United States v. Robert D. Golub) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Tenth 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. Robert D. Golub, 694 F.2d 207, 1982 U.S. App. LEXIS 23692 (10th Cir. 1982).

Opinions

BARRETT, Circuit Judge.

This case is before us following a partial remand to the district court, pursuant to our en banc order. A brief recitation of the litigative history will facilitate our review.

Robert H. Golub (Golub) was charged in an eight count indictment on February 24, 1979, with mail fraud and with transportation of money obtained by fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C.A. §§ 1341 and 2314. Golub was arraigned on February 24,1979, and on March 7,1979, the cause was set for trial on April 16, 1979.

On March 30, 1979, Daniel Smith, retained counsel for Golub, moved to withdraw. During a hearing on the motion on April 9, 1979, the district court questioned Golub relative to his plans for obtaining counsel:

THE COURT: I gather the defendant is here. What are your plans as to getting a lawyer?
THE DEFENDANT: Sir?
THE COURT: What are your plans as to getting a lawyer, what do you plan to do?
THE DEFENDANT: I’ve contacted my family and we are in the process of doing that, Your Honor.
THE COURT: Well, do you oppose this motion to withdraw?
THE DEFENDANT: No, sir.
THE COURT: And do you understand that the case is set for trial and it’s going to trial—
THE DEFENDANT: Yes, sir.
THE COURT: —as scheduled?
THE DEFENDANT: Yes, sir.
[Original R., Vol. VII at p 2].

The Court thereafter granted Smith’s motion to withdraw and ordered the case to go to trial as scheduled on April 16, 1979.

Smith testified during the course of our partial remand that he had moved to withdraw as counsel because Golub was a very uncooperative client; Golub failed to keep appointments; Golub failed, aside from one request, to respond to his inquiries or to supply him with information concerning the Government’s case. Smith also stated that Golub’s case was not complex at all, and that with a cooperative client, one week was sufficient time to prepare for trial.

On cross-examination Smith reiterated that he moved to withdraw because Golub was uncooperative, and not because Golub failed to pay his initial fee of $5,000.00, adding, “I know of no law that would allow me to withdraw as a defense attorney from a criminal case for lack of being paid a fee.”

Four days prior to the April 9, 1979 motion hearing, Golub had discussed his case with his uncle, Sheldon Emeson (Emeson), a practicing attorney. After the district [209]*209court granted attorney Smith’s unchallenged motion to withdraw, and ordered that the case proceed to trial as scheduled, Emeson made a long distance telephone call to the judge, in which he requested a continuance for Golub’s trial. When the district court indicated that the ease would go to trial as scheduled, Emeson agreed to defend Golub. Emeson subsequently rearranged his schedule between April 9 and April 16, 1979, and prepared Golub’s defense.

During the course of Golub’s two-day trial, the Government dismissed two of the counts, and Golub was found guilty on the remaining six. Golub was sentenced to five years in prison on each of the six counts, the sentences to run concurrently.

On appeal1 we held that Golub was denied adequate counsel in view of the limited time available for Emeson to prepare for trial. We, accordingly, reversed, with “direction to the trial court to see to it that defendant is adequately represented by counsel at a new trial.” (638 F.2d at p. 190). This opinion was filed on November 17, 1980.

On December 24, 1980, the United States petitioned for rehearing with suggestion for rehearing en banc. Included with the material supportive of the United States’ motion for rehearing was an affidavit of the trial court which stated in part:

On April 9, 1979, it was, and it now is my belief that defendant was utilizing a ploy to obtain a continuance, and I advised him that I intended to try the case on the date it was set for trial. He voiced no objection to that. [Indeed, the then scheduled trial date was within a week or ten days of the latest trial date permitted under the Speedy Trial Act.] Because of defendant’s acquiescence in Mr. Smith’s motion to withdraw, I granted it, but had defendant objected, I would have denied the motion. I have no doubt that with client cooperation, Mr. Smith would have been ready to try the case.
Shortly after April 9,1979,1 received a long distance telephone call from Sheldon Emeson, Esq., saying that he was related to the defendant and that he would represent him. He orally asked for a continuance, but the only reason he advanced in support of his request was that he had some county court cases set for trial and that those trials would conflict with the long standing setting of the federal court case. I told Mr. Emeson that that was not reason for a continuance and that under no circumstances would I act on a telephonic motion for a continuance made by a lawyer who had not entered an appearance in the case. I told him about the history of the case, and that I thought the defendant was trying to manipulate the court. I am sure that I was not optimistic as to his chances for a continuance. However, I at no time told him that I would not consider a written motion for a continuance setting forth adequate grounds to justify the last minute delay. He replied that he could and would be ready for trial, and he was.
No written motion for a continuance was ever filed, and when the trial started on April 17, 1979, instead of moving for continuance, Mr. Emeson affirmatively stated on the record that he and his client were ready for trial. An audit of the clerk’s minutes shows that the taking of testimony in the case took a total of eight hours; that the defendant testified at some length and that two other defense witnesses were called. Mr. Emeson is a former state public defender and he is a former elected district attorney. He has had long experience in the trial of criminal cases in the state courts, and the Colorado Rules of Criminal Procedure do not differ much from the Federal Rules. The defendant had constructively fired one of the best criminal trial lawyers in the state, and, knowing his ethics, I am confident he would not have walked out on the defendant just because he hadn’t been paid. The jury convicted the defendant on evidence I thought was more than sufficient, but it did so after a trial which was well handled on both sides.
[210]*210Following the trial, [I am unsure whether the visit was on the day of the jury verdict or on the day of sentencing.] Mr. Emeson came to my chambers, and he explained that he had defended the case only because of the relationship between him and the defendant. He explained that he wasn’t being paid, and he thanked me for that which he said he thought had been a fair trial. He did not hint that he needed more time to prepare, and he didn’t suggest prejudice to the defendant because of lack of preparation time.
[Affidavit, pp. 2-3].

Emeson also filed an affidavit which stated in part:

On April 10, 1979, I placed a long distance phone call from Lamar, CO. to Judge Fred M.

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United States v. Robert D. Golub
694 F.2d 207 (Tenth Circuit, 1982)

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Bluebook (online)
694 F.2d 207, 1982 U.S. App. LEXIS 23692, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-robert-d-golub-ca10-1982.