United States v. Robinson

344 F. Supp. 956, 1972 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13073
CourtDistrict Court, D. Delaware
DecidedJune 23, 1972
DocketCrim. A. 1926
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 344 F. Supp. 956 (United States v. Robinson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Delaware primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Robinson, 344 F. Supp. 956, 1972 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13073 (D. Del. 1972).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

LATCHUM, District Judge.

This case is again before the Court on remand from the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit for the purpose of reconsidering the motion of William H. Robinson (“Robinson”) for reduction of his sentence in the light of *957 additional information which was to be submitted to this Court pursuant to an order 1 of the Court of Appeals, dated February 22, 1972.

Robinson was convicted in this Court on May 8, 1969 after a three week jury trial on four counts 2 of an indictment charging him with violations of federal law in connection with a vicious and unprovoked attack upon two F.B.I. agents and with aiding an escape of an army deserter held in the agents’ custody. The nature and circumstances of the offenses were particularly reprehensible. At approximately 3:30 P.M. on October 29, 1968 in the vicinity of Twenty-second and Pine Streets, Wilmington, Delaware, Robinson with a group of other young men confronted Special Agents Frank Grant and James D. Snyder who then had Robert Barber, an army deserter, in custody. Robinson and the group without justification attacked the two agents and assisted Barber’s escape. Both agents were brutally beaten, one being severely kicked in the head.

Robinson and the others who participated in the attack were indicted by the Grand Jury on November 11, 1968. A warrant issued forthwith for Robinson’s arrest. Robinson could not be found in this District because he had fled shortly after the commission of the crimes. Robinson did, however, return voluntarily to Delaware and through his court-appointed counsel surrendered to the Marshal of this District on January 22, 1969. Robinson was released from custody on March 12, 1969 pending trial pursuant to the provisions of the Bail Reform Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3146.

Following his conviction, Robinson moved for a post-trial judgment of acquittal and for a new trial. This motion was denied. United States v. Barber et al., 303 F.Supp. 807, 815-818 (D.Del. 1969). On August 26, 1969 Robinson was sentenced to a maximum prison term of fifteen years. 3 After Robinson was sentenced, his bail bond sureties requested to be exonerated. This request was granted. Robinson was then taken into custody again by the Marshal who transferred him to the Federal Penitentiary at Lewisburg, Pennsylvania on September 10, 1969. He was moved from Lewisburg to the Federal Penitentiary at Atlanta, Georgia on April 4, 1970. On May 12, 1970, Robinson was released from prison pending determination of his appeal by an order of the United States Court of Appeals. He remained at large until April 15, 1971. On April 14, 1971, Robinson’s conviction was affirmed by the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. United States v. Barber et al., 442 F.2d 517, 521-522 (C.A.3, 1971). The following day, Robinson was returned to custody and incarcerated pursuant to his sentence in the Federal Penitentiary at Atlanta.

On May 7, 1971, Robinson again moved for a new trial on the ground of newly discovered evidence. This motion *958 was denied. United States v. Robinson, 329 F.Supp. 723 (D.Del.1971). On May 10, 1971, Robinson also moved under Rule 35, F.R.Crim.P., for a reduction of sentence and requested a hearing. A hearing was held on May 20, 1971 at which time testimony was taken and additional reports from the prison authorities were received. The Court, after-weighing all the relevant facts then before it, denied the motion to reduce the sentence.

Upon appeal, an additional psychiatric report by Dr. Harold Kaufman, not before available, was filed by Robinson in the Court of Appeals. The Government stipulated that this report should be made available to this Court. Whereupon this Court's order, denying the motion for reduction of sentence, was vacated and the record remanded to this Court for reconsideration in the light of Dr. Kaufman’s report and later prison progress reports to be submitted.

On May 26, 1972, Robinson requested a hearing which the Court promptly set for June 1, 1972. Robinson’s formal motion for reconsideration of reduction of sentence and supporting exhibits 4 were filed on May 30, 1972. At the hearing, Robinson presented one witness and additional material for the Court to consider. 5 The Government stated that a recent psychiatric report had been mailed by the prison authorities from Atlanta and requested leave to file that report as soon as it arrived. This was permitted with the understanding that Robinson’s attorney would be provided with a copy and an opportunity to reply or comment upon the report if his attorney deemed that necessary. 6

Robinson’s motion requests that his present sentence be reduced to the time he has now served, or alternatively, that he be re-sentenced under 18 U.S.C. § 3651, that is, that his present prison sentence be suspended and he be placed on probation for a suitable length of time. Indeed, Judge Hastie’s concurring opinion in United States v. Barber, 456 F.2d 579, 581 (C.A.3, 1972) strongly suggests that Robinson should be placed on probation; he wrote: “On the other hand, to release him as a probationer would return to the community one who already has demonstrated the will and the capacity to be one of its most useful and socially helpful young members.”

Despite whatever merits there might be to the suggestion that Robinson now be placed on probation under 18 U.S.C. § 3651, it is clear that this Court is without power to do so. In Ex Parte United States, 242 U.S. 27, 37 S.Ct. 72, 61 L.Ed. 129 (1916), the United States Supreme Court held that a federal court has no inherent power to suspend the execution of a sentence which it has imposed or to place a defendant on probation. The Court held that this could be done only with congressional authorization. In 1925 Congress enacted a Probation Act 7 which specifically empowered federal courts to make such a disposition in criminal cases. That act became the sole source of the probationary power exercised by federal courts. Under the present Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3651, while a district court is authorized to suspend the imposition or execution of sentence and place a defendant on probation, it has no power to suspend a sentence without also imposing a term of probation. United States v. Sams, 340 F.2d 1014, 1020 (C.A.3, 1965), cert. den. 380 U.S. 974, 85 S.Ct. 1336, 14 L.Ed.2d 270 (1965).

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Bluebook (online)
344 F. Supp. 956, 1972 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13073, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-robinson-ded-1972.