United States v. Roy Lee Burke

738 F.2d 1225, 1984 U.S. App. LEXIS 19640, 16 Fed. R. Serv. 594
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
DecidedAugust 13, 1984
Docket83-8306
StatusPublished
Cited by35 cases

This text of 738 F.2d 1225 (United States v. Roy Lee Burke) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Eleventh 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. Roy Lee Burke, 738 F.2d 1225, 1984 U.S. App. LEXIS 19640, 16 Fed. R. Serv. 594 (11th Cir. 1984).

Opinion

HATCHETT, Circuit Judge:

Appellant, Roy Lee Burke, appeals his conviction for conspiracy to harbor and harboring a federal fugitive, in violation of 18 U.S.C.A. § 371 (West 1966) and 18 U.S.C.A. § 1072 (West 1976). We affirm.

On September 1, 1981, Lawrence Burhoe escaped from a Massachusetts prison. After traveling to Rhode Island to meet his *1227 girl friend, Kathy Griffin, who returned to Rhode Island from Oregon, they proceeded to Clarkesville, Georgia. At Clarkesville, they stayed for several hours with Roy Lee Burke’s brother, Lawrence, before going to a motel. The next day, Burhoe and Griffin returned to Lawrence Burke’s house, and Roy Lee guided them to a cabin in Franklin County, Georgia.

On November 22, 1981, Patrick John O’Shea, a convicted murderer, escaped from federal correctional officers and fled to Georgia. He also went to the house where Roy Lee Burke had hidden Burhoe. Roy Lee Burke drove Griffin, Burhoe, and O’Shea to a new hideout after Burhoe and O’Shea tied up two Georgia police officers who had discovered them. Burhoe, Griffin, and O’Shea remained at the new hideout for several days before Burhoe and O’Shea fled the state of Georgia. Griffin remained in Georgia. In February, 1982, federal agents captured Burhoe in Oregon. In July, 1982, federal agents also captured O’Shea in Oregon.

Roy Lee Burke, the appellant, was convicted of conspiracy to harbor a federal fugitive and harboring a federal fugitive.

In this appeal, Burke claims: (1) the district court unduly restricted his cross-examination of several prosecution witnesses; (2) the district court abused its discretion in denying his request for a Jackson v. Den-no hearing to determine the voluntariness of Burke’s admissions to Kenneth Halpin while they were in jail; (3) the identification testimony of Kathy Gallagher and Wanda Capps, prosecution witnesses, was improperly admitted and was tainted; and (4) the district court erred in admitting the “extrinsic offense” testimony of Joseph Brouillard.

1. Did the District Court Abuse Its Discretion In Restricting Burke’s Cross-Examination of Certain Prosecutorial Witnesses?

Burke contends the district court impermissibly restricted his cross-examination of four prosecution witnesses: Kathleen Griffin, Steve Durham, Kenneth Halpin, and Joseph Brouillard. The United States contends the district court acted properly in sustaining the government’s objections to several irrelevant and immaterial questions Burke’s lawyer asked the four witnesses on cross-examination.

The district court has discretionary authority to limit cross-examination. Alford v. United States, 282 U.S. 687, 694, 51 S.Ct. 218, 220, 75 L.Ed. 624 (1931); United States v. Ramirez, 622 F.2d 898, 899 (5th Cir.1980). The district court’s limiting of cross-examination will not be disturbed unless an abuse of discretion is shown. Ramirez, 622 F.2d at 899. A district court, however, must permit sufficient cross-examination to satisfy the confrontation clause of the sixth amendment. Davis v. Alaska, 415 U.S. 308, 315-18, 94 S.Ct. 1105, 1109-11, 39 L.Ed.2d 347 (1974); United States v. Elliott, 571 F.2d 880, 908 (5th Cir.), cert. denied sub nom Hawkins v. U.S., 439 U.S. 953, 99 S.Ct. 349, 58 L.Ed.2d 344 (1978). The sixth amendment confrontation clause is satisfied where sufficient information is elicited from the witness from which the jury can adequately gauge the witnesses’ credibility. Davis v. Alaska, 415 U.S. at 315-16, 94 S.Ct. at 1109-10. See also United States v. Bulman, 667 F.2d 1374, 1381 n. 9 (11th Cir.), cert. denied, 456 U.S. 1010, 102 S.Ct. 2305, 73 L.Ed.2d 1307 (1982).

Our review of the record indicates that the district court permitted sufficient cross-examination of Kathleen Griffin. Burke’s lawyer established that Griffin was testifying under a grant of immunity and that she had received money from the government. Burke’s lawyer also established that Griffin participated in the “witness protection program.” Although the district court prohibited other questions, the court allowed adequate cross-examination of Griffin to enable the jury to gauge her credibility.

Burke also claims the district court did not permit adequate cross-examination of Steve Durham to determine whether state authorities had promised Durham im *1228 munity for testifying. The record fails to support Burke’s claim. With the aid of the district court, Burke’s lawyer elicited all the information concerning alleged deals the South Carolina authorities made with Durham. The cross-examination of Steve Durham revealed sufficient information to appraise the jury of any motive or bias on his part. The sixth amendment, therefore, was satisfied.

Burke also contends that he was prohibited on cross-examination from determining whether federal officers placed Kenneth Halpin in the Jones County Jail to obtain information from other inmates. The district court permitted extensive cross-examination of Halpin to reveal whether federal officers had intentionally placed Halpin in the same jail cell with him to extract information from him and other prisoners. No such intentional conduct was shown. Halpin’s cross-examination, therefore, satisfied the sixth amendment, even though it did not produce the desired results.

Finally, Burke asserts that the district court prevented him from inquiring about Joseph Brouillard’s motive for testifying. The record reveals that Brouillard’s cross-examination was sufficient for the jury to determine any motive, bias, or prejudice on his part. His cross-examination satisfied the sixth amendment.

2. Whether the District Court Properly Denied Burke’s Request for a “Jackson v. Denno ” Hearing as to the Admissibility of Kenneth Halpin’s Testimony.

The United States Marshals Service housed both Kenneth Halpin and Roy Lee Burke in the Jones County Jail at the same time. During their stay, Burke made several admissions to Halpin which Halpin testified to at Burke’s trial. Burke’s lawyer requested a hearing outside the jury’s presence to determine the voluntariness of Burke’s admissions to Halpin. The district court denied the request.

A voluntariness hearing is not required under these circumstances. Massiah v. United States, 377 U.S. 201, 206, 84 S.Ct. 1199, 1203, 12 L.Ed.2d 246 (1964). It is clear that the government did not use Hal-pin to elicit the information from Burke. Accordingly, the district court properly admitted Halpin’s testimony.

3.

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Bluebook (online)
738 F.2d 1225, 1984 U.S. App. LEXIS 19640, 16 Fed. R. Serv. 594, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-roy-lee-burke-ca11-1984.