United States v. Simmons

610 F. Supp. 295, 1984 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17089
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Tennessee
DecidedMay 1, 1984
DocketCrim. A. 3:84-00027
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 610 F. Supp. 295 (United States v. Simmons) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Simmons, 610 F. Supp. 295, 1984 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17089 (M.D. Tenn. 1984).

Opinion

ORDER

NEESE, Senior District Judge,

Sitting by Designation and Assignment.

“ * * * To justify a continuance for the purpose of locating a witness, the moving party must show that the witness would have given substantial favorable evidence and that he [or she] was available and willing to testify. * * * ” United States v. Boyd, 620 F.2d 129, 132[8] (6th Cir.1980), cert. den. 449 U.S. 855, 101 S.Ct. 151, 66 L.Ed.2d 69 (1980). The prosecution has not met this burden. *

Accordingly, the motion of the prosecution for a continuance hereby is

DENIED, but without prejudice to its use of the procedure provided in Rule 48(a), F.R.Crim.P. See United States v. Pope, 574 F.2d 320, 327[5] (6th Cir.1978), cert. den. 436 U.S. 929, 98 S.Ct. 2828, 56 L.Ed.2d 774 (1978) (dismissal under Rule 48(a) is without prejudice to the bringing of a second indictment on the same charge).

ON MOTION TO SUPPRESS

I.

Each defendant seeks the suppression of identification-testimony of the proposed witness Ms. Carmen Rivers on the basis of an “unduly suggestive” pretrial identification by photograph. See Simmons v. United States, 390 U.S. 377, 88 S.Ct. 967, 19 L.Ed.2d 1247 (1968). It hereby is

ORDERED that these motions be deferred for determination at trial of the general issues, Rule 12(e), F.R.Crim.P., at which time the Court will hear, out of the presence of the jury, any pertinent evidence.

II.

The defendants, each, moved for a severance and separate trial on the grounds of improper joinder under Rule 8, F.R.Crim.P. Those motions lack merit.

A.

Under the Court’s reading of the indictment herein, the offenses charged in each of the two counts of the indictment are based on the same act or transaction (or on two or more acts or transactions connected together or constituting parts of a common scheme or plan), such act(s) or transaction(s) being the transportation of a woman and motor vehicle in interstate commerce from Ohio to Tennessee on January 4, 1984. Thus, joinder of the two offenses *299 was permissible under Rule 8(a), F.R. Crim.P.

B.

By like token, both defendants are charged in count 1 thereof with having participated in the same act or transaction (or in the same series of acts or transactions) constituting an offense, such act or transaction (or series of acts or transactions) being the transportation of a woman in interstate commerce from Ohio to Tennessee. Therefore, joinder of the defendants in this indictment was proper under Rule 8(b), F.R.Crim.P.; United States v. Hatcher, 680 F.2d 438, 441[3] (6th Cir. 1982).

C.

Neither defendant has met his burden of demonstrating the likelihood of substantial prejudice from a joint-trial, so as to warrant a discretionary-severance under Rule 14, F.R.Crim.P. The charges herein are simple and straightforward, and there is no reason to believe the jurors might be confused or unable to limit evidence to only one defendant when necessary. 1 “ * * * The jury must be presumed capable of sorting out the evidence and considering the case of each defendant separately. * * * ” United States v. Frazier, 584 F.2d 790, 795[8] (6th Cir.1978).

Mr. Simmons’ bare assertion, that he desires to testify at the trial of count 1 but not at the trial of count 2, is not sufficient to justify a severance of counts. For such relief, the movant must “ * * * make a convincing showing both that he has important testimony to give concerning one count and a strong need to refrain from testifying on the other count.” 1 Wright, Federal Practice and Procedure: Criminal 785, § 222. “* * * An accused should show the specific testimony he will present about one offense, and his specific reasons for not testifying about others, to justify severance. * * * ” United States v. Bronco, 597 F.2d 1300, 1303[4] (9th Cir.1979).

The motion of each defendant for a severance and separate trial hereby is

DENIED; 2 however, if at any stage of the joint-trial it should appear to the Court that substantial prejudice will result to either defendant from a joint-trial, the Court will grant relief therefrom. United States v. Dugger, 422 F.Supp. 1342, 1344[6] (D.C.Tenn.1976).

III.

The motion of the defendant Mr. Simmons for the disclosure pretrial of the grand-jury testimony of the proposed government witness M. Rivers hereby is

DENIED. The movant will be entitled to such prior testimony after the witness has testified on direct-examination. Rule 26.-2(a), (f)(3), F.R.Crim.P.; 18 U.S.C. § 3500(b), (e)(3). The Congress barred any earlier inspection, 18 U.S.C. § 3500(a), and this Court may not circumvent such mandate. United States v. Algie, 667 F.2d 569 (6th Cir.1982).

IV.

The defendant Mr. Johnson seeks a dismissal of the charge against him on the grounds that the Mann Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2421, is unconstitutional and the allegations of the indictment are insufficient to inform him fairly of the charge against which he must defend. His motion lacks merit.

*300 A.

The constitutionality of the Mann Act has been settled for more than 70 years. Hoke v. United States, 227 U.S. 308, 33 S.Ct. 281, 57 L.Ed. 523 (1913). “ * * * The constitutional basis of the statute is the withdrawal of ‘the facility of interstate transportation’, though, to be sure, the power was exercised in aid of social morality. * * * ” 3 Bell v. United States, 349 U.S. 81, 83, 75 S.Ct. 620, 622[3], 99 L.Ed. 905 (1955). “ * * * The power of Congress over the instrumentalities of interstate commerce is plenary; it may be used to defeat what are deemed to be immoral practices; and the fact that the means used may have ‘the quality of police regulations’ is not consequential. * * * ” Cleveland v. United States, 329 U.S. 14,19, 67 S.Ct. 13,16, 91 L.Ed. 12 (1946).

As one Court stated:

* * * There are few statutes that have been construed by courts more than the one involved here.

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610 F. Supp. 295, 1984 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17089, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-simmons-tnmd-1984.