United States v. Tallice Andrews and Thurston Brooks

612 F.2d 235
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
DecidedFebruary 15, 1980
Docket78-5166
StatusPublished
Cited by30 cases

This text of 612 F.2d 235 (United States v. Tallice Andrews and Thurston Brooks) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Sixth 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. Tallice Andrews and Thurston Brooks, 612 F.2d 235 (6th Cir. 1980).

Opinions

[237]*237BEN C. GREEN, Senior District Judge.

In this action we are called upon to consider the question of “prosecutorial vindictiveness” under the principles enunciated by the Supreme Court in Blackledge v. Perry, 417 U.S. 21, 94 S.Ct. 2098, 40 L.Ed.2d 628 (1974), and North Carolina v. Pearce, 395 U.S. 711, 89 S.Ct. 2072, 23 L.Ed.2d 656 (1969).

On November 16,1975 defendants Tallice Andrews and Thurston Brooks were stopped and arrested at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport.1 Also stopped and arrested with defendants was one Fannie Braswell. On November 8, 1976 all three individuals were jointly indicted for narcotics and firearms offenses under 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and 18 U.S.C. § 924(b) respectively.

On December 29, 1976 defendants Andrews and Brooks were arraigned before a United States Magistrate and were remanded without bail as requested by government motion. They appealed that ruling to the District Court, and on January 11, 1977 both defendants were admitted to bail.2

On January 13, 1977 the Grand Jury returned a superseding indictment charging the three defendants (Andrews, Brooks and Braswell) with an additional conspiracy count pursuant to 21 U.S.C. § 846, alleging a conspiracy to violate 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). The conspiracy alleged covered the period of November 15-16, 1976, and incorporated the substantive count offense of possessing heroin with intent to distribute as the crime intended to be committed.

Defendants Andrews and Brooks thereafter moved to dismiss the superseding indictment. They contended that the indictment was procured in retaliation for their exercising the constitutionally protected right to seek bail, and as such was the product of prosecutorial vindictiveness prohibited under Pearce-Blackledge. The District Judge granted the motion and dismissed the conspiracy count. United States v. Andrews, 444 F.Supp. 1238 (E.D.Mich.,1978).

In his opinion the District Judge held that “Due process of law requires that even the appearance of vindictiveness must be absent from judicial proceedings.” (emphasis added). Id., p. 1239. In construing Pearce and Blackledge he further held:

Courts have interpreted this language to mean that in the context of a colorable claim of prosecutorial vindictiveness the prosecutor must justify his or her actions in the same manner as would a judge under Pearce by some fact or event, unrelated to the defendant’s exercise of his rights, of which the prosecutor learns after the initial charge. U. S. v. Ruesga-Martinez, 534 F.2d 1367 (9th Cir. 1976); U. S. v. Jamison, 164 U.S.App.D.C. 300, 505 F.2d 407 (1974); U. S. v. Gerard, 491 F.2d 1300 (9th Cir. 1974). Sefcheck v. Brewer, 301 F.Supp. 793 (S.D.Iowa 1969). Consistent with Pearce and Blackledge, these courts’ inquiries have not been directed at whether actual retaliation was shown, but whether the appearance of vindictiveness exists, see also U. S. v. Johnson, 537 F.2d 1170 (4th Cir. 1976). As a corollary of these holdings, the justification for the increased charge must dispel the appearance, not the actuality, of vindictiveness. Id., p. 1240 (emphasis as in original).

It appears from the District Judge’s opinion that the prosecution explained the circumstances of obtaining the superseding indictment:

. by pointing out that the prosecutor in this case was inexperienced and [238]*238did not realize that she should or could have sought a conspiracy' indictment. This, in combination with a moratorium on the work of the Grand Jury in this District, due to challenges to the validity of the composition of those juries, and vacation schedules in the prosecutor’s office, it is argued, prevented the presentation of testimony concerning a conspiracy to the Grand Jury until two days after the defendants’ bond motion was decided. Government counsel has represented that but for the moratorium and scheduling difficulties she would have presented the conspiracy evidence to the Grand Jury in mid-December, prior to the time defendants filed their bond motion.3 Id., p. 1241.

It is not clear from the District Judge’s opinion whether he credited such testimony,4 in that he found the reasons given to be legally insufficient, holding:.

That the government failed to charge a conspiracy prior to defendants’ assertion of the right to bail because of inexperience, mistake and difficulties with Grand Jury scheduling does not alter the fact that the increased charge “appears vindictive.” If left uncorrected, such action would undoubtedly chill the assertion of Constitutional rights. Id., p. 1243.

In making such determination the District Judge expressed the view that the only factors which would sustain a superseding indictment under the facts of this action were changed circumstances or newly discovered evidence, without fault on the part of the government. Id., pp. 1241, 1244.

The District Judge’s overall approach to this question of prosecutorial vindictiveness is exemplified by the following from the concluding portions of his opinion.

The cases previously cited demonstrate the systemic concerns involved in any motion to dismiss an indictment for prosecu-torial vindictiveness. The Court is called upon in a motion such as this to determine whether the actions of the prosecutor are likely to engender a chilling effect on the exercise of Constitutional or statutory rights. Where, as here, there is an appearance of retaliatory vindictiveness the law imposes a heavy burden on the prosecution to justify its conduct in a manner that not only removes doubt as to actual vindictiveness, but puts at rest fears that the exercise of important rights will be deterred. The justification offered by the government here fails to provide a “neutral explanation” apparent from the record which satisfies the requisite test. U. S. v. Sturgill, [563 F.2d 307 (6th Cir. 1977)] supra, at 309. Id., p. 1244 (emphasis added).

We believe that the District Judge’s interpretation of Pearce and Blackledge is too narrow, and do not find in those decisions support for the proposition that “appearance of vindictiveness” is a proper standard against which prosecutorial conduct is to be measured. Accordingly, the decision below must be vacated.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

State v. Gomez
775 A.2d 645 (New Jersey Superior Court App Division, 2001)
Palardy v. Horner
711 F. Supp. 667 (D. Massachusetts, 1989)
United States v. Smith
675 F. Supp. 307 (E.D. North Carolina, 1987)
United States v. Richard Henson
828 F.2d 20 (Sixth Circuit, 1987)
Lilly v. State
482 N.E.2d 457 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1985)
United States v. Barry Gene Spence
719 F.2d 358 (Eleventh Circuit, 1983)
United States v. Herman v. Krezdorn
693 F.2d 1221 (Fifth Circuit, 1982)
State v. McKenzie
642 P.2d 760 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 1982)
State v. Jones
443 A.2d 738 (New Jersey Superior Court App Division, 1982)
United States v. Bufalino
518 F. Supp. 1190 (S.D. New York, 1981)
United States v. Computer Sciences Corp.
511 F. Supp. 1125 (E.D. Virginia, 1981)
United States v. Louis Gilliss
645 F.2d 1269 (Eighth Circuit, 1981)
Commonwealth v. Ward
425 A.2d 401 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1981)
State v. Stevens
635 P.2d 308 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1981)
Cherry v. State
414 N.E.2d 301 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1981)
United States v. Schiller
424 A.2d 51 (District of Columbia Court of Appeals, 1980)
United States v. Velsicol Chemical Corp.
498 F. Supp. 1255 (District of Columbia, 1980)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
612 F.2d 235, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-tallice-andrews-and-thurston-brooks-ca6-1980.