United States v. William David Dawson
This text of 563 F.2d 149 (United States v. William David Dawson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.
Opinion
I
In this direct appeal, the appellant, William David Dawson, attacks his conviction for violating 18 U.S.C. § 2312 (1970) (Interstate transportation of a stolen motor vehicle). He contends that he was denied a fair trial because he was forced to stand trial before a jury in clothing which was furnished him by the United States Bureau of Prisons. Appellant also challenges the sufficiency of the evidence upon which his conviction is based. In affirming his conviction we discuss only his fair trial argument, as the sufficiency of evidence challenge is devoid of merit.
Throughout his one-day trial appellant wore an ordinary khaki shirt and trousers provided by the Bureau. Prior to trial he *150 had filed a motion for the production and return of the civilian clothing he was wearing at the time of his arrest, but the motion was denied. 1 On the day of trial, before the jury voir dire commenced and out of the jury’s presence, appellant objected to being tried in what he considered “Jailhouse clothes.” The court closely examined appellant’s clothing while engaging him in. a discussion about his objection. The discussion was concluded when the court found that the appellant projected a neat and clean appearance which gave no indication that he was in confinement. 2
*151 For purposes of this appeal neither appellant’s trial clothing nor the civilian clothing he had requested were made a part of the record. When, following oral argument, we requested counsel to incorporate the clothing in the record, the Bureau of Prisons was unable to produce it. However, counsel have produced a set of khakis which they agree are substantially similar to the clothes worn at trial. We have examined the clothing and find, as did the court below, that it bears no characteristics which distinguish it as prison garb.
II
The presumption of innocence, although not articulated in the Constitution, is a basic component of our system of criminal justice. Estelle v. Williams, 425 U.S. 501, 96 S.Ct. 1691, 48 L.Ed.2d 126 (1976), Coffin v. United States, 156 U.S. 432, 15 S.Ct. 394, 39 L.Ed. 481 (1895). Because of this presumption “[n]o insinuations, indications or implications suggesting guilt should be displayed before the jury, other than admissible evidence and permissible argument.” Brooks v. State of Texas, 381 F.2d 619, 624 (5th Cir. 1967). In safeguarding the presumption of innocence we have held that trying an accused in his prison clothing infringed this fundamental right. E. g., Boswell v. State of Alabama, 537 F.2d 100 (5th Cir. 1976); Hernandez v. Beto, 443 F.2d 634 (5th Cir. 1967), cert. denied, 404 U.S. 897,92 S.Ct. 201, 30 L.Ed.2d 174 (1971). Because our concern in prison garb cases is with the impairment of the presumption of innocence and not with a defendant’s “right” to be tried in civilian clothing of his own choosing, see United States v. Casey, 540 F.2d 811 (5th Cir. 1976), we must determine, on a case by case basis, whether a given set of prison clothing improperly projects an implication of guilt.
In Hernandez, the defendant was tried in clothing that had “Harris County Jail” conspicuously stamped all over it. It was the appearance of these words which led the court to find that an indication of guilt was improperly presented to the jury, not the clothing per se. In United States v. Fideler, 457 F.2d 921 (5th Cir. 1972), the court distinguished the Hernandez case, saying that “. . . references in Hernandez to prison ‘clothing’ or ‘garb’ clearly mean an identifiable prison uniform . .” Fideler at 922 (emphasis added). Thus, the fact that the defendant was tried in clothing that he wore while in the prison was not deemed prejudicial absent characteristics clearly identifying the person wearing the clothing as a prisoner. *152 Similarly, in Casey, the court distinguished the prison clothes cases by saying that no constitutional violation occurs so long as the clothing does not badge the defendant as a criminal in the jury’s eyes. It is the extent to which the defendant’s clothing is communicative of his status as a prisoner (and inferentially a criminal) which determines whether or not he was denied a fair trial. See also, ABA Standards, Trial by Jury, § 4.1(b), p. 93 (App. Draft 1968), wherein the committee states:
This standard is intended to prevent the appearance of a defendant or witness in garments which in effect are a “brand of incarceration.” . . . The person may appear in unmarked garments supplied by the custodial authorities
We conclude that the plain khaki clothing worn by the appellant did not mark him as a prisoner in this case. Accordingly, he was not denied a fair trial. 3
AFFIRMED.
. There were no reasons given by the trial court for denying this motion. The request for the clothing was made in a multi-faceted discovery motion in which appellant sought the production of evidence claimed to be material and relevant to the preparation of his defense.
. The colloquy between the court and appellant was as follows:
THE COURT:
Counsel, is it not a fact that this khaki uniform that you have reference to is nothing but an ordinary pair of khaki pants with no identification?
MR. MOORE:
The only marks are what purports to be “arrows” on the legs.
THE COURT:
What is that?
MR. MOORE:
Looks like little arrows or “zig-zags” on the seam.
THE COURT:
What?
MR.
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563 F.2d 149, 1977 U.S. App. LEXIS 10761, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-william-david-dawson-ca5-1977.