Source: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/278/221/
Timestamp: 2019-04-22 08:28:33+00:00

Document:
An application by a defendant in a criminal case, after indictment and before trial, for a summary order requiring the United States Attorney to return papers taken from the defendant without a warrant, and for the suppression of all evidence obtained therefrom, held not to be an independent proceeding; the order of the district court denying the application held interlocutory and not independently appealable.
Certiorari, 277 U.S. 579, to a judgment of the circuit court of appeals which dismissed a writ of error to an order of the district court denying an application for return of papers and for suppression of evidence in a criminal case.
Cogen, with others as codefendants, was indicted in the federal court for Southern New York on a charge of conspiracy to violate the National Prohibition Act. Before the indictment, certain papers had been taken from his person without a warrant. After the indictment and before trial, he applied to that court, in the criminal case, for an order requiring the United States attorney to return the papers, and to suppress all evidence obtained therefrom, on the ground that the search and seizure had been in violation of his constitutional rights. The application was denied. Before the trial of the cause, Cogen sued out a writ of error from the circuit court of appeals. It dismissed the writ, holding that the order sought to be reviewed was interlocutory, and hence not appealable. 24 F.2d 308. This Court granted a writ of certiorari. 277 U.S. 579. The sole question for decision is whether the order of the district court is a final judgment within the meaning of § 128 of the Judicial Code.
both final and complete. See Collins v. Miller, 252 U. S. 364, 252 U. S. 370; Oneida Navigation Corp. v. W. & S. Job & Co., 252 U. S. 521.
". . . A court, when engaged in trying a criminal case, will not take notice of the manner in which witnesses have possessed themselves of papers or other articles of personal property which are material and properly offered in evidence because the court will not, in trying a criminal cause, permit a collateral issue to be raised as to the source of competent evidence. To pursue it would be to halt in the orderly progress of a cause and consider incidentally a question which has happened to cross the path of such litigation and which is wholly independent of it."
Hence, a defendant will ordinarily be held to have waived the objection to the manner in which evidence has been obtained unless he presents the matter for the consideration of the court seasonably in advance of the trial, and he does this commonly by a motion made in the cause for return of the property and for suppression of the evidence. The rule is one of practice, and is not without exceptions. See Gouled v. United States, 255 U. S. 298, 255 U. S. 305; Agnello v. United States, 269 U. S. 20, 269 U. S. 34-35; Panzich v. United States, 285 F. 871, 872.
suppress a deposition, Grant Bros.Const. Co. v. United States, 232 U. S. 647, 232 U. S. 661-662; Pullman Co. v. Jordan, 218 F. 573, 577; to compel the production of books or documents, Pennsylvania R. Co. v. International Coal Mining Co., 156 F. 765; for leave to make physical examination of a plaintiff, Union Pacific Ry. Co. v. Botsford, 141 U. S. 250; or for a subpoena duces tecum, Murray v. Louisiana, 163 U. S. 101, 163 U. S. 107; American Lithographic Co. v. Werckmeister, 221 U. S. 603, 221 U. S. 608-610. The orders made upon such applications, so far as they affect the rights only of parties to the litigation, are interlocutory. Compare Alexander v. United States, 201 U. S. 117. It is only when disobedience happens to result in an order punishing criminally for contempt that a party may have review by appellate proceedings before entry of the final judgment in the cause. Union Tool Co. v. Wilson, 259 U. S. 107, 259 U. S. 110-111.
". . . Where, in the progress of a trial, it becomes probable that there has been an unconstitutional seizure of papers, it is the duty of the trial court to entertain an objection to their admission or a motion for their exclusion and to consider and decide the question as then presented, even where a motion to return the papers may have been denied before trial."
U.S. 28-29; Marron v. United States, 275 U. S. 192, 275 U. S. 193-194. [Footnote 1] Compare Adams v. New York, 192 U. S. 585, 192 U. S. 594.
the motion, although entitled in the criminal case, is not filed until after the criminal prosecution has been disposed of, as where, under the National Prohibition Act, a defendant seeks, after acquittal, to regain possession of liquor seized. [Footnote 2] And the independent character of a summary proceeding for return of papers may be so clear that it will be deemed separate and distinct even if a criminal prosecution against the movant is pending in the same court. This was true in Essgee Co. v. United States, 262 U. S. 151, where the petition was entitled as a separate matter and was referred to by the court as a special proceeding.
trial. It seeks not only return of the papers, but the suppression of all evidence obtained therefrom. And such suppression of evidence appears to be its main, if not its only, purpose. The appeal was properly dismissed by the circuit court of appeals.
Also Murby v. United States, 293 F. 849, 851; Bell v. United States, 9 F.2d 820. Compare Giles v. United States, 284 F. 208, 209; Shields v. United States, 26 F.2d 993.
In re Brenner, 6 F.2d 425, Dickhart v. United States, 16 F.2d 345. See Mellet & Nichter Brewing Co. v. United States, 296 F. 765, 770.
See Gallagher v. United States, 6 F.2d 758; United States v. Casino, 286 F. 976.
The fact that, on the docket of the district court, the motion to vacate the search warrant appears to have been filed in the criminal case and to have been disposed of there, has been brought to our attention through the diligence of Cogen's counsel. But this fact was not disclosed by the records or briefs in either of the Steele cases.
Voorhies v. United States, 299 F. 275; In re No.191 Front St., 5 F.2d 282; In re Hollywood Cabaret, 5 F.2d 651; United States v. Kirschenblatt, 16 F.2d 202, are cases of the same character. The motion filed in the criminal case passed on in Dowling v. Collins, 10 F.2d 62, was assumed by the circuit court of appeals to be so. Compare Veeder v. United States, 252 F. 414.
See Coastwise Lumber & Supply Co. v. United States, 259 F. 847; United States v. Broude, 299 F. 332; Jacobs v. United States, 8 F.2d 981. Compare Jacobs v. United States, 24 F.2d 981.
See United States v. Maresca, 266 F. 713, 719; United States v. Marquette, 270 F. 214; United States v. Mattingly, 285 F. 922. Compare Crooker v. Knudsen, 232 F. 857; Fries v. United States, 284 F. 825.

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