Source: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/355/96/
Timestamp: 2019-04-21 04:23:40+00:00

Document:
Evidence obtained as a result of wiretapping a telephone by state law enforcement officers pursuant to a state court warrant authorized by state law, and without participation by federal authorities, is not admissible in a criminal trial in a federal court where the existence of the intercepted communication is disclosed to the jury in violation of § 605 of the Federal Communications Act. Pp. 355 U. S. 97-106.
1. Evidence obtained by means forbidden by § 605, whether by state or federal agents, is inadmissible in a federal court. Pp. 355 U. S. 99-103.
(a) Nardone v. United States, 302 U. S. 379, and 308 U. S. 308 U.S. 338, followed; Schwartz v. Texas, 344 U. S. 199, distinguished. Pp. 355 U. S. 99-103.
(b) In this case, § 605 was violated, if not earlier, at least upon disclosure to the jury of the existence of the intercepted communication. Pp. 355 U. S. 100-101.
2. A different result is not required by the fact that, in this case, the wiretap was placed by state agents acting in accordance with state law. Pp. 355 U. S. 103-106.
(a) In setting out the prohibition of § 605 in plain terms, Congress did not intend to allow state legislation which would contradict that section and the public policy underlying it. Pp. 355 U. S. 104-106.
The question presented by petitioner is whether evidence obtained as the result of wiretapping by state law enforcement officers, without participation by federal authorities, is admissible in a federal court. Petitioner was convicted of the illegal possession and transportation of distilled spirits without tax stamps affixed thereto in violation of 26 U.S.C. §§ 5008(b)(1), 5642. The New York police, suspecting that petitioner and others were dealing in narcotics in violation of state law, obtained a warrant in accordance with state law [Footnote 1] authorizing them to tap the wires of a bar which petitioner was known to frequent. On May 10, 1956, the police overheard a conversation between petitioner and another in which it was said that "eleven pieces" were to be transported that night at a certain time and to a certain place in New York City. Acting according to this information, the police followed and stopped a car driven by petitioner's brother. No narcotics were found, but hidden in the car were eleven five-gallon cans of alcohol without the tax stamps required by federal law. The brother and the alcohol were turned over to federal authorities, and this prosecution followed.
record is silent as to whether the prosecutor was told the words of the conversation. However, in our view, it is unimportant whether he had this information or not.
Petitioner's motion to suppress the evidence was denied, and he was convicted. The Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed, 244 F.2d 389, holding that, while the action of the state officials violated Section 605 of the Federal Communications Act, the evidence obtained from the violation was still admissible. We granted certiorari. 355 U.S. 801. Petitioner, relying on this Court's supervisory powers over the federal court system, claims that the admission of the evidence was barred by the Federal Constitution and Section 605. We do not reach the constitutional questions, as this case can be determined under the statute.
of evidence was held admissible in a state court where it had been obtained by state agents. The case before us, containing elements from these three cases, forces a choice between the different results reached.
The Nardone decisions laid down the underlying premises upon which is based all subsequent consideration of Section 605. The crux of those decisions is that the plain words of the statute created a prohibition against any persons violating the integrity of a system of telephonic communication, and that evidence obtained in violation of this prohibition may not be used to secure a federal conviction. Nardone v. United States, 302 U. S. 379, 302 U. S. 382. Moreover, as the second Nardone decision asserts, distinctions designed to defeat the plain meaning of the statute will not be countenanced. 308 U. S. 308 U.S. 338, 308 U. S. 340. We hold that the correct application of the above principle dictates that evidence obtained by means forbidden by Section 605, whether by state or federal agents, is inadmissible in federal court.
only invite the very methods deemed 'inconsistent with ethical standards and destructive of personal liberty.' What was said in a different context in Silverthorne Lumber Co. v. United States, 251 U. S. 385, 251 U. S. 392, is pertinent here:"
"The essence of a provision forbidding the acquisition of evidence in a certain way is that not merely evidence so acquired shall not be used before the Court, but that it shall not be used at all."
The above principle has for its purpose enhancement of the proper administration of criminal justice. To impute to the statute anything less would give it "a self-defeating, if not disingenuous, purpose." [Footnote 12] Nardone v. United States, 308 U. S. 338, 308 U. S. 340-341.
judges of a certain rank upon the oath or affirmation of certain officials that there is reasonable ground to believe evidence of a crime may be obtained and which identifies the telephone line and the persons who are to be affected thereby. It is undisputed that an order pursuant to that law was issued in this case, and that it was executed according to state law.
Respondent does not urge that, constitutionally speaking, Congress is without power to forbid such wiretapping even in the face of a conflicting state law. Cf. Weiss v. United States, 308 U. S. 321, 308 U. S. 327. Rather, the argument is that Congress has not exercised this power, and that Section 605, being general in its terms, should not be deemed to operate to prevent a State from authorizing wiretapping in the exercise of its legitimate police functions. However, we read the Federal Communications Act, and Section 605 in particular, to the contrary.
N.Y. Const. Art. I, § 12; N.Y. Code of Criminal Procedure, § 813-a (1942).
"Cross examination by Mr. Todaro [defense counsel]:"
"Q. Officer, you were in the vicinity of this Reno Bar quite frequently?"
"Q. Did the Police Department have a tap on the Reno Bar, if you know?"
"A. Yes, they have several taps on the Reno Bar."
"Q. Did you obtain any information as part of this investigation from the wiretap conversation?"
"A. Did I obtain any information in regard --"
"Q. Yes, in reference to the Benantis."
"Q. You also obtained information as a result of this wiretap that this car was going to be driven to a certain location?"
"Q. But you had obtained some information through the wiretap which gave you a lead to this trap?"
"A. Part of the information."
"(The following took place in the absence of the jury:)"
"THE COURT: Mr. Todaro, the assistant district attorney is here with the order of the [state] court [authorizing the wiretap]. I just tell you, Mr. Todaro, I have looked at it, and it does provide for the tap of these premises, so that your concession [that the tap was authorized under state law], generally made, was actually well based."
"Also, for whatever factual interest it may have on this motion, Mr. Murphy overheard the conversation that night, if you want to get the full facts on that."
"The reference on the wire was to 'eleven pieces' which they thought meant narcotics, and that was why they intercepted the car."
Because both an interception and a divulgence are present in this case, we need not decide whether both elements are necessary for a violation of § 605. Also, because here the disclosure was of the existence of the communication, it is not necessary for us to reach the issue whether § 605 is violated by an interception of the communication and a divulgence of its fruits without divulging the existence, contents, etc., of the communication.
The obvious prejudice to the petitioner from the disclosure of the wiretap is shown by efforts of the prosecution to mitigate it by showing that the wiretap had not been instigated on account of the charge for which petitioner was being tried. However, disclosure of the existence of the communication was the prejudicial error that was not overcome.
"But it is equally clear that, but for the wiretap, there would have been no basis for any prosecution whatever, as the apprehension of Angelo [petitioner's brother] and seizure of the 'eleven pieces' led to the discovery of appellant's participation in the violations of federal law for which he has been convicted, and the sequence of cause and effect is clear."
"The command of the federal Rules is in no way affected by anything that happens in a state court. They are designed as standards for federal agents. The fact that their violation may be condoned by state practice has no relevancy to our problem."
Id., at 350 U. S. 217.
The first divulgence appearing on the record occurred in court, but we do not mean to imply that an out of court violation of the statute would not also lead to the invalidation of a subsequent conviction.
It has remained an open question in this Court whether evidence obtained solely by state agents in an illegal search may be admissible in federal court despite the Fourth Amendment. See Lustig v. United States, 338 U. S. 74, 338 U. S. 78-79. The instant decision is not concerned with the scope of the Fourth Amendment.
308 U.S. at 308 U. S. 340.
Goldstein v. United States, 316 U. S. 114, is not to the contrary. The holding of that decision is that one not a party to an intercepted conversation may not bar the testimony of one who has been induced to testify by exposure of the fact that his own conversations have been wiretapped. Id. at 316 U. S. 122. The broad language in the decision that the policy of the Fourth Amendment applies to § 605 is placed in the context of a discussion of the right of one not a party to the conversation to complain. Id. at 316 U. S. 120-121. This right was rejected on the ground that, since the statute allows the "sender" of a message to consent to its divulgence, it meant to protect only him.
N.Y.Const. Art. I, § 12; N.Y.Code of Criminal Procedure, § 813-a (1942).
The Federal Communications Act was the response to a Presidential message calling to the attention of Congress the disjointed exercise of federal authority over the forms of communication. The primary purpose of the Act was to create a commission "to regulate all forms of communication and to consider needed additional legislation." H.R.Rep. No. 1850, 73d Cong., 2d Sess. 3. Note also the remarks of Senator Dill, Chairman of the Committee on Interstate Commerce, who introduced the bill in the Senate, that the Act would correct the theretofore cursory federal regulation of telephone and telegraph companies. 78 Cong.Rec. 8822.
308 U.S. at 308 U. S. 328.
"charges, classifications, practices, services, facilities, or regulations for or in connection with intrastate communication service by wire or radio of any carrier."
See S.Rep. No. 781, 73d Cong., 2d Sess. 3.
Cf. Nardone v. United States, 302 U. S. 379; Nardone v. United States, 308 U. S. 338; Weiss v. United States, 308 U. S. 321.
In passing, it should be pointed out that several Attorneys General of the United States have urged Congress to grant exceptions to § 605 to federal agents under limited circumstances. See, e.g., Hearings before Subcommittee No. 5 of the House Committee on the Judiciary on H.R. 762, 867, 4513, 4728, 5096, 84th Cong., 1st Sess. 28; Rogers, The Case for Wire Tapping, 63 Yale L.J. 792 (1954). But Congress has declined to do so. In view of this, it would seem unreasonable to believe that Congress is willing to allow this same sort of exception to state agents with no further legislation on its part.
Schwartz v. Texas, supra, is not to the contrary. While it refused to overturn a state rule of evidence, the Court was satisfied that the action of the state officials nonetheless violated § 605. 344 U.S. at 344 U. S. 202.

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