Source: https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/572/619/451627/
Timestamp: 2018-10-17 14:04:10
Document Index: 790447524

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 7205', '§ 2', '§ 7206', '§ 7205', '§ 2', '§ 7206']

United States of America, Appellee, v. Gordon S. Buttorff and Charles A. Dodge, Appellants, 572 F.2d 619 (8th Cir. 1978) :: Justia
Justia › US Law › Case Law › Federal Courts › Courts of Appeals › Eighth Circuit › 1978 › United States of America, Appellee, v. Gordon S. Buttorff and Charles A. Dodge, Appellants
United States of America, Appellee, v. Gordon S. Buttorff and Charles A. Dodge, Appellants, 572 F.2d 619 (8th Cir. 1978)
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit - 572 F.2d 619 (8th Cir. 1978)
Submitted Dec. 13, 1977. Decided Feb. 28, 1978
The Supreme Court has held that to establish aiding or abetting the government need only show "that a defendant 'in some sort associate himself with the venture, that he participate in it as something that he wishes to bring about, that he seek by his action to make it succeed.' " Nye & Nissen v. United States, 336 U.S. 613, 619, 69 S. Ct. 766, 770, 93 L. Ed. 919 (1949), quoting United States v. Peoni, 100 F.2d 401, 402 (2d Cir. 1938). This court has interpreted that language to mean that "there must exist some affirmative participation which at least encourages the perpetrator." United States v. Wiebold, 507 F.2d 932, 934 (8th Cir. 1974), quoting United States v. Thomas, 469 F.2d 145, 147 (8th Cir. 1972), cert. denied, 410 U.S. 957, 93 S. Ct. 1429, 35 L. Ed. 2d 690 (1973).
There is no doubt that the right of free speech is fundamental and may not be denied or abridged. See Whitney v. California, 274 U.S. 357, 373, 47 S. Ct. 641, 71 L. Ed. 1095 (1927) (Brandeis, J., concurring). That right, however, is not in its nature absolute. Id.
Judge Learned Hand dealt with free speech in the context of counseling or advising others to violate the law in Masses Publishing Co. v. Patten, 244 F. 535 (S.D.N.Y. 1917). His language is relevant here:
More recently, the Supreme Court has distinguished between speech which merely advocates law violation and speech which incites imminent lawless activity. See Brandenburg v. Ohio, 395 U.S. 444, 89 S. Ct. 1827, 23 L. Ed. 2d 430 (1969). The former is protected; the latter is not.
Although there are many regulations involved in Internal Revenue Code sections named in the indictment, the charge is not remote or vague. "The constitutional requirement of definiteness is violated by a criminal statute that fails to give a person of ordinary intelligence fair notice that his contemplated conduct is forbidden by the statute. The underlying principle is that no man shall be held criminally responsible for conduct which he could not reasonably understand to be proscribed." United States v. Harriss, 347 U.S. 612, 617, 74 S. Ct. 808, 812, 98 L. Ed. 989 (1954) (footnotes omitted). There is no doubt that the code sections named in the indictment proscribe the filing of a false or fraudulent withholding form and that defendants were capable of understanding this meaning of the statute.
There was no error in failing to suppress the indictment because Dodge was charged under § 7205 and the aider and abettor provision in 18 U.S.C. § 2, rather than under § 7206(2). The principals were all convicted on § 7205 charges, and § 2 has been applied to Internal Revenue Code provisions. See United States v. Johnson, 319 U.S. 503, 63 S. Ct. 1233, 87 L. Ed. 1546 (1943). Even if Dodge's conduct was proscribed by § 7206(2), this court has held that when a "defendant's conduct is punishable under two or more statutes and the Government chooses the one providing a harsher penalty, the defendant cannot complain." United States v. Phillips, 522 F.2d 388, 393 (8th Cir. 1975). Under that reasoning, Dodge's argument that he was inappropriately charged under the statute providing the lesser penalty is frivolous.
Dodge was indicted on March 28, 1977, two years after the date of the last principal offense, and 21 months after the convictions of the principals. The government has offered no explanation for the long delay. This court recognizes that "an unreasonable pre-accusation delay, coupled with prejudice to the defendant, may violate the Fifth Amendment, * * *." See United States v. Jackson, 504 F.2d 337, 339 (8th Cir. 1974), cert. denied, 420 U.S. 964, 95 S. Ct. 1356, 43 L. Ed. 2d 442 (1975), and cases cited therein. However, Dodge has not alleged any specific prejudice created by the delay. Although we do not condone the government's actions, we find no constitutional error in the prolonged delay.
Dodge apparently misunderstands the aiding and abetting charges. Although he spoke on dates other than those mentioned in the indictment, the aiding and abetting charges could not be brought until after the commission of the principal offenses on the dates charged. Cf. Shuttlesworth v. Birmingham, 373 U.S. 262, 265, 83 S. Ct. 1130, 10 L. Ed. 2d 335 (1963); United States v. Barker, 542 F.2d 479, 484 (8th Cir. 1976). In any event, the transcript of the pretrial discussion between the court, counsel and defendants indicates that prior to trial the government had provided each defendant with all the evidence it intended to use against him.
Three of these allegations may be summarily dismissed. The trial judge conducted the voir dire of the jury pursuant to Rule 24(a) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. Additional questions, requested by the defendant, were not asked. The defendant has not shown how he was prejudiced by this failure and we find no abuse of discretion. Cf. United States v. Kershman,555 F.2d 198 (8th Cir. 1977); United States v. Lewis, 547 F.2d 1030 (8th Cir. 1976), cert. denied, 429 U.S. 1111, 97 S. Ct. 1149, 51 L. Ed. 2d 566 (1977), and cases cited therein.
Disregarding for a moment the fifth amendment concern, Dodge's statement was an admission against interest admissible under Rule 801(d) (2) of the Federal Rules of Evidence. Extrajudicial admissions and confessions to nonlaw enforcement persons are admissible when they are "freely and voluntarily made, without threat or inducement, and without taint of illegality in their procurement * * *." Jones v. United States, 111 U.S.App.D.C. 276, 280, 296 F.2d 398, 402 (1962).
However, the major problem here is not one of hearsay or confrontation, but of self-incrimination since the admission suggests a refusal to testify. Although that refusal involved another defendant and another trial, we note that Dodge did not take the stand in his own defense. Of course the prosecutor may not comment on the defendant's failure to testify. Griffin v. California, 380 U.S. 609, 85 S. Ct. 1229, 14 L. Ed. 2d 106 (1965); United States v. Sanders, 547 F.2d 1037, 1042 (8th Cir. 1976). The situation here is somewhat different. We have reviewed the transcript and find that the comment by the witness was not emphasized or mentioned again, and although it was out-of-place, it was not so prejudicial as to require a new trial. Furthermore, the trial court did instruct the jury that no presumption of guilt or inference of any kind could be drawn from the defendant's failure to testify.
Buttorff alleges illegality and unconstitutionality in the grand jury proceedings. Since these issues were not raised below, this court may not review them for the first time on appeal. See Fed. R. Crim. P. 12(b) (2); Davis v. United States, 411 U.S. 233, 236-37, 93 S. Ct. 1577, 36 L. Ed. 2d 216 (1973); United States v. Calvert, 523 F.2d 895, 901-02 (8th Cir. 1975), cert. denied, 424 U.S. 911, 96 S. Ct. 1106, 47 L. Ed. 2d 314 (1976); Little v. United States, 524 F.2d 335, 337 (8th Cir. 1975), cert. denied, 424 U.S. 920, 96 S. Ct. 1125, 47 L. Ed. 2d 326 (1976); Vincent v. United States, 361 F.2d 474, 476 (8th Cir. 1966).