Opinion ID: 486570
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: grand jury process

Text: 25 The defendant asserts that the district court denied the defendant minimum due process by not holding a hearing on the motion for production of grand jury records and the motion to dismiss the indictment due to grand jury abuse. The motions alleged that the government improperly subpoenaed two Pru Bache employees who subsequently turned over requested documents in order to avoid appearances before the grand jury. 26 In United States v. Smith, 687 F.2d 147, 152 (6th Cir.1982), cert. denied, 459 U.S. 1116, 103 S.Ct. 752, 74 L.Ed.2d 970 (1983), we held that the United States Attorney did not overreach his authority by requesting the issuance of a grand jury subpoena and by suggesting a voluntary production of a handwriting exemplar as a permissible alternative to a grand jury appearance by the witness. The court held that [i]n order for this court to order a dismissal of an indictment as part of its supervisory powers, there must be a 'showing of demonstrated and longstanding prosecutorial misconduct' as well as a showing of 'prejudice to the defendant.'  Id. at 152-53. See also United States v. Griffith, 756 F.2d 1244, 1249 (6th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 106 S.Ct. 114, 88 L.Ed.2d 93 (1985). 27 The government's action in permitting the employees to submit documents in lieu of a grand jury appearance is the kind of conduct held not to be unconstitutional nor impermissible in Smith. The defendant, moreover, made no showing of prejudice due to any prosecutorial misconduct. Therefore, Nathan's due process rights were not violated by the denial of a hearing in this regard.