Opinion ID: 307207
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: sidman appeal

Text: 4 Sidman appeals from two judgments of conviction in the District Court for the Central District of California. 5 In No. 71-2682 he was convicted, after a jury trial, of armed robbery on January 6, 1970, of the United California Bank at Palm Desert, California (Count 1 of a three-count indictment) (18 U.S. C. Sec. 2113(a) and (d)), and of robbery on May 26, 1970 of the Valley National Bank at Edgemont, California (Count 3) (18 U.S.C. Sec. 2113(a)). Carroll, Sidman's accomplice in the Edgemont robbery, pleaded guilty to Count 3 prior to trial. Both banks were insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. 6 In No. 71-1918 Sidman and co-defendant Clifford were convicted after a multiple jury trial 1 on Count 2 of the same indictment, which accused Sidman and Clifford of armed robbery on February 20, 1970, of the same Valley National Bank at Edgemont, California (18 U.S.C. Sec. 2113(a) and (d)). 7 Sidman was sentenced in No. 71-2682 to concurrent 15 years, and in No. 71-1918 to 22 years to run concurrently with the sentences imposed in No. 71-2682. We ordered both appeals consolidated, and will consider each appeal seriatim. No. 71-2682 8 Since Sidman complains of the sufficiency of the evidence against him, a review of such evidence in the light most favorable to the Government is in order. Glasser v. United States, 315 U.S. 60, 80, 62 S.Ct. 457, 86 L.Ed. 680 (1942); United States v. Magana, 453 F.2d 414, 415 (9th Cir. 1972). 9 The Government first offered testimony relevant to Count 3 (the robbery of the Valley National Bank on May 26, 1970), and then followed with testimony relevant to Count 1 (the robbery of the United California Bank on January 6, 1970), and corroborated the testimony on both counts with the testimony of Sidman's accomplice, Carroll. 10 The robbery of the Valley National Bank at Edgemont, California, on May 26, 1970, was proved by two bank employees who testified that Sidman, armed with a gun, entered the bank on that day and ordered the employees to the floor. The bank manager testified to being compelled to open the vault and to the theft of $7,783. Although Sidman was wearing a false mustache at the time, the two witnesses made in-court identifications of Sidman and one witness of his companion and accomplice, Carroll. 11 As to the armed robbery of United California Bank on January 6, 1970 (Count 1), the bank manager testified that two men entered the bank on that day. One of the men approached her, opened his coat exposing a gun, and demanded she open the teller's drawers and also give him the key to the vault. She complied, and that man escaped with $9,707. She could not identify the man with the gun other than to recall he had a dark mustache. Carroll (although not named in this Count), testified that he was the other man who entered the bank with Sidman. He corroborated the bank manager's testimony as to the actions of Sidman described by her, and further corroborated the testimony of the three bank employees with reference to the robbery of the Valley National Bank on May 26, 1970, since he and Sidman had robbed that bank together. He further explained how Sidman had disguised himself and to warnings from Sidman not to testify against him. In doing so he recanted a statement he had signed at Sidman's lawyer's office. 12 Sidman, who did not testify, presented two alibis, supported by (1) the testimony of his wife and (2) the testimony of his step-daughter-in-law, to the effect (1) that he was in Wichita, Kansas, on the day of the robbery of the United California Bank at Palm Desert, California, and (2) in his place of business at Pomona, California, on the day of the robbery of the Valley National Bank at Edgemont, California. The jury obviously accepted the Government's evidence and rejected the alibi defenses. We find the Government's evidence overwhelming. 13 We can readily dispose of Sidman's next assignment of error with regard to Count 1, namely, whether an accomplice's testimony without any other evidence connecting the defendant with the crime is sufficient to convict the accused. Counsel misconstrues the power of a witness, even an accomplice; his testimony does not have to be corroborated but merely examined with care and scrutiny, which we assume the jury did, since it was so instructed. United States v. Andrews, 455 F.2d 632 (9th Cir. 1972); Lyda v. United States, 321 F.2d 788, 794-795 (9th Cir. 1963). The jurors are the sole judges of the facts and the credibility of the witnesses. United States v. Brown, 454 F.2d 397, 398 (9th Cir. 1972); see, Cramer v. United States, 325 U.S. 1, 43, 65 S.Ct. 918, 89 L.Ed. 1441 (1945). 14 Appellant next claims that Count 1 for armed robbery is contrary to legislative intent and purpose when Sections 18 U.S.C. 2113(a) and (d) 2 are fused. The gist of his argument is that since it doesn't make any difference to the apprehended bank thief whether he exhibits a loaded or unloaded gun, he might as well load it, as he will be prosecuted for the additional 5 years either way. We are uncertain what this means, but we are satisfied that Congress was within its constitutional power to punish more severely an aggravated form of the offense of bank robbery. In any event, appellant's contention is without merit, since we have held that even when there is no direct evidence that the gun was loaded, a jury could infer that it was and find that the person assaulted feared for his life. United States v. De Palma, 414 F.2d 394, 396 (9th Cir. 1969), cert. denied 396 U.S. 1046, 90 S.Ct. 697, 24 L.Ed.2d 690 (1970). 15