Opinion ID: 402397
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Sacramento Trip.

Text: 21 Gibson was charged with misusing the Union's airplane to transport Helene Hallett, an intimate friend, from Oakland, California to Sacramento for a one-night dinner date in November, 1975. No one disputes the facts that Hallett travelled to Sacramento in the Union plane, that she dined alone with Gibson that evening, that she spent the night with him, and that she returned to Oakland the next morning in the Union plane. Rather, the disputed issue is whether Hallett's trip was for union or personal purposes. 22 The government relied exclusively on Hallett to show that Gibson's purpose in bringing her to Sacramento was strictly personal. Hallett testified that she and Gibson had dated occasionally and had developed an intimate relationship before her trip. Sometime in November, Gibson called Hallett and asked her to accompany him on a three-day trip to visit three local unions and to attend their installation dinners. Hallett declined the invitation at first because she was unable to leave her job as acting office manager of Local 28, a branch of Gibson's International. Apparently Hallett's supervisor, Ray Lane, was not in town at the time. Gibson then invited her to join him for dinner for one evening in Sacramento. Hallett told Gibson that she would ask her superior for permission to leave the office early when he called from out of town. After Ray Lane gave his consent, Hallett agreed to go when Gibson called her again. Gibson told her that he would arrange to send the Union plane to meet her. 23 In describing the events of the Sacramento evening, Hallett stated that the trip was purely social, both in design and execution. She testified that although she and Gibson had a few drinks before dinner with several Union officials, including International President Hanley, no one discussed union business with her. She and Gibson eventually left the union group and dined by themselves in a restaurant. Hallett described their dinner conversation as social and general. According to Hallett, her relationship with Gibson was strictly social. She also testified that she did not discuss union business that night, although she gladly would have volunteered to Gibson information about Local 28's problems. After dinner, Hallett and Gibson retired to Gibson's hotel and spent the night together. The following morning they ate breakfast at the hotel and drove to the airport. 24 On cross-examination, defense counsel probed the fact that Local 28 had serious problems involving dishonest activities of Ray Lane, Hallett's supervisor. Lane was reportedly falsifying union minutes with Hallett's knowledge. According to the defense, International President Hanley had ordered Hallett's trip to Sacramento to interrogate her subtly about Lane and the Local's problems. Hallett admitted that initially she had not complained about Lane's activities to anyone in the Union. Eventually she did complain and gave incriminating information to Jack Kenneally, an International official. Steve Revilak, another officer of the Local, also confided in Kenneally and other International officials about Lane's conduct. Hallett was eventually fired for signing a petition to remove Lane from office. Although defense counsel attempted to establish that Hallett hid her relationship with Gibson from Lane, Hallett testified that she asked Lane for permission to fly to Sacramento to see Gibson. When asked whether she had discussed any union business during her trip, she replied that Union man Medeiros had pumped her for information about her Local on the journey to Oakland. 25 On redirect, Hallett testified that neither Gibson nor any other official questioned her about Ray Lane and Local 28's administrative internal problems. Hallett recalled that only Medeiros had questioned her about her Local. However, his questions involved an impending merger between Local 28 and another Local. Hallett stated that she could not give Medeiros the information he sought on the merger. Finally, Hallett reiterated that Medeiros did not inquire about Ray Lane's conduct or Local 28's internal problems. 26 We must measure the denial of Gibson's Rule 29(a) motion against Hallett's testimony, the government's case in chief on the Sacramento count. If the jury believed Hallett's testimony, as they apparently did, the evidence established beyond doubt that the purpose of her trip was to provide an amusing evening for Gibson at Union expense. Admittedly the government's case was circumstantial, as is any case where purpose and intent are essential elements of a crime. However, we find no merit in Gibson's assertion that Hallett's testimony, standing alone, was insufficient to send the Sacramento count to the jury. 27 We also find no merit in Gibson's assertion that his Rule 29(c) motion for acquittal should have been granted. From our review of the record, we conclude that the evidence strongly supports the jury's finding that Gibson sent the plane for Hallett with pleasure rather than business in mind. The defense relied on International President Hanley to discredit Hallett's assertions about the purpose of her trip. According to Hanley, he suggested that Gibson fly her to Sacramento for questioning about Lane's misconduct. He stated that he told Gibson: Why don't you get her over here and-She seems to be the kind that wants to talk about it, and get her over here and see if we can find something out. On the stand Hanley recounted the Local's problems at length. When asked on cross-examination why he never spoke to Hallett about these problems in Sacramento, Hanley replied that he did not question her himself because he might ultimately review any charges brought against Lane. Hanley also testified that he ordered a special audit of Local 28 as a direct result of Hallett's trip. This audit revealed that Lane had bought a life insurance policy for himself without authorization, and that the Local's finances were askew. The government cross-examined Hanley extensively on this issue, asking him to explain why his earlier testimony and correspondence with Lane indicated that he had discovered the life insurance problem in October, one month before he supposedly ordered the special audit of Local 28. Hanley could not explain the discrepancy in dates. He also could not explain why Steve Revilak, a Local 28 officer who had openly complained about Lane and the Local's affairs, was not invited along to Sacramento for fact-finding. 28 Viewing the evidence and all possible inferences in the light most favorable to the prosecution, we are satisfied that the evidence was sufficient to establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.