Opinion ID: 386853
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Reed's Trial in Absentia

Text: 16 Reed argues that he should not have been tried in absentia, contending that his constitutional right, as incorporated in Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 43, 4 to be present at all stages of the trial was violated. However, in both United States v. Pastor, 557 F.2d 930 (2d Cir. 1977), and United States v. Tortora, 464 F.2d 1202 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 409 U.S. 1063, 93 S.Ct. 554, 34 L.Ed.2d 516 (1972), we held that a defendant's Sixth Amendment rights are not violated when he voluntarily, knowingly, and without justification absents himself from his trial. See also Taylor v. United States, 414 U.S. 17, 94 S.Ct. 194, 38 L.Ed.2d 174 (1973) (per curiam). 17 In Pastor, where the trial judge found that the defendant had knowingly and voluntarily failed to appear for the selection of the jury and the commencement of the trial, we held that it was within the judge's discretion to proceed. This conclusion was based on the considerations that in the event of a severance in this multiple-defendant case the Government would have been obligated to try the case twice, the codefendant was entitled to proceed with trial rather than face an indefinite adjournment, the Government's witnesses had been assembled, and the court had arranged its schedule and time for the trial. 557 F.2d at 933-34, 938-39. In Tortora, also a multiple-defendant case, there had been previous delays because of difficulty in coordinating the defense attorneys' conflicting schedules and the claims of physical ailments by two of the defendants, the Government's case rested almost exclusively on the testimony of one witness who had already been threatened on numerous occasions, and severance would have added substantially to the burden on the Government. We therefore held that it was within the judge's discretion to proceed with the empaneling of the jury and the trial, in view of the defendant's voluntary and unjustified failure to appear. 464 F.2d at 1208-10. 18 The instant case is a fortiori to Tortora and Pastor. Although Reed was present for the selection of the jury in December 1979, he failed to appear on the first scheduled trial date, January 31, 1980, and no explanation was given for his absence. The Government had seven witnesses ready to testify; the codefendants were ready to go forward; the jury, which had been drawn and waiting since December, was assembled at the courthouse; there were difficulties in scheduling a new trial date; and the Government had problems in rescheduling appearances by its foreign and out-of-state witnesses. Nevertheless, the court exercised its discretion in Reed's favor and adjourned the proceeding in the hope that he would surrender or be located so as to avoid a trial in absentia. On February 25, the jury and a number of Government witnesses were assembled for the second time and the codefendants were again ready to proceed. Unfortunately, because the two alternates were unable to attend on the rescheduled trial date and the trial therefore commenced with only twelve jurors, when one of the jurors was injured on the evening of the first day of trial, the judge had to declare a mistrial. A new jury was selected and another trial began on February 29, 1980, in Reed's absence. The Government was prepared to present twenty-seven witnesses, several from out of the country, and granting Reed's motion to sever would have meant a second trial with essentially the same evidence. In view of the extraordinary circumstances, the interests of the Government, codefendants, and witnesses, and the court's finding that Reed's absence was voluntary and unjustified, Judge Pratt's commencement of the trial without Reed was not an abuse of discretion.