Opinion ID: 272895
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Government's cross-examination of Guzzo as to his pre-arraignment statements.

Text: 28 As indicated above, Guzzo first appears in the cast of characters on the night of the Paramus burglary. A co-defendant on the counts relating to the Paramus and Hillsdale episodes, he took the stand at the end of the trial and denied any criminal involvement. Although admitting acquaintance with some of his co-defendants, he claimed this was entirely innocent; he said he had never met others, Guarnieri and DeLutro, until preparation for the trial; such of the tools as he admitted owning were for reconstructing the bar that he operated; he had received the stolen gun from Kuhle as a pledge for an outstanding debt. The prosecutor then informed the judge and defense counsel that the Government had a tape recording of an interview of Guzzo, taken between arrest and arraignment, which it had not offered in its case in chief due to fear of possible objection under Mallory v. United States, 354 U.S. 449, 77 S.Ct. 1356, 1 L.Ed.2d 1479 (1957). 16 The prosecutor announced his intention to lay a basis for introducing the tape recording for purposes of impeachment 17 by inquiring whether Guzzo recalled being asked certain questions by and giving certain answers to the inspectors. When it became apparent that the answers to be read in impeachment would implicate codefendants, counsel for the latter sought a severance; the judge declined to grant this but promised to present the same limiting instructions as given with respect to Jones' confession. The prosecutor then asked whether Guzzo remembered a variety of questions and answers-- the latter identifying Jones, Mulhearn, Guzzo and Guarnieri as transporters and receivers of the Paramus stamps, and Guzzo as keeper of the tools. The judge instructed the jury to consider the interrogation as if Guzzo were being tried alone. Guzzo denied recalling any of the questions or answers; on redirect examination, while conceding that he had been questioned by the inspectors, he denied any incriminating answers. On the next day he pleaded guilty, the judge told the jury his case had been severed, and the tape recording was never offered. 29 Although Bozza, Mulhearn, Pizzo, Guarnieri and Jones complain of this episode on grounds similar to those discussed in the preceding point, we need not concern ourselves with the contentions of the first four since we are reversing their convictions because of the admission of Jones' confession and the question will hardly arise on a new trial. The issue thus relates only to Jones. Although the problem has its resemblances to that arising from the receipt of his confession, it likewise has significant differences favorable to the Government. 18 Guzzo denied all the answers, and though the tenor of the cross-examination suggested that his inconsistent statements might be proved, the Government never offered them and no admission by him incriminating Jones was submitted to the jury; this is a considerable distance from Jones' written confession, not merely in evidence but physically in the jury room. The Government had no reason to anticipate that Guzzo would take the stand; there was therefore less reason for it to have sought severance as to him at the outset than with respect to Jones whose confession it meant to use. More important, if the jury considered Jones' confession to have been voluntary-- and his brief on appeal suggests no reason why it should not have-- the evidence of his participation in the Paramus and Hillsdale burglaries 19 was such that even if error could be found in denying severance and permitting Guzzo to be asked about his prior statements, 'it is unbelievable that a rational jury would have acquitted if this error had not occurred.' United States v. Tramaglino, 197 F.2d 928, 932 (2 Cir.), cert. denied, 344 U.S. 864, 73 S.Ct. 105, 97 L.Ed. 670 (1952); cf. Kotteakos v. United States, 328 U.S. 750, 764-765, 66 S.Ct. 1239, 90 L.Ed. 1257 (1946). 30