Opinion ID: 383542
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: I am an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey.

Text: 13 2. This affidavit is submitted in accordance with the procedure outlined in In Re Schofield, 507 F.2d 963 (3d Cir. 1975). I am presently supervising a grand jury investigation in the District of New Jersey concerning alleged violations of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 (Conspiracy); 894 (Extortionate Credit Transactions); 912 (False Personation); 1503 (Obstruction of Justice); 1951 (Extortion); and 1961 (RICO), relating to the operation of mobile lunch trucks at Port Newark and Port Elizabeth, New Jersey and the grand jury's investigation thereof. Edwin Hughes has been subpoenaed by the grand jury as a witness in its investigation. 14 3. It is essential and necessary to the said grand jury investigation that Edwin Hughes furnish the names of lunch wagon operators in the Port Newark and Port Elizabeth, New Jersey areas whom he has interviewed. It is further essential that Mr. Hughes provide information concerning the conduct and circumstances of his interviews of these lunch wagon operators. The information sought from Hughes is: (1) relevant to the grand jury's investigation; (2) properly within the grand jury's jurisdiction; and (3) not sought primarily for another purpose. 15 In the Schofield cases, In re Grand Jury Proceedings (Schofield I), 486 F.2d 85, 93 (3d Cir. 1973) and In re Grand Jury Proceedings (Schofield II), 507 F.2d 963, 964-66 (3d Cir. 1975), we held that when a district court was called upon in a civil action under 28 U.S.C. § 1826(a) (1976) to issue coercive process to compel grand jury testimony, it should require the United States to make a minimum showing by affidavit that the information sought was relevant to an investigation properly within the grand jury's jurisdiction, and that the information was not sought primarily for another purpose. We noted that there were defenses to enforcement of grand jury subpoenas, that the information relevant to such defenses ordinarily rests in the hands of the government, and that unlimited discovery would conflict with the grand jury secrecy provisions of Rule 6(e) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. Balancing these competing considerations, we held that the party seeking enforcement of a grand jury subpoena. . . . (must) make some minimum showing of the existence of a proper purpose before it can trigger the enforcement machinery of the judicial branch. Schofield I, 486 F.2d at 92. More recently, in United States v. Oliva, 611 F.2d 23 (3d Cir. 1979), we held that it is the enforcement proceeding, not the issuance of the subpoena, which gives rise to the obligation to file a Schofield affidavit. We noted in Oliva that it is the practice of United States Attorneys in this Circuit to furnish a Schofield affidavit to any witness who insists upon its production before testifying. A witness, or a third party, who makes a motion to quash is situated, for purposes of the Schofield rule, identically with a witness against whom a section 1826(a) enforcement proceeding is commenced. Indeed, as this case illustrates, the usual outcome of an unsuccessful motion to quash will be a section 1826(a) coercive order. Thus the trial court was correct in assuming that a Schofield affidavit was required. The Government does not contend otherwise. 16 As to the sufficiency of the affidavit which was disclosed, we note that although it is cryptic it complies literally with Schofield by disclosing that the grand jury was conducting an investigation into specific federal crimes, that Hughes may have information relevant to those crimes, and that the information sought from him is not sought primarily for a purpose unconnected with the investigation. Prima facie, on this showing, the subpoena was valid from the standpoint of abuse of process. We postpone to Part II B consideration of whether it sought information protected by the work product doctrine. 3 17 Hughes and DeCotiis object that the court should not have denied their motions to quash without affording them an opportunity to examine the additional affidavit which was considered in camera. They urge that its contents might have impeached the allegations of the disclosed Schofield affidavit, or suggested the need for further inquiry into possible grand jury abuse. We have examined the in camera affidavit and conclude that insofar as it bears upon prevention of abuse of grand jury process, the rationale underlying the Schofield rule, nondisclosure was not an abuse of discretion. As the trial court noted, the in camera affidavit contained information about an ongoing grand jury investigation. Revelation of its contents could lead to intimidation or harassment of potential grand jury witnesses who allegedly were victims of crime. Its contents, moreover, in no way impeach the allegations in the disclosed affidavit. Nor does the in camera affidavit suggest any possibility of further fruitful inquiry with respect to abuse of the grand jury process. Again, we postpone to Part II B consideration of whether the in camera affidavit bears upon the work product protection. 18 We conclude that, putting aside for the moment the work product claim, the disclosed affidavit satisfied the minimum requirements of the Schofield rule. We also conclude that the district court did not abuse its discretion in declining to reveal the contents of the in camera affidavit.