Opinion ID: 369077
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 15

Heading: joseph hayden

Text: 178 Joseph Jazz Hayden, convicted of conspiracy on Count 1, was sentenced to fifteen years' imprisonment, a $25,000 fine, and special life parole. He attacks his conviction on the ground that the proof was insufficient to establish his participation in the conspiracy beyond a reasonable doubt. He also claims to have been deprived of his right to call witnesses in his behalf, because of a direction by the trial court that, if his counsel were to testify, he would have to obtain other trial counsel on very short notice. Proof of Participation in the Conspiracy 179 Diaz carried out a $47,000 money wash for Hayden on January 19, 1977. At that time according to Diaz, he and Hayden discussed the prior negotiations concerning Fisher's and Geronimo's attempts to purchase heroin from Hayden. In a later conversation, Hayden quoted Diaz a price of $25,000 or $26,000 for a half-kilogram of heroin and said he would have to consult his Boss. These conversations were an adequate basis for the jury to infer that Hayden was in the narcotics business and had to wash the receipts from that business. 180 Hayden's counsel argued at trial that Hayden undertook to change $47,000 in small bills into large denominations as a result of his ownership of several Harlem after hours clubs which generated a large cash flow of small denomination bills. To accomplish this conversion, he used DEA Agent Diaz as a dupe who would perform the service without a fee. Hayden's counsel had an opportunity to present his version in his summation, as did the Government. The jury apparently chose the Government's view. The evidence was certainly sufficient to sustain their choice. 181 The evidence tended to support the Government's claim that after Guy Fisher was jailed, Hayden became one of Barnes' chief lieutenants. Hayden's tax return for 1976 reported $136,460 as miscellaneous income a substantial increase over the previous year's $67,500. These figures corresponded with a decrease in Guy Fisher's earnings resulting from his incarceration. There was evidence that Barnes and Hayden together arranged the December 16, 1976 wash of $10,000. In addition, Hayden drove automobiles registered to Hoby Darling Leasing Corporation and to Kingdom Auto Leasing Corporation. Since money washing is integral to the success of a narcotics conspiracy and since there was evidence that Hayden should have known of the activities of other conspirators, Hayden's conviction of conspiracy was proper. Right to Call Witnesses 182 In the § 3500 material relating to Geronimo's testimony which the Government turned over to defense counsel there appeared an assertion by Geronimo that he had information that Hayden's counsel had allegedly bribed a state judge in an unrelated case. Hayden's counsel advised the trial court that he wished to present evidence, including his own testimony, to show that Geronimo was lying and that such proof would accentuate defense arguments that Geronimo was an unbelievable witness. 23 183 The Government advised Hayden's counsel that it had no intention of bringing out any bribery issue on direct examination. However, counsel stated that he wished to go into the matter upon cross-examination. It was against this backdrop that the trial judge offered Hayden a three-day adjournment to obtain new counsel in the event that his then-counsel chose to testify, although he expressed the opinion that counsel's proposed testimony would be so collateral as not to be admissible. Such a conclusion, in our opinion, would have been justified and within the court's discretion. As to the shortness-of-time argument, Hayden's counsel did not commence his cross-examination of Geronimo until some eleven days after the § 3500 disclosure. Furthermore, counsel's decision not to testify was made after a strategy discussion which included all defense counsel. No reversible error is to be found in this situation. 184 In sum, Hayden's conviction is affirmed.