Opinion ID: 739709
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Sham Prosecution and Double Jeopardy

Text: 14 Although advanced on appeal, this issue was not raised at trial and is therefore reviewed for plain error. United States v. Harris, 41 F.3d 1121, 1122 (7th Cir.1994). The concept of sham prosecution was raised in Supreme Court dicta in Bartkus v. Illinois, 359 U.S. 121, 79 S.Ct. 676, 3 L.Ed.2d 684 (1959). It has been discussed by courts in the process of rejecting its application ever since. See, e.g., United States v. Paiz, 905 F.2d 1014, 1024 (7th Cir.1990) (the 'sham prosecution' exception to the dual sovereignty doctrine, if it exists at all, is a narrow one, an extremely narrow one ... [w]e have uniformly rejected such claims), cert. denied, 499 U.S. 924, 111 S.Ct. 1319, 113 L.Ed.2d 252 (1991). It nevertheless somehow maintains a life of its own. While one might envision a hypothetical case that melded investigation and prosecution by two sovereigns to a degree that it would constitute a sham prosecution and thus double jeopardy, this is not such a case. Rector's case was an example of the typical (and desired) cooperation between state and federal authorities. See, e.g., United States v. Brocksmith, 991 F.2d 1363 (7th Cir.) (noting that cooperative efforts between state and federal investigators are a welcome innovation), cert. denied, 510 U.S. 999, 114 S.Ct. 569, 126 L.Ed.2d 468 (1993). The ATF often is better able to handle firearms investigations than are small town police departments and routinely provide such assistance. The state charge for receipt of stolen property (the Colt .357) was distinct from the federal charge which only alleged possession by a felon. The fact that the gun was stolen was immaterial to the federal charges. Thus, there was no overlap of charges that might suggest double jeopardy, the underlying rationale for prohibiting sham prosecutions. Nor is it unusual for the federal indictment to follow the state prosecution. That is common not only because federal felony charges must be brought by indictment, a process that takes longer than merely filing charges, but also because if the state sufficiently punishes a defendant the federal government often will forego prosecution.